Lunch struggles

[niccig]

I would have 3 or 4 things on regular rotation. If they don’t want to eat those, they can make their own lunch. My DS will eat sandwiches so I have 3 fillings to rotate. If he doesn’t want those, he makes his own lunch


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[squimp]

I don't make lunches for my 16 year old. She started making her own several years ago. What does he want to eat? Do they have a microwave? My DD takes leftovers in a glass container then warms it up in the microwave. Plus some cut up veggies, fruit, cheese, salami. She used to use a thermos but prefers to heat things up at school.

[SAHMIL]

I would either keep sending mac and cheese or let him pack his own lunch. It won’t kill him to eat the same thing for lunch every day.


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Problem is that he binges on one thing for a while and then says he will have nothing to do with it so out have gone bologna , salami, ham, turkey . Not to mention we had spaghetti for dinner tonight . He won’t eat the Voila chicken dinners I have to make sometimes He doesn’t get sometime that mom needs something quick to eat and that eating out is not an option all the darn time .


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[SAHMIL]

Lunch IS a struggle! My kids don't buy the hot lunch - they simply don't want to because it cuts into eating time and they are starving by lunchtime and want to eat and not wait in a line and then only have 5 min to eat. Here's stuff I pack:

In thermos:
Mac and cheese
Pasta and cheese (DD especially loves a fun pasta shape lightly tossed with olive oil - spirals or whatever - and a separate container of just shredded cheese and eats that. Gag.)
Butter pasta (again, a fun pasta shape lightly tossed with butter, and a separate container of parmesan cheese)
Dinner leftovers, sometimes (e.g. rice with broccoli chicken, meat loaf and mashed potatoes, chicken & spinach pasta, curry chicken, spaghetti, etc)
Potato soup, with a small separate container of sour cream at the bottom, green onion (middle layer) and shredded cheese (top layer). Bacon if we have it. I know you said no soup but my kids don't usually take soup either but will take potato soup because it's so hearty and thick.
Potstickers (DD1 loves)
Baked potato - hot potatoes and butter in thermos. Pack separate container of toppings (layer sour cream, green onion, cheese like above). Bacon if we have it.

Not in thermos:
Ramen. Yep - Ramen. Make it dry/cold so that it doesn't get soggy (cook without seasoning, drain, cool with cold water, drain very well, sprinkle seasoning on top of dry noodles).
Crackers and cheese. You can vary this - different kinds of salami, cheddar, swiss, etc. DD1 loves Brie and crackers.
Snack lunch: String cheese, veggies & hummus, fruit, yogurt, Luna bar.
Tortilla roll-up: mayo, cheese, lunch meat, lettuce wrapped in a fresh tortilla. Even I like these and we pack them for picnic lunches.
Sushi: sometimes I'll buy sushi and let them bring it for lunch as a special treat.
Grilled cheese: this actually holds up OK at room temp but has to be made fresh in the morning and let cool before wrapping in parchment, then foil.

Following, as I always love more packed lunch ideas.

My son would take sushi everyday if he could


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[Twoboos]

Lunch has been a struggle here recently too. I always send 3 fruits/veggies (some combo of things like baby carrots, celery, strawberries, sugar snap peas, blueberries, mini cukes, tangerines, etc.). And then went through phases of pasta, a yogurt, or a cheese pack (Sargento Balanced Breaks has cheese and usually nuts and dried berries) with crackers. Now they are off all that and take a Clif bar. Sigh.

When I get complaints I make them pack their own, and that doesn't last long lol.

[Kindra178]

This is so creative! I've never done food in the thermos that isn't like pasta or rice/beans or chili. If you do mini tacos or pizza you just kind of roll it up and stand it on end in the thermos? Do you need to make sure it fills the space?

I wish someone would make a sandwich shaped thermos!

The mini tacos are pretty small. I just throw 8 or 9 in a thermos. We have the lunchbots thermos, which has a super wide mouth. Homemade quesadillas fit flat when cut in triangles.

Pizza - I wrap in aluminum or a silicone bag.


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[KpbS]

Problem is that he binges on one thing for a while and then says he will have nothing to do with it so out have gone bologna , salami, ham, turkey . Not to mention we had spaghetti for dinner tonight . He won’t eat the Voila chicken dinners I have to make sometimes He doesn’t get sometime that mom needs something quick to eat and that eating out is not an option all the darn time .


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Well, in my house if you reject that much food/that many options, you would be totally on your own in making lunch and probably paying for the food too.

[elbenn]

I wish someone would make a sandwich shaped thermos!



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I have two of these. They have worked well for a couple of years (using hot water to warm them up) but the tabs have recently broke off. We are still using them (there are enough tabs still on that they stay closed) but I will probably buy another set since it doesn't seem there are any better options for this size.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074HKG69K...dDbGljaz10cnVl

[twowhat?]

I wish someone would make a sandwich shaped thermos!

The mini tacos are pretty small. I just throw 8 or 9 in a thermos. We have the lunchbots thermos, which has a super wide mouth. Homemade quesadillas fit flat when cut in triangles.

Pizza - I wrap in aluminum or a silicone bag.


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Do these items not get soggy?? I would love more options to put into our thermoses but I always thought that things like quesadillas, tacos, etc would be super soggy by lunchtime. Do you have a trick to this?

[klwa]

I'm on team "Let him pack his own lunch". DD1 is 11 and has been packing her own for two years. Now DD1 makes the sandwiches for herself & DD2 & DD2 gets the "other stuff" together. Works great and they can't blame me if they don't like it!