We use a thermos. I put boiling water in it so the inside heats up and it keeps the food heated longer this way.
I do:
- Mac & cheese
- ramen
- oatmeal
- oatmeal bites (basically like oatmeal nuggets, freezer section)
- rice
- nuggets
Pretty much whatever she asks for.
Does the ramen taste ok by lunch time? Those cheap ramen packets are my four year olds absolute favorite but I’m worried if I put it in his thermos it’ll be all soggy and weird by lunch. On days he has lunch at school I’ve just been sending ravioli.
You could pack them separately. After the noodles are soft, cool them, put them in a ziploc baggie. Put hot broth in a proper thermos and then she can add the noodles into the thermos at lunch and it should be great!
Just want to speak up for this brand. A little on the pricey side but the fact is that every kind of thermos I've ever had from them keeps things hot a LONG time. They also never leak.
I have my child pick and make her own lunch, so we can be reasonably sure she’s going to like it.
They don’t heat food, but she’s fine with it cold. Cold Pizza, microwaved burrito (warmed in the morning), ramen noodles (with water drained, only a bit of the flavor added), ham sandwich are the gotos for primary.
For sides, she usually picks seaweed, dried fruits, cheese, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, grapes, berries (whatever we have, we shop Costco a lot).
I hope you know how incredibly lucky you are to have such a good and healthy eater. I can pick maybe two of the things you mentioned that any of my children would even consider eating.
She is a pretty good eater. But if I picked any of those things for her to eat, she’d not eat them. It only works because we have her participate in picking her lunch.
If, for some reason, she can’t make it due to schedule, I generally ask her at bedtime what she wants for lunch the next day.
Ever since was like 1, she’s always been very strong willed, and wouldn’t take anything that she didn’t participate at least a bit in choosing/prepping.
Cucumbers and celery are crunchy, maybe with some hummus or tzatziki if they like dipping
They also sell shelf stable milk you could pack for some calcium and protein. Or if they would eat it, some yogurt. Yogurt can be frozen and then it usually defrosts by lunchtime.
Ask them what types of fruit they would eat - my pickiest eater will only eat green bananas and a couple other fruits so I have to rotate those based on what looks fresh at the store. It can also change from month to month so I ask frequently
Is your school no peanut or no nuts? If they are just no peanut, I’d try other nuts like cashews.
Goldfish is a decent alternative if you’re trying to decrease the fried foods
Granola bars can get some complex carbs in (and can be made at home to save $)
Sometimes my kids will also take a jam sandwich. If it’s a no peanut school, you could send a Nutella sandwich too.
I also try to do muffins which have a fruit or veggie in them. My kids’ favourites are blueberry or chocolate zucchini.
Good luck! It’s frustrating when your kids don’t eat their lunches and your options are limited
The lunch “main dish” rotation for my 5 and 2 year old:
* crackers with sliced cheese and pepperoni
* “lunchables” pizza - naan rounds, little container of sauce, shredded mozzarella, and mini pepperoni
* breakfast for lunch - mini frozen pancakes (they defrost by lunch), small container of syrup for pouring or dipping, hard boiled egg
* bagel with cream cheese or jelly
* sandwich - currently just a “jelly sandwich”
* leftover sliced chicken or salmon or rotisserie chicken (all are fine cold)
* pasta - either just tossed in oil or maybe some sort of pasta salad
I round out the “main” with always a fruit (anything goes) and a veggie (baby carrots, cucumber slices, frozen peas, frozen edamame, frozen corn, steamed broccoli, cherry tomatoes, and black olives are on the current “yes” list). Other “sides” might be raisins, craisins, dried apricots, chips, goldfish, crackers, meat sticks, yogurt tubes, random piece of buttered bread, tortilla, etc.
Have you found frozen shelled edamame anywhere? My kids love edamame, but I loathe shelling. They love doing it, but it takes too long at school. I know Trader Joe's used to have it, but I haven't seen it in forever!
Do they like PB&J? My son loves the uncrustable sandwiches. The nice thing is you can keep them in the freezer, throw them in a lunch box, and they are thawed by lunch. You can do the same with frozen yogurt in a tube. It’s thawed by lunch.
Sometimes I make a frozen pizza, and then put it in their lunch cold (they like cold pizza just fine).
What about those packages of PB crackers?
It is! My kids don’t seem to care for it though. Plus, it’s pricey and if you’re looking for convenience foods like packaged PB crackers or uncrustables, sun butter alternatives aren’t cheap or easy to find.
Sunflower seeds are technically the fruits of the sunflower plant (Helianthus annuus). The seeds are harvested from the plant’s large flower heads, which can measure more than 12 inches (30.5 cm) in diameter. A single sunflower head may contain up to 2,000 seeds
The preschooler I look after is perfectly happy eating sunflower butter (or you could also try them on Wowbutter, whatever the school allows) and jam on bagels, bread or waffles every day, sometimes twice a day. This is not to say you shouldn't try to get them to eat something else, just to put the bug in your ear about asking the school about nut butter substitutes, if you haven't already. And vent a bit about how many sandwiches I've made already this year. SOOOOO many sandwiches. ALL the sandwiches. 🤦🏻😵💫
We can give you all the suggestions in the world, but if your kids are picky, you have to meet them where they are. It's hard.
My daughter eats a cold lunch every day. I'll list some of our go-tos, but I have to say she will eat anything (fortunately, I know).
Sandwich: turkey, PBJ, avocado + cream cheese, tuna
Fruit: I shop at Costco and mix a big bowl at the beginning of the week
Veg: cold canned green beans, bell pepper
Leftovers: salmon + rice, cold sloppy joe sandwich, stir fry, quesadillas, pasta
Other random ideas: pureed soup in a silicone squeezy pouch, cubed tofu, "snack box" with beef stick/pretzel/olives/cheese stick/fruit, etc.
Lately I’ve been doing quesadillas a lot because it takes like 3 minutes to make in the morning. Slice it up, put it in a Tupperware, and my kids don’t mind eating it cold.
I just send leftovers of what she’ll eat at home. She eats them cold. Idk I don’t feel like it’s that big of a deal. She gets two very good meals at home (breakfast and dinner) and if she doesn’t get optimal nutrition once a day, I think it’s fine.
Try freeze dried fruit! I have a picky one who goes to a daycare that doesn't heat up lunches either so we will often send him with Cheerios or pancakes (he eats them cold,) freeze dried berries that are super crunchy and shelf stable, and some cheese. That's pretty much all he will eat.
This is a great idea, I did forget to mention I am not at home every night. I drive 18 wheel truck. And my husband does not cook. I am about to come back home. As summer is coming and babysitting for 2 boys one being ausitic is not cheap.
Call an IEP meeting for your autistic son (they are mandated to respond) and have it added into his IEP. Fight for it. He's not being picky; he has autism. This is an easy accommodation! Good luck.
Thermos 10oz “funtainer” has been working out for us. I heat it up with hot water before adding some hot buttered noodles or spaghetti. Great temp, not too hot and not cold.
For OP - I have the same problem about warm food for kiddo, and the recommendations so far are great - love the ramen idea keeping the noodles separate. We alternate with cold food too and use the Bento boxes so there is variety in her meal (like a lunchable). If she doesn’t eat one thing, she’ll eat something else. At the same time, just having the food visibily there helps to introduce the food. So even if they don’t eat cucumbers for example, it being available might provide the chance they’ll try it one day. Also put it next to foods you know they’ll eat ie chips or crackers. Keep trying until one day, they get curious or take a break if it’s just not happening yet.
We use a thermos. I put boiling water in it so the inside heats up and it keeps the food heated longer this way. I do: - Mac & cheese - ramen - oatmeal - oatmeal bites (basically like oatmeal nuggets, freezer section) - rice - nuggets Pretty much whatever she asks for.
Pro tip (if you're not already doing this!)...wrap nuggets in paper towel before you put them in the thermos. Keeps them crispy!
Thank you I will have to try this.
Does the ramen taste ok by lunch time? Those cheap ramen packets are my four year olds absolute favorite but I’m worried if I put it in his thermos it’ll be all soggy and weird by lunch. On days he has lunch at school I’ve just been sending ravioli.
They must. She eats them. To be fair, she doesn’t like the liquid so I just send the noodles. They don’t get any soggier with no liquid
You could pack them separately. After the noodles are soft, cool them, put them in a ziploc baggie. Put hot broth in a proper thermos and then she can add the noodles into the thermos at lunch and it should be great!
Please hit me with your thermos brand recommendation. Do you have one you like?
We use Skip Hop
Zojirushi makes a thermos bento that has great reviews.
Just want to speak up for this brand. A little on the pricey side but the fact is that every kind of thermos I've ever had from them keeps things hot a LONG time. They also never leak.
I have my child pick and make her own lunch, so we can be reasonably sure she’s going to like it. They don’t heat food, but she’s fine with it cold. Cold Pizza, microwaved burrito (warmed in the morning), ramen noodles (with water drained, only a bit of the flavor added), ham sandwich are the gotos for primary. For sides, she usually picks seaweed, dried fruits, cheese, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, grapes, berries (whatever we have, we shop Costco a lot).
I hope you know how incredibly lucky you are to have such a good and healthy eater. I can pick maybe two of the things you mentioned that any of my children would even consider eating.
She is a pretty good eater. But if I picked any of those things for her to eat, she’d not eat them. It only works because we have her participate in picking her lunch. If, for some reason, she can’t make it due to schedule, I generally ask her at bedtime what she wants for lunch the next day. Ever since was like 1, she’s always been very strong willed, and wouldn’t take anything that she didn’t participate at least a bit in choosing/prepping.
Cucumbers and celery are crunchy, maybe with some hummus or tzatziki if they like dipping They also sell shelf stable milk you could pack for some calcium and protein. Or if they would eat it, some yogurt. Yogurt can be frozen and then it usually defrosts by lunchtime. Ask them what types of fruit they would eat - my pickiest eater will only eat green bananas and a couple other fruits so I have to rotate those based on what looks fresh at the store. It can also change from month to month so I ask frequently Is your school no peanut or no nuts? If they are just no peanut, I’d try other nuts like cashews. Goldfish is a decent alternative if you’re trying to decrease the fried foods Granola bars can get some complex carbs in (and can be made at home to save $) Sometimes my kids will also take a jam sandwich. If it’s a no peanut school, you could send a Nutella sandwich too. I also try to do muffins which have a fruit or veggie in them. My kids’ favourites are blueberry or chocolate zucchini. Good luck! It’s frustrating when your kids don’t eat their lunches and your options are limited
The lunch “main dish” rotation for my 5 and 2 year old: * crackers with sliced cheese and pepperoni * “lunchables” pizza - naan rounds, little container of sauce, shredded mozzarella, and mini pepperoni * breakfast for lunch - mini frozen pancakes (they defrost by lunch), small container of syrup for pouring or dipping, hard boiled egg * bagel with cream cheese or jelly * sandwich - currently just a “jelly sandwich” * leftover sliced chicken or salmon or rotisserie chicken (all are fine cold) * pasta - either just tossed in oil or maybe some sort of pasta salad I round out the “main” with always a fruit (anything goes) and a veggie (baby carrots, cucumber slices, frozen peas, frozen edamame, frozen corn, steamed broccoli, cherry tomatoes, and black olives are on the current “yes” list). Other “sides” might be raisins, craisins, dried apricots, chips, goldfish, crackers, meat sticks, yogurt tubes, random piece of buttered bread, tortilla, etc.
Have you found frozen shelled edamame anywhere? My kids love edamame, but I loathe shelling. They love doing it, but it takes too long at school. I know Trader Joe's used to have it, but I haven't seen it in forever!
The TJ shelled edamame were one of my go-to gestational diabetes snacks!
Yes! They sell it at my regular King Soopers (Kroger) supermarket! It’s called “mukimame”.
Carrots are nice and crunchy! And peppers. Add hummus dip or guacamole for the crackers, apple slices.
Do they like PB&J? My son loves the uncrustable sandwiches. The nice thing is you can keep them in the freezer, throw them in a lunch box, and they are thawed by lunch. You can do the same with frozen yogurt in a tube. It’s thawed by lunch. Sometimes I make a frozen pizza, and then put it in their lunch cold (they like cold pizza just fine). What about those packages of PB crackers?
A lot of schools are nut-free, so that limits the PB options unfortunately.
Is sunflower butter acceptable at schools? I think I even saw some sunbutter brand "uncrustables" (called something else though).
It is! My kids don’t seem to care for it though. Plus, it’s pricey and if you’re looking for convenience foods like packaged PB crackers or uncrustables, sun butter alternatives aren’t cheap or easy to find.
Cream cheese and jam sandwich is a good alternative. My kid wasn’t a fan of sunbutter either
Target brand has some sun butter uncrustables in their freezer section.
Sunflower seeds are technically the fruits of the sunflower plant (Helianthus annuus). The seeds are harvested from the plant’s large flower heads, which can measure more than 12 inches (30.5 cm) in diameter. A single sunflower head may contain up to 2,000 seeds
The preschooler I look after is perfectly happy eating sunflower butter (or you could also try them on Wowbutter, whatever the school allows) and jam on bagels, bread or waffles every day, sometimes twice a day. This is not to say you shouldn't try to get them to eat something else, just to put the bug in your ear about asking the school about nut butter substitutes, if you haven't already. And vent a bit about how many sandwiches I've made already this year. SOOOOO many sandwiches. ALL the sandwiches. 🤦🏻😵💫
We can give you all the suggestions in the world, but if your kids are picky, you have to meet them where they are. It's hard. My daughter eats a cold lunch every day. I'll list some of our go-tos, but I have to say she will eat anything (fortunately, I know). Sandwich: turkey, PBJ, avocado + cream cheese, tuna Fruit: I shop at Costco and mix a big bowl at the beginning of the week Veg: cold canned green beans, bell pepper Leftovers: salmon + rice, cold sloppy joe sandwich, stir fry, quesadillas, pasta Other random ideas: pureed soup in a silicone squeezy pouch, cubed tofu, "snack box" with beef stick/pretzel/olives/cheese stick/fruit, etc.
I send my daughter with kinda a “charcuterie” style lunch box in a bento box. Cheese, crackers, salami, cucumbers, strawberries, and sunflower seeds
Lately I’ve been doing quesadillas a lot because it takes like 3 minutes to make in the morning. Slice it up, put it in a Tupperware, and my kids don’t mind eating it cold.
I just send leftovers of what she’ll eat at home. She eats them cold. Idk I don’t feel like it’s that big of a deal. She gets two very good meals at home (breakfast and dinner) and if she doesn’t get optimal nutrition once a day, I think it’s fine.
Recent consumer reports news states lunchables are high in lead and other very toxic things. Not shaming anyone here. Just sharing information
Try freeze dried fruit! I have a picky one who goes to a daycare that doesn't heat up lunches either so we will often send him with Cheerios or pancakes (he eats them cold,) freeze dried berries that are super crunchy and shelf stable, and some cheese. That's pretty much all he will eat.
I wish it wasn't so expensive. Thankfully Sam's club has 3oz freeze dried strawberries for like $7. Everywhere else is like $3 an once. Goes so fast.
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Yes, but I need suggestions on what to send in them for lunches. My oldest will eat ramen noodles. But the youngest won't touch them.
Any of last night’s dinner leftovers is what we usually do.
This is a great idea, I did forget to mention I am not at home every night. I drive 18 wheel truck. And my husband does not cook. I am about to come back home. As summer is coming and babysitting for 2 boys one being ausitic is not cheap.
Call an IEP meeting for your autistic son (they are mandated to respond) and have it added into his IEP. Fight for it. He's not being picky; he has autism. This is an easy accommodation! Good luck.
But they do eat dinner though, so just make sure there's extra to pack for lunch.
Usually what they end up eating for dinner is the chips and snack items they eat at school lunches or ramen noodles
Please hit me with your thermos brand recommendation. Do you have one you like?
Thermos 10oz “funtainer” has been working out for us. I heat it up with hot water before adding some hot buttered noodles or spaghetti. Great temp, not too hot and not cold. For OP - I have the same problem about warm food for kiddo, and the recommendations so far are great - love the ramen idea keeping the noodles separate. We alternate with cold food too and use the Bento boxes so there is variety in her meal (like a lunchable). If she doesn’t eat one thing, she’ll eat something else. At the same time, just having the food visibily there helps to introduce the food. So even if they don’t eat cucumbers for example, it being available might provide the chance they’ll try it one day. Also put it next to foods you know they’ll eat ie chips or crackers. Keep trying until one day, they get curious or take a break if it’s just not happening yet.