Ideas for School Lunches

My 3-year-old requests hummus with pita chips almost every time she goes to school (2 days per week). Sometimes I buy it and sometimes I make it myself without oil for an even healthier alternative. Target sells cans of organic chick peas to use in the recipe. My daughter is in a peanut-free classroom due to another child's allergies, so it's a great and easy alternative to peanut butter!

If you do Kefir, Lifeway makes some that come in individual sippie pouches. They are a little pricey so I buy them for school days only. My son loves those in his lunches. He is 3.5 yrs though so the rest of the things he eats your daughter may not be ready for yet. I guess vegetarians don't do eggs? If you do, I often send a hard boiled egg white. He also gets things like apples, celery, or crackers with organic peanut butter, organic raisins, natural applesauce...and then sometimes the Annie's Homegrown cheddar bunnies or Back to Nature's cinnamon graham sticks. The first few times he went to school I sent sandwiches but they always came back uneaten...like somebody else said, they are so distracted there. So you may be surprised that she may not eat as much as you think. You'll get it figured out as you go! Good luck.

Check this out, it sounds yummy! I was thinking of substituting thinly sliced apple for the cheese (I'm not a huge cheese fan). And using Ezekiel 4:9 bread instead of whole wheat.

It's so hard eating vegetarian around here, if you go out. Let me know if you have tips.

(Forgot the link earlier...)

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Nutty-Marmalade-Sandwiches/D...

Hi S.,

Here are some great website resources for you:

http://www.vegcooking.com/backtoschool.asp

http://www.healthyschoollunches.org

http://www.veganlunchbox.blogspot.com/

I hope that helps!
A., RD/LD

How fun for your little girl! I agree that if you get an insulated lunch box, and stick an ice pack (try a hard one, not the soft gel kind, they have been known to leak at out house) and you can pack lots more things. Yogurt and peanuts are a big favorite. Also, some refried beans and cheese in a tortilla work well. Can she take a thermos?? They sell smaller ones at Walmart I know, and then you could put in Mac and cheese, pasta, or anything else she will eat and it should stay warm enough I tend to make it a little too hot in the morning, and then by lunch time its perfect. We are also big fans of the mandarin oranges in 100% juice, or any other fruit like that. I have also seen more organic snacks lately, even at Target, so that could be fun too. Just realize that she wont eat as much as you might think, they are just so distracted at school, so be prepared for her to be hungry when she gets in the car. I like to have some dry cereal or something on hand just in case. Enjoy this fun new phase, you will be in awe at how much she will learn:) ~A.~

Oh, I have the BEST website for you!
http://veganlunchbox.blogspot.com/

You will love it. Good luck :)

S.,
If you go to the baby aisle at Walmart and look near the sippy cups they have AWESOME small plates with 3 sections and a lid. They are less than a dollar. If you use that, an insulated lunch bag and freezer thing you can keep things pretty cold.

Anyway- I do cheese cubes, pretzels and grapes. Little Mandarin orange slices work really well too. Goldfish or crackers, diced peached or pears, some mini carrots you have boiled to the texture she will eat?? I've even cut up left over pizza and put it in- cold pizza yum!

Hope this helps!

D.

I am a preschool teacher. They are 2 1/2. PArents bring all sorts of cut up friut and veggies including strawberries, grapes, apples, kiwi, green beans, carrots, broccalli. Some bring cut up cheese, macaroni and cheese, yogart, crackers.
Hope some of this helps. If you cook it in the morning and put it in foil it stays warm until lunch time.