By Guest Blogger, Kristen D.
Bologna sandwich, apple or orange, Little Debbie snack cake. I survived on this everyday of elementary school…except on pizza day. I got to buy rectangular cheese pizzas with tiny square things they call pepperoni and a side of corn. I can’t believe I made it. I do not fault my mom – I was a picky eater and this is all I would eat…for years.
Now it is my turn. I took the mom job seriously and was often made fun of because I meticulously made all of my daughter’s meals. I prided myself on providing a healthy lunch everyday for my first born. From the day Abby could pick up food, I carefully cut every item into tiny bite size pieces of healthy items. Grilled chicken, fresh cut strawberries and cantaloupe, appropriate temperature carrots and green beans, yogurt, etc. Then Lucy came along and it became more difficult to pack a healthy lunch everyday for both girls so I began to purchase pre-packaged chips, lunch meat, Go-gurt (what is that anyway), and the expensive but convenient, Lunchable.
It occurred to me as I was making lunches at 6am yesterday that I will be making lunch for my kids for the next umpteen years and I need some new ideas. I am mindful of the threat of childhood obesity and really try to instill healthy eating (when we are not at Chick-fil-A for the second time in one week!) and making healthy choices. I am jealous that my friend has no qualms about having her child buy a school hot lunch everyday. For some reason I feel I need to have some control over what Abby eats so I let her buy twice a week and she brings her lunch the rest of the time. I have to make Lucy’s lunch for preschool everyday anyway. My friend Lisa and I recommend you purchase a divided container with a lid (found in the baby section of Target). Mine was pink and purple for $1. I pack lunch in it everyday. My girls thought it was babyish but I explained how eco-friendly it is because we have less baggies, trash, consumables. Now they think they are saving the Earth – they are. We recently bought a Thermos from Target and this has opened up some new options…leftover casserole, mac and cheese, soup, chicken nuggets, etc.
It would really benefit our family and other readers to share some healthy lunch options or even your child’s favorite/most convenient option. Here is my current lunch pick:
baby carrots
cottage cheese
string cheese
pepperoni
tuna cups
rice
Please share your Smarty lunches!
To the Smarty Mom who asked about peanut butter: According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, you should wait until your child is three years old before you introduce peanut butter. When my almost 7-year-old was a toddler, my pediatrician said it was safe at one year. So I gave her a peanut butter sandwich on the way to her 1-year check-up. Now that we are better informed of peanut allergies, you should wait until 3 years and give it to her/him on your way to your 3-year check-up. That way if anything bad happens, you will be in expert hands! Also remember, no big chunks of peanut butter because it is a huge choking hazard!
Here is my favorite Smarty tip for lunches that can be carried over into adult lunches:
Buy a few fun Oxo cookie cutters at Michaels in the shapes of hearts, flowers, circles, Christmas trees, etc. Use these as sandwich cutters for PB&J, ham/cheese, turkey/cheese, or even the flower-shapes can be used for cucumber sandwiches at baby showers. Your kids will love this precious surprise. Plus, the Oxo cutters are so big that they do an excellent job of trimming the crust off.
Here is a Michael’s coupon link for 20% off until 5/10/08 – print several! http://www.michaels.com/art/online/static?page=teacherappreciation
Hope these are helpful! -Jen P.
17 comments
Things my son can spread on are always fun. Hummus and whole wheat pitas (toasted) or crackers, chicken or tuna salad and crackers. I always packed juice boxes then realized he’s just as happy with mini bottled waters!
raisins and blueberries are easy snacks for my 2 year old son, no need to cut up.
my son loves edamame – might be harder to pack for lunch, but so much fun to pop the little beans out of the pod and pop in his mouth!
My son LOVES Motts (no sugar added) apple sauce.
Instead of PBJ everyday, my daughter loves the pre cut apples and the single serving of Jif peanut butter. My son is all about dipping crackers in cottage cheese.
I like to make tortillas rolls………Ham and cheese cut into pinwheels……… the girls love soup in their thermos… I make our own LUNCHABLES and cut the meat into shapes and let them assemble their own…….in MN they have a choice of hot lunch, some type of salad or a bag lunch……….. MN has done a great job of monitoring what our children are eating so I don’t feel so bad that Madison purchases a lunch from school for 1. 75. Can’t beat that……….. now Amelia that’s a different story she would live off of bagels and “fishes” if I let her………..
corn chips and bananassunbutter/jam sandwichesTrader Joe’s little yogurtsAmy’s veg soup in thermosapple slices w/lemon to stop browning
My kids won’t eat turkey sandwiches or pieces of turkey meat but if I roll them up and call them ‘turkey snakes’ they can’t get enough. Once a week, they get a granola bar with their yogurt and string cheese. And they love the grape tomatos and little colored peppers whole.
I mix frozen tortellini, frozen peas, cheddar cheese chunks, chunks of rotisserie chicken and italian dressing together in the morning. By lunch time, the food has all defrosted nicely, while keeping the chicken cold. Makes a great summer salad.
to the mom that makes the frozen tortellini salad… that sounds really yummie!!
Macaroni & Cheese soup in a thermos! (Recipe from Parents mag – we love it) Boil a 32 oz container of chicken stock, add a pack of mac & cheese noodles (or just 6oz pasta shells) & return to boil. Reduce heat, add a pack of frozen mixed veggies cook 5 more minutes. whisk 2 Tb flour into 1.5 cups milk & add it to the soup until thickened & bubbling. Add a 1.5 Cups cheddar cheese & stir until melted. EASY & pretty healthy with the veggies!
I am not a big fan of the school lunch. I like to pack the lunches but I do give them the opportunity to buy every so often. I always pack a fruit, if not fresh than the fruit bowls. My kids like the dried fruit like blueberries and the mango is almost like a fruit roll up it is so sweet and chewy!I also pack a variety of nuts or will bake muffins as an alternative to sandwiches. But coming up with a variety of things they like and keeping the lunches from getting boring is a challenge.
GREAT idea on packing muffins instead of sandwich! Thanks, that may get us through to the end of the year!! 🙂
When can you introduce peanut butter? My daughter is 13 months old. Is it too early?
My daughter will be 3 in August and goes to the Goddard School in LKN..they don’t provide lunch, so items in my rotation are:- Individual bowls of instant brown rice by Minute Rice – Steamed baby carrots (only 5 minutes in the microwave)- Activia yogurt (to promote healthy probiotics)- cut fruit or banana- Annie’s organic version of spaghettios.- Kashi Oatmeal/dark chocolate cookie with mega whole grains!
I must say we have been big fans of the school lunches, you can check out online what the kids buy and my son is eating up steamed veggies everyday along with fruit!! no french fries on the menu and very rarely chicken nuggets, so I feel he is getting a healthier variety then anything I packed him
I'm late in asking, but can you tell me more about the divided food container w/lid from Target? I've looked in baby section at store and online & can't find it. Do you know brand name? Any other suggestions for lunch bags/boxes for preschool toddler would be welcomed! Thanks.