Packed Lunches for School

thriftlady_2

I'm sucker for cookbooks and I've read several aimed at lunch box makers.

They are all filled with wonderful variety and colour -wraps, pittas, pizza, bagels, sandwiches, pasta salad, rice salad, dips, pots of fruit slad, mini kebabs, mini muffins, mini this that and the other.

It all looks wonderful and delicious BUT after 8 years of lunch box making here's what I've learned; kids like cheese or ham in a sandwich, a piece of fruit (apple, grapes or banana for preferance) and a cake/flapjack/muffin. That's it ...plus a bottle of water.

I make my bread and muffins/flapjacks etc and include carrot sticks/ cucumber for the ones who will eat them. We don't buy things in packets or individual containers. I don't put hm yogurt in the boxes as it makes too much mess for them and me later. We save it for home.

Anything too unusual, strong smelling or too messy stays at home especially for the eldest who is now at secondary school - he won't have anything that sets him apart from the crowd and even brings his fruit home to eat. Once a week they have a pizza made on pitta bread and sometimes they have a bagel if they are reduced. But generally speaking we stick to our simple formula.

Keep it simple.

squeaky

bertiebots wrote: »

Hi I am sure there must be something on here to give me ideas but finding it is another matter...!

Easy peasy, honest

This thread will give you a good start:-

Welcome to Old Style - (BRAND NEW "Read me first")

See the part about "How do I find everything?"

Skint_Catt

If anyone has (probably slightly older) children who like spicy things, then fromage frais mixed with curry powder makes a good coronation sauce - this can go with sliced egg, leftover chicken in wraps, pittas or sarnies.

champys

thriftlady wrote: »

It all looks wonderful and delicious BUT after 8 years of lunch box making here's what I've learned; kids like cheese or ham in a sandwich, a piece of fruit (apple, grapes or banana for preferance) and a cake/flapjack/muffin. That's it ...plus a bottle of water.

Keep it simple.

You're quite right, thriftlady! A good test is to make yourself a lunch pack for when you go somewhere by train, for example. What do you actually put in? I always (still!) end up with ham/cheese sandwiches and a banana or apple, simply because it tastes good and is not fiddly or messy, however full the train. It must be the same for kids!

Primrose

Mixed bean salads in a container with chopped carrot, celery, apple, red peppers are also filling and full of fibre. You can dress them with a little vinaigrette or mayonnaise on the morning, if liked. You can buy tins of mixed beans and once opened, rinsed and stored in a plastic container in the fridge they will last for several days and you can vary the daily menu by adding cold chopped sausages, chicken, white tuna chunks, hard boiled eggs, etc.

bertiebots

Well I have been baking like a woman possessed today:T .I have made all my bread..about a hundred cookies(chocolate,plain and hobnob!!)!! and the bread rolls.:j The water bottle thing is something I am really going to have to do as the cartons of juice are just too dear. Thanks for all the tips everyone and I think I have finally figuired out how to find my way around the threads..!

purpleivy

My dd is veggie and I tried a new spicy nut loaf recipe the other day, it's half breadcrumbs and half nuts. I did it in a round tin and cut it into wedges. It's firm, so isn't messy to eat.

lil_me

I posted the links for the other lunchbox ideas thread because I also don't really believe in making 'kids food' as I would rather they had whatever we were. Oh and my DS1 is an awkward one, he won't eat sandwiches in his lunch, at all.

I think the biggest mistake I can make with my boys is too much variety, seen childrens faces in the schools I have helped in when they open a lunch box and the face says 'what on earth has she put in here this time?' Things that smell/look horrid once they have been on a trolley and bashed about on the way to school are usually a bad idea.

Luna69

Hi
My daughter is staying for packed lunch at school from Monday, I haven't done packed lunches since my son was about 4 (he's now 11). I don't want to be giving her sandwiches every day, so wondered if any more organised people had any suggestions for something different to put in, along with sandwiches on some days.
Also is it best to prepare most things say on the weekend to last the week to save on time during the week?

As an idea on her tastes she loves pasta/noodles, raw veg (peppers, carrots, cucumber, mushrooms) plus other bits like sweetcorn (which I use frozen).
She's not too keen on mayonnaise, but likes pasta sauces,although not sure how those would go down on cold pasta.

Any other ideas would be appreciated too, not just pasta or noodle dishes.
Had thought of making a quiche or something, but not entirely sure she'd eat it.
Will be putting in the usual fruit, crisps on a day or two maybe, bit of cake or a biscuit... hopefully homemade if I get to do it. :rotfl:
ANy other ideas for desserts, she's not keen on yogurts or fromage frais.

Thanks in advance.

Pink.

Hi Luna,

These older threads might give you some ideas:

Lunch boxs old style?

back to school packed lunch os ideas?

Kids paked lunch for under £1.85 per day

Cheap healthy playground snacks

Kid's packed lunch ideas! Help!

Low Carb but Filling Kids Lunch Box Ideas?

I'll add your thread to the most recent one later to keep all the suggestions together.

Pink