Lunch Ideas

MommaHen1984 · February 2014

I pack DS lunch everyday for daycare. They provide snacks but I am running out of ideas for lunch!! I am rotating between PB&J, all natural turkey hot dogs or chicken nuggets, and sometimes he gets an english muffin with a 1/2 slice cheese on top. Plus a side of fruit/veggies with every lunch. He is a GREAT eater ( the only thing he doesn't eat is pasta) so I am open to suggestions???

pb_bride · February 2014

Can you use dinner leftovers for lunch? I SAH but I find myself in the same lunch rut if I have to fix him lunch every day. It's easier to just heat up leftovers from the night before. I tend to cook something different every night (only repeating every 2 weeks) so it has more variety.

I also make batches of butternut squash pancakes, broccoli + cheese nuggets, and keep them in the freezer. On days when we don't have leftovers, I heat up those for DS for lunch. Sometimes he gets deli meat plus frozen veggies.

RedDDD · February 2014

Yes we do left overs too. What about wraps? Tortilla with lunch meat and cheese etc rolled up. We do a lot of fruit, string cheese, cottage cheese, green beans, crackers. We do the same, turkey sausages/hotdogs, cheese sammies, pizza. We can't do PB&J due to a severe peanut allergy in his class so that really kills me so we sometimes do jelly sammies. Its pretty limited but we just rotate often

MomIn2013 · February 2014

Right now we're stuck on pita with hummus, pita with peanut butter and cheese cubes, so I'm trying to add variety too. @pb_bride, would you mind sharing your recipe for broccoli cheddar bites?

fanofanne · February 2014

i like the wrap idea! we do sandwiches (bread, some meat and cheese and a spread), pizza, fried rice (but it gets messy), croissant pin wheels (using croissant dough and i use cheese, diced chicken and veggies) and i make my own pizza pockets with croissant dough.

pb_bride · February 2014

@momin2013, the recipe is from wholesome baby foods: (2nd to last recipe)

https://wholesomebabyfood.momtastic.com/broccolibabyfoodrecipes.html#.Uv0o9TS9KSP

Starfish+77 · February 2014

We do grilled cheese, Mac n cheese, cheese and wheat crackers, yogurt squeeze pouches or pizza. They are her main lunches. I buy those thin small pizza shells and 1 is good for 2 lunches, with a side of fruit she has every day. Or pizza on an English muffin. I keep a bag of shredded mozzarella in the freezer and ice cube freezer tray of some pizza sauce. Sometimes I just buy deli cheese and do that with crackers (and fruit).

fitmom82 · February 2014

Your school doesn't have a no peanut rule? I work in a public middle school and we don't. I see the same kid eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and it makes me so nervous for when my daughter, who has a peanut allergy is that age. She's 3 and just had a bad reaction because her cousin, 5, gave her some reeses peaces. My daughter knows to be careful about what she eats, so I'm assuming she's be weary of a sandwich, but you never know.

Our school provides food, but in the summer we bring lunch to the park alot so we do grill cheese of cream cheese and jelly because it stays together so well. She also really likes lunchables and ham, a ham sandwich goes over great. I don't know how much cooking a daycare will do, but at home we do hot dogs, chicken nuggets, and pizza alot. The both really like fried rice, which is nice because you can get it with veggies. DS (1 1/2) will eat a carrot off of DD's plate, but DD is a big fan of carrots and cherry tomatoes

MommaHen1984 · February 2014

Well mac and cheese is out because he doesn't like pasta! No noodles. Never met a kid that doesn't like mac and cheese! I'll try wraps...and the mini pizza idea is great too!

Our daycare does not have a no peanut rule. I assume there are no kids there with known peanut allergy's yet or else they would probably implement that rule since all the toddlers sit at a table and eat together. How they get them all to sit and eat their own food is beyond me!

ObLaDi · February 2014

My son is obsessed with mini quiches. He eats two at a time. I like using spinach or broccoli, but you can change up what veggies you put in.

The recipe I use:

4 eggs

1 cup cream

1 cup WCM

1.5 cups shredded cheese (I do half cheddar, half mozzarella)

1/3 cup onion, chopped and sauteed in 1 Tbs butter

1-2 cups chopped spinach

Combine eggs, cream, and milk. Add cheese and veggies. Pour into greased muffin tins. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, then reduce to 300 degrees for 30-45 minutes, or till brown around the edges.

kateraid · February 2014

I find myself doing the same lunches quite often too. We do mini pizza's on english muffins (and I usually sneak some mashed peas into the sauce), grilled cheese, croissant rolls with PB and J inside, grilled peanut butter and banana sandwiches, mini meatloafs (you bake them in a muffin tin and freeze so just pull them out when lunch is needed), turkey and spinach meatballs and pasta and veggie sauce etc. Everything has a side of fruit and sometimes a veggie pouch since that's the only way he eats veg and he gets yogurt for a snack with some tea biscuits or goldfish crackers. Love the quiche idea I'm going to try that.

kateraid · February 2014

PS I find a lot of recipes on weelicious.com and pinterest

emberlee3 · February 2014

Does he like rice? DD loves beans and rice or fried rice. I don't pack her lunch anymore, but I usually save leftovers for her weekend lunch. She also likes black bean burgers, bean burritos, meatballs, chili, cream cheese sandwiches, cheese sticks, and anything she can dip.

fusionbride · February 2014

we do leftovers a lot. I also do "lunch of sides" with 1 or 2 veggies, fruit, cubed tofu or shredded meat, and cheerios or something. Other faves are refried beans, quiche, lasagna, quesadilla, lentils and veggies with rice or mini pasta,

Meery82 · February 2014

RedDDD said:

Yes we do left overs too. What about wraps? Tortilla with lunch meat and cheese etc rolled up. We do a lot of fruit, string cheese, cottage cheese, green beans, crackers. We do the same, turkey sausages/hotdogs, cheese sammies, pizza. We can't do PB&J due to a severe peanut allergy in his class so that really kills me so we sometimes do jelly sammies. Its pretty limited but we just rotate often

I've heard that sunflower butter makes for a good peanut butter replacement.

wesleycrusher · February 2014

@obladi I used your recipe to make quiches but tweeked it a little with what I had in the house- no heavy cream but we had sour cream and I used a broccoli, spinach, mushroom combo and they are sooo good. I made them for DD but I think I'm going to end up eating them all!

MaggieF516 · February 2014

I usually give him the things you listed, but also left overs of his dinner the night before (pizza, fish sticks, sweet potato tater tots, etc.). I know in the morning I don't have time to make lunches, so this works out ok. I also buy the Gerber Toddler meals (chicken and rice, meatballs and mashed potato, etc.) for him. They are kinda expensive (like $2 each I think) but it saves a lot of time when I don't have leftovers or time to make something. He really likes them.

ObLaDi · February 2014

@awesomesauce123 so glad you liked them! They are delish!

Want a personalized experience?

Lunch Ideas

Re: Lunch Ideas

Choose Another Board

Search Boards