So I have a few questions...I know this has been asked but mine is a bit tricky. My daughter goes to school from 9:30 - 2:30 I have been giving her tha basic PB and J with a fruit bar and juice. I was wondering about any other ideas about lunch. My son goes from 11:30 - 2:30 and he is a VERY picky eater. Only foods he eats are microwave only (ex: chicken nuggets, corny dogs, and mini burgers).....I have been just giving him a granola bar and juice to hold him over for that 3 hours making sure he eats on the way. They do not have a microwave but will fresh chicken nuggets keep for 1 hr or 2 if wrapped in foil? I havent tried this but I am looking for something to do till he gets out of this picky phase. Any suggestions or ideas would be GREAT.
Hello E., I just found on the foodnetwork.com website a section for "Kids Lunch Ideas". You might find some neat ideas there, I did. My son loves pigs in a blanket so, I can make them with hot dog wieners the night before and have them ready for the next day. They have lots a easy ideas. Good luck!
HI - I would be concerned that the temperature was not hot or cold enough to keep the bacteria from multiplying in the leftover food. Poultry needs to have an internal temp of 165 degrees or something like that. You might want to check a foodborne illness site to make sure of safe food handling tips. Here's a good page:
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/How_Temperatures_Aff...
Here's a good exerpt:
The "Danger Zone" (40 �F-140 �F)
Bacteria grow most rapidly in the range of temperatures between 40 � and 140 �F, doubling in number in as little as 20 minutes. This range of temperatures is often called the "Danger Zone." That's why the Meat and Poultry Hotline advises consumers to never leave food out of refrigeration over 2 hours. If the temperature is above 90 �F, food should not be left out more than 1 hour.
Can your son eat lunch at 11, then just have a snack and juice? Maybe eat a light or earlier breakfast, so he will eat a good lunch at 11.
As for alternatives to PBJ we sometimes do ham and cheese rolled up in a tortilla. That is a big hit with my five year old, he requests it. So far that is all i've figured out this year ;)
good luck! The selective eating phase can be such a pain !
I have my share of picky eaters, but I have found some alternatives that work for my kiddos. We have changed the contents of the sandwich - ham & cheese, just cheese, PB & honey, etc. As someone else suggested, changing the "bread" to tortilla, crackers, or hamburger bun might also work. Cheese and crackers or a bagel with cream cheese can be used in lieu of a sandwich, too. I have also found that yogurt with granola and fruit (in separate containers) is a good one. What about cold pasta - like pasta salad (without all of the weird things in it)? Cold pizza might also work - my daughter prefers it cold to hot.
You didn't mention your kids' ages, but they might be old enough to "help" you pack their lunches. Maybe if he has a say in what you put in there, he might be more likely to eat it. My children love deciding what they can eat for lunch the next day and that has directly affected how much they eat at school.
Good luck!
E., sometimes the lunches or dinners we make are no more nutritional than giving your kids some snack items. So, if you want to do "super easy" and very healthy try a combination of grapes, orange slices, crackers, sliced turkey, cheese, raisins (yogurt raisins), dried cherries, watermelons, canned chicken salad, turkey weiners, organic chewy granola bars. Don't forget to put in an ice pack. I hope this helps. God Bless
If your son enjoys the chicken nuggets, corn dogs, and hamburgers have you tried the lunchables? My son really likes taking them and they are a complete lunch and is very easy on mom. I would be careful with the chicken nuggets because I know chicken is one of those things you have to keep at the correct temperatures to avoid food poisoning.
My son likes when I grill white chickin with italian dressing. I use the left overs for his lunch. I cut it into small peices and put it in a little container. I put it in the frig over night and put a cold pack with it in his lunch. It tastes very good cold.
My son's teacher called last night and I asked her the same thing -- and she said one mom put boiling water in a thermos to get it nice and hot...and then wrapped the hcicken nuggets in foil and emptied the water out and then put the hot chicken nuggets in and they ate early enough that they stayed warm. She did this with mac and cheese too... said it worked just fine. My kiddo is VERY picky too ... unfortunately, he won't eat mac n cheese but I may try the nugget trick! :) If you try it first (he doesn't start till the 29th) let me know!!!
As a child, my mom would make macaroni and cheese or put a hot dog in a thermos for my lunch. She would always make extra dinner portions from the night before and place it in my thermos. That was all I would eat at the time. My daughter starts next week and I'll probably do the same for her. Put boiling hot water in a thermos for a few minutes, empty out and put in the food. It should still be hot if he eats within an hour or two. They have really cute ones at Target.
