Packed lunch ideas

My daughter is pretty fussy but her school dinners are so awful she ends up with packed lunches most days. I usually give her a sandwich (cheese, marmite, ham or hummus), some carrot sticks and maybe cherry tomatoes, a piece of cheese, an apple or some grapes, and usually some yogurt covered raisins or a packet of raisins, or a fruit bar. She does moan that she would like crisps or chocolate bars but so far I haven't given in. I worry that her lunches are really boring so any other ideas would be great!

Someone else at school suggested buying cartons of fruit juice and freezing them and putting them in the lunch box when the weather is hot as they will defrost slowly and keep the food cool and be a nice drink at dinner time.

I used to find when my daughter was at Primary school that packed lunch had to be something that was eaten quickly so they could get out to play. Also the supervisors would not let them go until something was eaten so although it looked boring to me, the lunch had to be something that would be eaten.

If the child likes a cheese sandwich every day and thats what they will eat, go for it, rather than trying to pack a gourmet look that you think perhaps you should be doing. Also my daughter is never very good at eating away from home, something the dinner supervisors never understood

I reckon for little ones, less is better and give them a cup of soup when they get home!

If he eats anything, then you're lucky. When DS1 was in reception, he would eat egg mayo every day if I'd let him. I occasionally got him to have cheese or cream cheese. I got him to have wholemeal rolls, because he doesn't like brown bread but I called them 'special bread' so that was OK. Now he's in Yr 1, he won't touch egg mayo but will eat ham 5 days a week! Other than that he gets a carton of apple juice and a fruit bar. I like him to have Humzingers because they have no added sugar - it all comes from the fruit itself, or there's a range in the Organic section. I've tried him on pittas, with yoghurts and fruit etc but I don't bother now. He gets a piece of fruit/carrot from school and he drinks his milk, so overall his packed lunch must fall within the healthy spectrum. My son knows what he CAN'T have ie jam (except once a term), crisps, choc biscuits. If we've home baked sometimes he takes a bun or gingerbread. Sometimes he takes a slice of unbuttered malt loaf.

Generally, it's all eaten, and it's clean (ie not spilt down themselves) and healthy. I wouldn't necessarily go down the route of little pots of fruit/salad as at 4 he's probably going to want to eat and play, with all his mates. I agree with Ed-lass - keep it simple at this age.

Hi misty

Re - the water. My son is in reception year and is allowed to take a water bottle into school. He also gets milk (which i pay for) and free fruit. It depends what arrangement your LEA has.

It might be worth double checking with the school re the packed lunch, my son is allowed to take one but recently a friend of mine whose daughter is at a primary about half a mile down the road says that their school will not allow reception children to take a packed lunch. If they're not stopping for dinner then they have to go home. The option of a packed lunch ony becomes available from Year 1 onwards. I was surprised when friend told me this as i'd never come across it, it's the only school i've heard of that does it this way but perhaps best to double-check your own school misty.