[Chlotoe]

Hey Everyone

My DD is heading to school and she is the first to go. So i was wondering what would you pack for them to take in there lunch box. She won't eat fruit except banana. So i would love to hear all your ideas and your freezer lunch food you make


TIA

[MissButtercup]

My DD's school has a health lunch policy, she takes the following -

Sandwich and yoghurt for lunch (looking for alternatives tho)
Brain food x 2 - this has to be cut fruit, vege or dried fruit which they eat in the class room so it can't be too messy.
Snack for recess - pop corn, pack of rice crackers, cheese, cabana and biscuits or piece of fruit.

Oh and she takes a drinker that is only to have water in it.

[Funnington]

My son had a preference for a whole peeled apple, orange quarters and chopped watermelon. I found that he expanded his fruit repertoire by being amongst the other kids so your child may gradually branch out to other fruits. I gradually added fruit he would previously ignore in the fruit bowl and found he ate it most of the time. It may be a couple of reasons 1) what his peers were eating and 2) the structure of two fruit breaks which became part of his routine (he may have always felt he had to it).

As for other food ideas (and I'm only going by experience from my children):

- Cold sausage rolls (include heaps of grated vegetables). These are a favourite of my son's
- A Loveboat salad (haha, this is what we called a salad served in a hot chip cup when I was a school, I've adopted the title). Rolled cold meats (free-range is best), boiled eggs, sticks of celery, cherry tomatoes, cubes of cheese etc. My boy'o also loves fresh (raw) pod peas sprinkled in!
- The regular wraps, rolls and sandwiches with interesting fillings. Although, I persistently try with my son, he just loves plain old nut butters, vegemite and cheese or ham My daughter on the other hand - but, quite a bit older with more developed tastes - loves anything and everything.
- Savoury muffins
- Homemade pizza
- Pasta salad (made with macaroni, cubed ham, tinned corn, flat leaf parsley and a little bit of mayo)
- Cold chipolata sausages and other salad bits

Snacks:

- Brown rice crackers, cheese, sliced sausage etc.
- Pikelets sandwiched together with jam, honey etc.
- A baked treat (I only include one type of sweet snack). Usually homemade cookies, cupcakes, weetie biscuits with sultanas, apple cakes, honey and popcorn clusters, rice bubble slice
- Pureed apple in a little container. Silly I know, my son loves stewed fruit. I always have some in the freezer if I notice the apples are getting a bit yuk in the fruit bowl.

If think of anything else (bit brain dead after work), I'll be sure to post it.

[Daisy Goat]

it depends on your school system. My boys FYOS ( 2012) I ony needed to prepare lunch as morning tea/snack time was shared fruit and veg. They took a piece of fruit each that was then cut up and put on platters for all to share.

it is amazing how children that had refused to eat fruit at home suddenly became good eaters of it.

I remember one mother in 3rd term complaining how she supplied fruit knowing full well her child never ate it and how it was unfair her child never got morning tea. Little did she know her daughter happily ate a whole range of fruits everyday alongside her classmates. But kept up the story of hating fruit with her mother.The look on her face was priceless!

If you only have to make lunch the only hint i would give you is to make it easy to eat and fast. I say fast as children will happily bypasss eating to be able to play. So as much nutrition and energy in as easy as possible to consume food.

I used to actually make protein balls for my two as well as their sandwich as I knew they would at least be getting energy in then

[Glr-r]

Sandwich - standard ham and salad, ham and cheese, jam whatever the kids flavour of the month is.

fruit or cut carrot,cucumber and capsicum

yoghurt for dd, cheese and crackers for DS

and then i chuck in one of the following frozen muffin,pikelets, banana bread, bag of pretzels or popcorn, rice wheels, something snacky..

[MissButtercup]

I second Daisy - make sure it quick to eat. DD has come home with a near full lunch box and when asked by she disnt eat much she always replies "I ran out of time" or "I wanted to go and play." For this reason I make sure her sandwiches are in quarters, faster and easier to eat.

ETA - DD's school gives them 10mins at the start of recess and lunch to sit down and eat before they can play.

This post has been edited by MissButtercup: 09/01/2013, 08:11 PM