What's for Today's Packed Lunch, September 2006

[ellenmelon]

Post here what you packed or will pack in your kid's lunch box. Very few have access to a microwave so think of cold things or ways to keep hot food hot from breakfast until lunch time.

for instance:

Today my 10th and 12th grader got the following in their softsided top loading padded lunch kit:

Sandwich made with whole wheat bread, mustard, pastrami, swiss, and a huge leaf of green leaf lettuce in waxed paper

Watermelon pieces in a 4 oz tupperware, with a plastic fork

Fruit leather (one had raspberry and the other strawberry), prepurchased and packaged

Snapple Peach Iced Tea, 16 oz

2 oz of cashews in a tupperware

So I figure they got some dairy, some fruit, some vegetable, some starch, some protein, some liquid, a snack for later -- and I kept it cool with a freezer pack

I have lunch ideas but I am also knowing about October they will be worn out. Please let us all share our ideas here so we can go the whole 9 months!

Vegetarian ideas also welcome...!

[Bilby]

My kids have just gone to school this morning. In their lunch boxes (they have the soft zippered cold style bags, with freezer brick) They have 9 grain bread with lettuce, grated carrot, tomato, cucumber, beetroot and cheese. I sit them on absorbent paper and stack in that order so they don't go soggy.
They also have a cheese and vegemite scroll (with grain bread recipe) that I made a while ago from the freezer and a choc tetra pack milk drink.
This is enough till when they get home and have afternoon tea, which is when they have their fruit.
The milk drink is the only thing bought.

[barbszy]

My kids also use a lunchbox with a "freezie pack" to keep things cool.

Beverages are bought at school since this way they can get milk.

My son took a turkey sandwich with mayo on a potato roll, grapes, pretzels, peanut butter crackers and a granola bar. (This gives him a little bit for a snack after school before cross-country practice).

My daughter bought pizza at school, but had to take the rest from home. She had an apple, a Rice Krispie treat, a bag of cookies, and some grapes. (This gives her something for Morning Snack in her classroom).

One of my kids' favorite lunches is Bagel with Cream Cheese. I slice and freeze bagels by the dozen, in individual sandwich bags. The night before, I take out the bagel, spread on the cream cheese, put it back in its bag and refrigerate until it's time to put lunch together.

[Bilby]

Bagels are expensive here so we only have them on occassion and usually toasted.
How do you prepare a bagel for lunches, just straight cut, are they not to dense to eat. I'm very bagel illiterate, can you tell LOL

[ajrsmom]

My son loves bagels too. They are not too dense to eat, lol. He either like pnut butter on them or meat and cheese.


In his lunch for tomorrow is a hot dog, berry applesauce, Ho Hos and a drink. He has a banana and water for his morning snack.

He uses an insulated lunchbox too with an ice pack.


Good thread!!

[barbszy]

My son has the same lunch as yesterday. He's a real creature of habit. He'll eat the same thing for weeks before getting tired of it.

DD has Ramen noodles in her thermos today, along with an apple, "ring ding" cake, bag of celery sticks and little container of peanut butter.

[ellenmelon]

My kids like something sweet too.

Today's lunch is a sliced chicken breast with leaf lettuce and oregano cheddar cheese and mayo on whole wheat bread, celery sticks, bottle of water, walnuts, fruit rollup, blueberry Nutri-grain bar, and something else I can't remember because I was asleep when I packed it, oh yes, chocolate covered minipretzels.

We do bagels with cream cheese and yes they are a bit large and chewy but they still like it. Just recently I used frozen bread and expected some complaints, soggy maybe? but no complaints and the sandwiches got eaten so that was something new. I had heard using frozen bread keeps the sandwiches colder longer.

How do you keep the banana from getting squished?

I forgot about Ramen noodles, how do you keep them warm enough? We use a thermos but they still are only lukewarm come lunchtime. The thermos is one of those plastic ones made by thermos.

[barbszy]

Ellen, I boil water and fill the thermos with the boiling water, put the lid on and "warm it" for at least 5 minutes. Then I dump it and quick add the already-hot food, and put the lid on nice and tight. DD says that everything's "just right" at lunchtime.

[ellenmelon]

Barbszy, thanks! that should help!

[Bilby]

I always make my lunches with frozen bread or rolls, they are defrosted wonderfully and not soggy.

Today I only have to do lunch for ds1 as ds2 is going on camp for 2 nights, no food needed.
ds1 is taking a vegemite sandwich, a fruitloaf sandwich (margerine and jam), a samll container of sultanas, dates and dried apple with a piece of choc cake I made yesterday. Small drink.

I always have half bottles of frozen drink in the freezer, this way I only have to fill the top half and the drink stays cold for ages as it defrosts.

Are Ramon noodles a brand? Like 2 minute noodles?

I'm glad that you started tis thread, sometimes it is SO hard trying to think of different things, having said that yes they to can be creatures of habit and have vegemite every day.