Bag Lunches for Preschooler

We did the dinner leftovers thing a LOT in preschool (at that age the only two things that count are that the child likes the food...and that it's of a variety that doesn't make a huge mess while eating it). We would also do "frozen things"...like salisbury steak, broccoli, and mac'n'cheese from Claim Jumper...or frozen cheese canneloni...that I would zap, cut up, and put in twist'n'lock ziplock things.

The big thing for us, was just making sure it was food my son liked and would eat, and that it wasn't super messy for him to eat or the teachers to have to clean up...(for example, we'd do sticky rice, but not fluffy rice....alfredo sauce, but not red sauce...grapes but not kiwi's...etc. One year we could have peanuts, one year we couldn't. Our preschool was small...so the peanut thing was based on whether or not there was a student registered (even if on a different day, registered at ALL) with a peanut allergy.

Common lunches or snacks for us:

- Hum Bao
- Sandwiches
- Inari zushi
- Potato balls (rolled with meat, veggies, whatever)
- Teriyaki chicken
- Gyoza
- Soup in an insulated bend & lock (so it wouldn't spill in his bag) straw cup
- Antipasti (salami, cheese, cherry tomatoes, baguette slices)
- Latkes & applesauce
- Pita bread & Gyro meat
- Fettuchini alfredo w/ broccoli
- Bagles with cream cheese and lox
- Sliced up hotdogs and tatertots
- Caprese salad
- Chopped salad
- Waldorf salad
- BBQ Chicken Quesodillas
- PB&J Montecristos
- French toast sticks
- Belgian Waffles
- Tamales (no sauce)
- Fried banana's & guacamole
- Mac'n'cheese

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Lots of great responses. Add potstickers to the list!

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I like to send soy nut butter sandwiches, tofu cut up (marinated and baked or just plain), quesadillas, soup in a thermos, ravioli, inari (soy wrappers with rice), salmon, tuna fish, veggies with dip, cold pizza, you said you already thought of sandwiches - be creative with the kind (cream cheese and jelly on a mini bagel, avocado...we don't eat meat, but there are endless options there!) hummus and vegetables or pita, falafel balls are good...anything left over from dinner the night before (or almost anything!) Yogurt (doesn't have to be go gurt, cheese skewers (or cheese and fruit kabobs)

For snacks, you can send applesauce (I am a big fan of sending it in lunch with a straw - pop the straw right through the foil lid and slurp away), some of the stuff listed above, fruit cut up, pretzels, "trail mix" in a zip loc (cereal, mini crackers, goldfish, etc..., cereal bars,

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look at bento box websites...there is a whole art to making lunches there and fun food that is healthy too....just google bento box lunches

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My daughter is 2 1/2 and we have to pack a lunch for her 3 days a week. Here are some of our favorite items:

pasta - mini-ravioli tossed in olive oil
Hummus & crackers
chopped up avocado
baked chicken or other meat, chopped up and include a dipping sauce
lots of fruit
veggies of any kind that are chopped up and ready to eat
tamales (trader joes has chile and cheese ones that are tasty)
quesadilla, cut up or whole
egg frittata (2 eggs, cheese and/or meat, a veggie very finely chopped, seasoned with garlic powder - this is soo yummy and easy)
leftovers

we pack her lunch in a Land's End lunch box
http://www.landsend.com/pp/UniformClassicClassMateLunchBo...

There is room for an ice pack if you need to keep things cold and there isn't a fridge for the lunch box.

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In my experience as a care provider, the best offerings for a child's lunch are ones that need very little adult assistance. (teachers are too busy, really, to be heating things up, even if it's only a hot dog or mac-n-cheese. Use the thermos for hot food.) Here are things that certainly will pass muster, and that children/their teachers commonly like:

Hard-boiled eggs- peel them, place in a container prepped (does your kid hate yolks? remove them!)and ready to eat.

String cheese or cheese slices- we don't mind opening these for the kids. Good protein and not too messy; they are usually guaranteed to be eaten.

Tamari or plain almonds- unless your care center is a no-nut zone, these are also a bit hit with kids.

Cream cheese or peanut butter and jam on graham crackers- a slight twist on the sandwich, a big favorite with kids.

Whole grain crackers

Hummus to go with crackers or carrot sticks or red pepper slices.

Rice cakes--some kids love them, some, not so much.

Hot thermos-- last night's leftovers go great in here: spaghetti/pasta, couscous and veggies, or stews are wonderful on cooler days. Just fill thermos with boiling water for five minutes or so to heat up before adding hot food. Be sure to pack a utensil.

Applesauce cups or small yogurt cups. If they don't have a lid, transfer them to a container from home that does, or you'll have a big mess later on.

Turkey wraps with cream cheese inside. Just lay out a couple pieces of sliced turkey/tofurkey, smear cream cheese on it and roll it up. Or use a small flour tortilla if you want it to be more substantial.

Dried fruit bars like Cliff's "Nectar" bars or the Lara bars. Other bars offer too much sugar and chocolate, and kids do tend to crash from them. These, from what I've seen, are just plain dried fruit and nuts and have a lower glycemic index: their blood sugar will be more regulated, resulting in less stress for all later on.

Hope this gives you a few ideas that work for you!

carrots, amonds, string cheese (not too much it can constipate) raisins, fruit strips, sliced apple, whole grain crackers, bagel pieces, whole grain fig newtons. Good luck!

There was a great article in the last "Mothering" magazine about bento boxes that I'd encourage you to check out. It had a number of good ideas. Other suggestions that we feed ours are:
falafel with hummus (or ranch or yogurt)
pita with hummus
quesadilla with cheese, salsa and corn (ours eats it cold)
soup
homemade chicken nuggets (deceptively delicious recipe)
english muffin pizza
string cheese or baby-bel and crackers
hard boiled egg (peeled at home)
porcupine meatballs (regular meatballs with rice inside)

Make sandwiches and use cookie cutters to cut them into star and other shapes.

Send peanuts or other nuts for protein.

Don't sent potato chips!!!

Send meat with out bread sometimes.

Send tortillas with just butter on them. They really taste good that way. Try it at home first.

I know you said something besides sandwiches - but do remember you can freeze sanwiches -- meat, cheese, use miracle whip (not mayo) and PB & J. It's easy to grab when you don't have anything else and you will save a ton of time making sandwiches.

Do a google search and see what you come up with. have fun with it and be sure to include a little note everyday for her :)

Great question, C.!! ( and I can't stand lunchables - THREE DOLLARS for tiny amounts of protein and some salty white-flour crackers--- GOOD GRIEF what a waste of money)

Try making your own lunchables with healthy crackers - string cheese (which comes in individual packs- as does peanut and almond butter) and individual size fruit leather. Then- there are hard boiled eggs if your children like them. I sometimes make tiny ''tacos'' with vegetarian filling - and send those with a Zip-lock bag with a favorite salsa. If your child really likes biscuits - buy the frozen ones-- thaw one or two -- stuff em w/ cheese- cooked meat- whatever---even peanut butter and jelly- bake the one or two- and send THOSE --- centuries ago Scot Moms and Grandmoms made ''pasties'' which were biscuits stuffed with protein---and sent them along for outside workers--- which back then included all the children ---

Blessings,
and I'll watch to see more good ideas :-)
J. aka-- Old Mom

I love reading these responses because we have to start that this year too! But very important, check with your school, ours does not allow you to bring anything nut related!! There are kids and adults in our building and classroom with severe nut allergies, even being around them is a very serious hazard! Check with the school to be safe.