Worrying over packed lunch for 4 year old veggie!

Jo_R_2

Hi all!

I'm having a bit of a panic as DD1 starts school "full-time" on Monday, she will be having packed lunches and I want to make sure she has variety but she can be a fussy little one at times!

She's veggie. When we make sandwiches at home, she's a bit of a one - she won't eat them if you put the filling in the sandwich, but if you do "butter sandwiches" (LOL!) then put the filling as a side, she'll eat it all! Examples include cheese (has to be in cubes or grated) or Quorn slices. She used to eat hummus when younger but went off it, am hoping I can get her to like it again - somehow!

She'll eat 'crumble crackers' (I believe this is from Fimbles or similar?) but is a bit hesitant about any other kinds (I tend to buy the multigrain ones with poppy seeds and whatnot in them.) I don't want her to have sandwiches every day, so am trying to think of alternatives - possibly HM soup is a thought, she wouldn't eat pasta salad as she's not that keen on pasta, she'll eat breadsticks (plain white ones) so might try some seeded or wholemeal ones (maybe to dip in hummus?)

I'd like to get some veg in there somewhere, she'll have cherry tomatoes (okay so technically a fruit but go with me there!) but won't eat raw carrot, I might try her n some baby corn (she was a bit iffy about it when she tried it a few months ago) but not sure what else?

She adores fruit so that's not a problem, and I was thinking of conjuring up something HM like muffins or oat cookies.

I've done a search for lunch ideas which has been really helpful, but unfortunately DD1 started off as a baby who loved nearly everything and now has gone the opposite way!

Rachel021967

I have a veggie daughter of 14. Things she's made for lunch are mini quiches, pizza, filo parcels and vegetarian cornish pasties. She also likes cashew nuts and dried fruit. She also makes scones and muffins. They always appreciate their cooking more. Maybe you could make somethings with your daughter for her lunchbox. Good luck.

Rachel

jcr16

try not to worry. although my daughter isn't fussy. she likes the same thing every day for school. Marmite sandwiches, 2 pieces of fruit ( strawberries, grapes , satsumas, banana , apples whatever i have) lump of cheese of cheese string, fromage frais, and a homemade cake. either bake well, fairy cake, rice crispy cake etc.

sometimes i vary it with jam sandwiches , or cheese spread. once did ham. she likes the same.

i would just keep your little girls lunch box simple. with things she likes. maybe use biscuit cutters and make shapes from the butties. Imo it doesn't matter if she has just plain bread and butter and the cheese on the side. whats important is that she is eating . you might find as well she will eat different things because her friend is. my daughter ate half a cucumber tonight at her friends house. yet she won't touch it normally.

Does your little girl like wraps ? wrapped with humous in then rolled up and sliced look very nice and taste lovely. or cold slices of homemade pizza. you can adapt anything really for a lunch box.

Jo_R_2

Mini quiches is a great idea Rachel021967, I've only ever made ordinary size ones though! Might sound silly but what do I use to make little ones?

She is like that jcr16 re: the eating what her friends eat. I popped in early one day to pick her up from nursery and there she was eating a veggie quorn sweet-and-sour thing and I could not believe my eyes - hardly touches rice at home, and as for sweet and sour? But nursery nurses say they get that sooo much, the surprised parents when they realise what their kids will eat when they see their friends eating something different!

Zed42

So, what do you do "normally" ie at home ... if butter sarnies work with sides, then carry on with it ... there's nowt wrong with bread and butter with sides ... if it works, it works.

I wouldn't do soup to begin with, it's quite complicated and potentially messy.

lots of pick and mix works for my DD in general ... she loves little tubs of things .... cherry toms, carrot sticks, hummus, pineapple, dried fruit, mini-muffins (big ones are just too overwhelming for her),

Good luck ... she'll be fine .. she will, she will ...

NickiM

Jo_R wrote: »

Mini quiches is a great idea Rachel021967, I've only ever made ordinary size ones though! Might sound silly but what do I use to make little ones?

Will check more tomorrow, but have a recipe in a Delia book I have for quichelets, and basically you make pastry and put the rounds in a fairy cake type tin and then fill each individual mini quiche with the egg/cream/cheese/onion mixture

HariboJunkie

Will she eat pitta bread? My two love getting a ready spit pitta in their lunch and a little box of "stuff" to put in it. I usually give them thinly sliced cheese, cucumber, tomato and houmous. The same can be done with wraps, crackers and rolls.
If you give her that she will be getting her carbs and veg and if you add a yoghurt, piece of fruit/raisins and a little fairy cake or flapjack she'll have a pretty nutritious lunch.

Pitlanepiglet

NickiM wrote: »

Will check more tomorrow, but have a recipe in a Delia book I have for quichelets, and basically you make pastry and put the rounds in a fairy cake type tin and then fill each individual mini quiche with the egg/cream/cheese/onion mixture

.....or rather than faff around with individual quiches, I've got a rectangular quiche tin and I just chop the quiche up into portions, open freeze, transfer to a bag and just take individual pieces out in the morning as needed.