lunch box lunches for 5 yr. old
my grandson starts school week after next and is required to pack a lunch every day. i am open for all your suggestions, or lets just say "hellllllllllllp". he is not a picky eater thank God! also i am asked to bring lunch for the class once a month. probably about 12-15 kids. thats not alot. i don't think. i'm saying thank you now because you have helped me before in the past.
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30 Comments:
Well, in case the school has a rule against it, I woudl avoid peanut butter, but if he isn't picky, perhaps almond butter and jelly snadwiches. Almonds are really healthy and the almond butter is just as tasty, if you ask me. Or add honey, instead of jelly.
I am also a huge fan of chopped veggies and a dip, if you have an insulated bag which will keep it cold (extra crunch that way).
Hummus is good either as a dip or on a bagel with some veggies and maybe some natural (i.e. no nitrate/nitrite) meats (Hormel has some that I really like).
Whole-wheat crackers with a little cheese and some cold cuts work well...at least for me sometimes, with some grapes maybe.
Traveller at 11:23AM on 08/11/09
My daughter likes fried rice, pasta, and burritos....not all at once, of course.
derosa at 11:24AM on 08/11/09
Make him Bento lunches. : )
Look it up....you'll love it.
arm1970 at 11:33AM on 08/11/09
For the whole class, I would wait and see what others bring first. I would bring roasted veggies (zucchini, red peppers, yellow peppers, mushroom, etc.) if it were left up to me, but the kids would probably all hate it. :P
Taco or taco salad would be cool, but the teachers cleaning up after everyone would hate it.
Broken linguine (gasp) bolognese so that sauce isn't whipping around everywhere...plus they're too young to know how fun spaghetti food fights are, and how funny it looks sliding down a wall. Uhh, not that I'm saying I know from experience... *cough*
There's always lasagne too.
For his own food - wait, why would he need to bring his own lunch every day and you supply lunch once per month? Are they asking you to supply and entree or a side?
What does he like/dislike?
Cassaendra at 12:13PM on 08/11/09
If you pack the lunch in plastic containers with lids, be sure to let him practice opening the containers at home. We did this and discovered that my son could not pry open the lid of his sandwich container so we switched to something that he could open easily.
Knitter at 12:19PM on 08/11/09
I occasionally make Corn Dog Muffins. They are quick and easy and taste just as good room temperature as they do heated up. Plus kids love corn dogs. This would be good for either the lunch for the whole class because you can make a big batch or freeze them for your grandson's lunches.
Another idea is to make "pinwheels" with different kinds of veggies, meats/proteins and cream cheese. Roll them up and cut into pinwheels. I'm telling you kids love these, they're fun and small and they'll pretty much eat anything you put in them so you can load up on the veggies!
Also, a little unconventional but I love to make and pack a deviled egg in my lunch, it's different and makes me feel like I'm having a little mini party as well as sneaking in some extra protein to my diet.
Good Luck !
Martini Me at 12:55PM on 08/11/09
i'd do a sandwich cut into four triangles
(hey, they're more fun to eat that way-i'm 30 and still think so)
egg salad...ham & swiss...tunafish...hard salami...whatever the kid digs.
(pb&j always grossed me out b/c the jelly would crystallize the bread)
for variation-instead of a sandwich-give the kid cheese and crackers w/ pepperoni.
i'd also do sliced fruit (trying to eat an entire apple whole can be daunting) &
sliced veggies (the grocer around me sell 6-packs of single serving ranch dips too)
a little bag of popcorn would give the crunch of a chip, but be healthier
(i'm talking about popping your own on the stove top) or perhaps pretzels.
finally, you gotta give the kid something sweet-homemade chocolate chip cookies or a cupcake were always my fave.
as for feeding a the rest of them...you should probably wait & see what allergies, etc the class has before deciding. but whatever you end up doing you should definitely have you grandkid help make it!
gastronomeg at 1:00PM on 08/11/09
Oh this is going to get to be a chatty topic. Do not send your grandson to school with pasta. Why? Because it is not a lunch food for kids at school.
Kids will be kids. He will regardless of what time you take to make it neat, act his age and get it on himself.
I dislike people trying to give their children lunchtime foodie experiences. These are children, just because you have a foodie manifest destiny this does not make your grammar school child's "social peer group ethic" foodie friendly. Most of his friends eat sandwiches, school lunch or lunchables. Ok I know lunchables are crap. But to a kid it is rock and roll. Take a look at what a lunchable is and make a healthier version.
Sending your kid to school with garlicky food or fish is just bad. No one wants to be the smelly fish kid or the garlicky kid.
As for peanut butter, here we go again, just because someone is allergic not everyone is and do not punish or exclude the kids who are not. I think we already established that we are empathetic of the allergic kids but the free world is not peanut free et al.
Ask the kid what he wants to eat. Listen to him when he tells you.
JerzeeTomato at 2:05PM on 08/11/09
I agree with gasronomeg about the food allergies. My daughter came home from school last year with a list of "unnacceptable lunches" for everone in the class as one child had multiple nut allergies, another child had a corn allergy(no high fructose corn syrup), and an other one had allergic reflexes to certain fruits, mainly berries.Oh, and then there was the child with celiacs disease(no wheat, rye, barley etc)
For did's birthday party we sent in sugar free orange jello.
Definitely get clearance from the teacher before cooking for the entire classroom.That having been said, Good Luck.
donnie at 2:13PM on 08/11/09
Check out the gallery of pictures at funky lunch (the people who brought you the nemo sandwich upthread). Made me wistful that I don't have a 5 yr old to make lunch for. I'd definitely do something like that for the food you bring for the class. http://www.funkylunch.com/ Love the giraffe (but I don't know if I could bring myself to eat it!)
Have you got plenty of time on your hands? Get a book like "play with your food" to turn some veggies and fruits into critters.
I was watching a scientific american episode last week that the distaste for broccoli family is one of those genetic things, so a good idea to avoid that, along with cilantro.
I'd give a lot of thought to keeping foods cold.
I'm also curious how you're making lunch every day, but making it for everyone 1ce a month. So do you just have to make it 2 weeks a month and the other two weeks he'll have communal meal offerings?
lemonfair at 2:19PM on 08/11/09
I agree with JerzeeTomato that just because one child is allergic, why should the whole room have to suffer. I also raised this topic with school and it was explained to me that sometimes children"swap" their lunches and children are not aware of all the ingredients in their food.
This was a better solution in their eyes than removing the allergic children and having them eat alone.
donnie at 2:27PM on 08/11/09
For a five year old keep it simple. Those small Dole or DelMonte cups of fruit, like the little mandarin oranges are sweet and fun to eat, just remember to pack a plastic spoon. Baby carrots and sliced cukes are always hits with my little crumb-crushers. Simple sandwhiches on whole wheat (mine prefer "no crust mom!") made with recognizable ingredients and stuff that won't upset tummies (hummus can cause gas) like roasted turkey and cheese. Little kids don't like to be the ones with the smelly, weird lunches. It's also fun for them to find a surprise snack in there...like a mini candy bar or a jolly rancher. Something unexpected and "special" that let's them know you're thinking of them!
juliebugsmama at 2:45PM on 08/11/09
Not trying to be disrespectful, Jerzee, but I have to disagree with you about the pasta option. I send my 3 1/2 year old to school with pasta at least three times a week - more often than not, it's leftovers from the night before. The list is endless: spaghetti with tomato sauce, shells with peas & small slices of ham, orzo with cherry tomatoes & fresh mozzarella, pinwheels with cheddar cheese sauce...she DEVOURS it all, and it's very neat & tidy lunch. The school even heats up the lunch for her beforehand!
sugartoast at 4:20PM on 08/11/09
My kids always loved what we called American Pupu Platter. A blob of peanut butter and anything that you could put peanut butter on-celery, carrots, crackers, pretzels, cheese, apple etc. etc. I always included a little cheese spreader that was specific to the nearest holiday.
They also loved sandwiches cut into shapes with cookies cutters. Cheese sticks. Yogurt (with a little cold pack).
Sometimes I included love notes written on the napkin.
kpope at 4:22PM on 08/11/09
The big picture is that your grandson is starting school and eating a packed lunch with a huge bunch of other people will be enough to take in by itself, without also taking on new foods straight away.
So I would personally initially stick to familiar foods which are relatively healthy and which you know your grandson will eat happily, so that he can focus on the rules and conventions of school lunchtime. You don't want him to associate meal times with stress. It's 5 meals from 21 in a week, so you can afford to break it in gently.
As he settles in and gets the hang of it over the next few weeks and months you can start introducing more interesting foods, just at maybe two meals a week each week. You can also then start to think about a more considered balance of proteins (tell him they are sporty muscle foods) carbs ('energy' foods) and fruit and veg ('no sniffles' foods).
There are some good ideas for starters at www.school-lunch-ideas.com and www.kitchentablemedicine.com/55-healthy-school-lunch-ideas/
But give yourself and your grandson some breathing space to take on board a huge event - starting school - without worrying about whether or not he will be the most gourmet kid at the table. If he's one of the most comfortable kids at the table, you can add the other stuff later and he'll take it on board. Or you can keep it simple permanently and do the interesting stuff at home in the evening.
Joanne Roach at 4:28PM on 08/11/09
Here are some ideas your grandson and his classmates might like:
Cream Cheese/Veggie Sandwiches
Asparagus Sandwiches - believe me, my nieces and nephwes love them...
Undercover Mac & Cheese
Spinach Pinwheels
Garlic Parsley and Parmesan Breadsticks
"Shrek's Spaghetti" - that's how my nieces call them... and they ask for it constantly.
Sorullitos de Maiz / Corn fritters - although these may get soggy and maybe the kids will not like them like that... but they taste amazing. maybe this can be something to eat at home.
Cheesy Rice Burritos
My nieces love pastelillos (or turnovers) and you can make these versions of a Galician Empanada in individual portions that taste awesome at room temperature.
MadelynRodriguez at 4:41PM on 08/11/09
something i forgot for somethign sweet for your grandson or to take to the whole class - I make these brown rice krispies treats using almond butter instead of marshmallows... more delicious and nutritious.
MadelynRodriguez at 4:44PM on 08/11/09
I have a question.
If every one is supposed to bring a lunch for the whole class once a month and there's 12-15 children, you'll only be packing lunches for half the days?
CJ McD at 7:01PM on 08/11/09
@kpope those are all great sounding choices.
@sugartoast none taken. As you know I am italian. We ate pasta all the time but my mother never let me take it for lunch. She was quite strong on her opinion that it was not for leaving the house. Knowing what I did to clothing with tomato sauce as a child I have to agree with her. I fully acknowledge I do not have children. The opinion is my own.
JerzeeTomato at 7:15PM on 08/11/09
jerzeetomato is correct about reagrding the allergy thing, the peanut butter issue is akin to the MSG hysteria a few years ago.
olddad at 8:07PM on 08/11/09
to cj McD
to answer your question about how many times we have to take the lunches, the teacher said that most of the working Moms don"t participate because they are working. go figure.
jobug_tincher at 9:28PM on 08/11/09
Take a hint from the working Moms, and refuse to bring in lunch or treats for the whole class under any circumstances. Too many food safety issues surround more than just a single lunch for your grandson. You probably just don't want that liability any more than the "working Moms" do.
I'm surprised the school even asks it of you.
whoot at 10:16PM on 08/11/09
As a novel thought, ask your grandson what he wants to bring.
During the summer my daughter (6 years old) goes to a day camp that doesn't provide food. I ask her most nights what she wants to bring. Some days it is salmon salad, others it chicken nugget bento box. As far as the comment about not making lunch a foodie experence, why shouldn't it be an experence?
During the school year, she brings lunch 2 to 3 times a week, some of the parents of her classmates have asked me about the lunches I send with her.
Alan
aholsber at 10:38PM on 08/11/09
I need to chime in about the allergies.
Peanut butter being an airborne protein (You know how sometimes you can TASTE something it smells so good, or bad?) And a sticky mess which is a nightmare for those with contact allergies, if your school has opted to go peanut free it's worth doing.
Kids with life threatening allergies can (and do) die from exposure. And nuts are the most likely allergen to cause dramatic reactions. Parents with epi-pen carrying kids hold their breath every time the phone rings when they're at school because they KNOW what news it can bring, but we can't keep them in a bubble.
And in a school setting, kids don't have enough authority to protect themselves. By packing a nut free lunch when requested, you really ARE saving a life.
Uncorny at 10:41PM on 08/11/09
I remember bringing a bagged lunch to school and hoping that my mom packed me either leftover pizza or cold pierogies or ravioli (just plain, no sauce or butter or anything). Freeze a juice box to use as an ice pack and put them in a little baggie, or wrap the pizza in wax paper. I bring leftover pasta with sauce with me to work now sometimes, but I never got it in my lunch as a kid, probably because my mom usually packed me finger food so she wouldn't need to buy plastic forks or worry about me losing silverware.
cycorider at 10:56PM on 08/11/09
What about children with milk allergies, gluten allergies, mold allergies, bees.... Not everyone can protect your child. I don't think it is at all fair for anyone to impose their restrictions on everyone else.
If your kid has a life threatening allergy then you need to teach your kid to handle it.
If that means they have to sit alone at the nut free table so be it. That is the reality of it. The vigiliante nut parent thing is bunk. Sorry but it is. Your child has the issue you have to spend the time educating them for life.
What happens when they are not in school and they run across peanuts at a ballgame or at a neighbor's house, at the local steakhouse where people are throwing peanut shells all over the floor? You going to go running to the little league and say oh please no peanuts at the games please, call the waitress and demand the nuts be removed from the premises, no you are not. It is your restriction it is not everyone's restriction. Deal with it.
You teach your kid how to live their lives and keep your kid healthy.
JerzeeTomato at 1:31AM on 08/12/09
My mother gave me pasta all the time for school lunches, but then again, I lived in a very Italian neighborhood. A typical lunch for me would be pasta, some olives and fresh mozzarella on the side. And a love note from my wonderful mom.
As for not being able to bring certain items in because of kids with food allergies...ridiculous. The teachers say the kids swap lunches so peanuts are not allowed? How about teaching your kid NOT to swap lunches because they are allergic? My six year old cousin has a peanut allergy, and she is aware of the severity of it. She knows that the lunch her mother packs for her is safe and eats that every day.
I mean, seriously, one kid with a peanut allergy and suddenly peanuts are banned? Pretty soon we're all going to live in bubbles.
italiagirl84 at 9:25AM on 08/12/09
rice balls are also easy to eat and it's fun to make smiley faces and animals and stuff.
you just have to have thick skin on your hands though, because you have to make them when rice is steaming hot... my mom is so good at it and her rice balls are almost indestructible.
it's already come up but pinwheels/roll-ups with thinly sliced bread or flour tortilla are cute and easy to eat too.
make it colorful- having red, yellow and green always brightens up a kids' packed lunch :-)
about the allergies...(here we go again)
I highly doubt that peanut allergen is airborne especially when you are just eating peanut butter. According to a Johns Hopkins doctors' paper published in 2004, during and after having peanut butter, shelled peanuts, and unshelled peanuts, there were no peanut allergen detected in the air and contaminated surfaces were easily decontaminated using regular wipes and hand-washing.
I do understand peanut-free days/sections for baseball games, because those peanut debris fly. My friend has a peanut allergy and he was a bit scared by peanut debris falling from people sitting above at one game.
hmw0029 at 12:59PM on 08/12/09
Jerz, I have to agree with you on the lunchtime foodie scene. I remember feeling embarrassed if I had a smelly lunch like tuna. I guess it depends on the kid, but sometimes fitting in matters. It's not much fun when some other kid starts making a big deal about another kid's "weird" or "stinky" lunch.
Cheese or turkey sandwich. Bagel with butter or cream cheese. Fruit cup. Carrots and celery sticks. Mini bag of chips or pretzels. Juice box. Cookie or brownie. That's all a little kid really needs. Ask him if he wants something special, he'll let you know.
Plus, if you start getting fancy with how you package things, you'll lose all your tupperware!
Kerosena at 1:57PM on 08/12/09
We had the same set up at my elementary school- bring your own, then a parent brought in a "hot lunch" once a month. We went to a one room school (I'm only in my mid 30's, so this was not the turn of the century or anything). You may want to check if he will have access to refrigeration or if there is a microwave available for re-heating. We had neither, but no one ever seemed to fall ill from sandwiches with mayo or anything.
When we had our monthly "hot lunch" it seems like spaghetti or chili with rice krispy treats or jello squares for dessert were our favorites.
I just remember preferring food that was quick to eat and not fussy so I could get out for recess.
marciev at 10:21AM on 08/18/09