School Lunch Ideas

If you previously read another hub on how to pack a school lunch, then you are probably curious what you can put into those lunchboxes. You may be wondering what foods ca you pack that will keep your child happy. Think about what foods your child normally eats. Are they fans of chicken nuggets, hot dogs, peanut butter sandwiches, or chili? All of these items can be sent! If you use the proper packing techniques as described in the how-to hub, then you should have virtually no limits on what you can send in your child's lunch. However, coming up with ideas may be tricky for busy parents. With so many schedules to attend to, what to pack for lunch may not be at the top of your to-do list. So here are some for you.

For main dishes try these items:

Hot dogs - simply heat up and wrap in foil to be put into your warmed container. You can keep the bread separate and let your child combine the two during lunch, so the bun doesn't get soggy. Include condiments to your child's liking. Burritos, tacos, and pizza pockets, are also wrapped up in foil and placed in heated container. Beanie weenies, chili and macaroni and cheese, rice, stew, soups, chicken nuggets, spaghetti, meatballs, and pigs in a blanket all just need to be heated before placing in the warm container. Other cold items such as cold pizza, chicken salad, tuna salad, garden salads, pasta salads, sandwiches, and sandwich wraps just need to be in surrounded by an ice pack. Kids seem to love lunchables, so how about making your own? Cut cheese and meats into squares, circles, or even flowers and put into container with several types of crackers.

For sandwiches try mixing up the bread with different varieties to make things interesting. Include croissants, pita bread, bagels, biscuits, tortillas, and more. Just by altering this one ingredient, you are creating new and interesting lunches. It will also keep your child guessing as to which bread they get today.

Having side dishes and desserts is also important. These are the filler foods. They can also be the best part of lunch for some kids. Keep things interesting by mixing up the side dishes and desserts. Don't get stuck in a rut and continue to put the same thing in every day, your child may get bored. Side dishes and desserts can include: tator tots, any fruit, Jell-O, pudding, yogurt, granola, cut up vegetables, trail mix, chips, cookies, brownies, cake, hard boiled eggs, cottage cheese with or without fruit, pickles, smaller portions of pasta salads or green salads,

Kids love dipping foods so use this to your advantage and incorporate dips into their lunches. Include items to dip the foods such as ranch, peanut butter, yogurt, caramel sauce, chocolate sauce, ketchup, mustard, cheese dip, bean dip, and flavored cream cheese.

By mixing and matching items every lunch becomes an adventure. One day include celery sticks and ranch, but the next try celery sticks and peanut butter. Cut up apples are delicious with caramel sauce, peanut butter, and flavored cream cheese. Try them on different days and ask your child which they prefer. By offering several dips with one item you are giving yourself and your child a wider variety of lunches that will keep your child happy.

Drinks are quite easy to incorporate into lunches. There are numerous flavors of boxed juices and kid's drinks. There is also the option of sending money for milk, or including a thermos of milk from home. The thermos can also be filled with juice, Kool-Aid, sports drinks, water, horchata, or any of your child's other favorite drinks. There are even packages of single serve flavors that can be added to water to create a drink such as Kool-Aid. If your child is not picky, mix the drinks up to.

Keeping your child guessing on what is for lunch can be very exciting for all. Mixing different side dishes and desserts with the main meal is a great way to incorporate new and healthy items to your child's diet. Make it appealing by adding a dip, and your child may actually enjoy a new item. It's amazing how many kids like broccoli when given ranch to dip it in! Experiment with your child's lunch and take note of what works and what doesn't. If you really want to make your child feel special, include items that aren't edible such as stickers, special notes, or napkins with hand-drawn art. Lunches are a great time to let your child know you love them. Making them nutritious and fun meals is a great way to express your love.