What to Pack for Lunch @ MDO

I learned this on another web site, and my kids love it. Peanut butter and Jelly Rolls - Cut the crusts off the bread, roll the bread out thin, spread with peanut butter and jelly and roll up. It's a little time consuming, but you can make a lot ahead of time wrap them up and freeze them, then just get one out of the freezer in the morning and they are thawed by lunch.

If you are wanting to send in something hot, get a container, as someone else has already suggested. I think you can get bowl-like insulated containers at HEB that are decorated; I know you can get plain ones, 8 oz. or 12 oz., at The Container Store. (I think the HEB ones will be cheaper.) And the previously-posted advice included putting hot water in the container for several minutes and then dumping that out before putting the food in; follow that advice!

(I would also recommend getting disposable toddler spoons and re-using them as much as possible, but if one gets lost, it's not as big a deal as if you'd lost one that cost more.)

One thing I saw mother's packing for their kids at a Montessori school I worked at was cooked corn on the cob cut in a cross section... like a circle. The core is in the middle and the corn is on the outside (Its cut about1/2 inch thick) and they can just eat the corn off the cob and their little hands can hold it. I know... it might sound gross to those of us who like hot corn on the cob, but the children seemed to enjoy it. Good fiber! :)

Hi M. I am a Mother's Day Out Teacher. My class is the little 2 year olds some are not 2 yet. We also have them pack a cold lunch. Some bring lunchables, or they pack seperate in baggies. Like lunch meat, cheese, crackers. Cut up fruit, strawberries, grapes, just make sure they are cut up. They also make the manderin oranges in prepacked cups. Some kids even like cold hotdogs, cut up of course. Good luck!

My daughter is going to be 3 in January and has been going to MDO since she was 18 months. I pack her the same lunch every day, but she eats it. She gets some kind of fresh fruit (cut up), cheese cubes or cheese stick, ham or turkey lunch meat, crackers or bread...and now she gets carrot sticks, too. I pack it in a lunch box with an ice pack.

I just wanted to counter the response from that uneducated and judgemental person who told you to get your child out of Mother's Day Out. You are providing social interaction and education for your child while also giving yourself a much needed break. I'm happy for you that you are able to afford to stay home and also provide a Mother's Day Out for your child.

I pack the lunchable jrs (cubed turkey, cheese and small ritz crackers...just the right amount for this age), then a yogurt and spoon and a kashi TLC cereal bar. I also puree a banana into his milk in the blender and keep this all in his lunch bag with the cryo freeze bag.

Good Luck! Enjoy your time while he is in MDO!

fruit and veggies

apples, oranges, grapes, bananas, peas, carrots, green beans, cheese sticks or cubes, etc.

The grilled cheese uncrustables (already cooked and cut up) or a little sandwich already cut up, the snack packs of craisins and goldfish, and a snack cheese like string cheese or something cut up are what I send every day with a drink. Just make sure it is nothing that the teachers must feed to him or have to prepare because they have a group of kids trying to eat at once so they usually cannot give a ton of attention to each child.

I am SOOOOO glad one mom pointed out to NOT send peanutbutter and jelly. My husband is allergic to peanuts and therefore my daughter is at a higher risk of also being allergic. We requested that no one bring pb&J to school as it can be lifethreatening to her. Even with a notice sent out she came home from their Halloween party with peanutbutter balls in her bag!! ANyway, my daughter is 16 months old and goes to MDO twice/week I send cut up grapes, cheese cubes and little wheat crackers that crumble easily. I have a hard time getting her to eat anything most of the time and have resorted to the Gerber meatsticks!! I often send that along too. Thanks for asking this question! I learned too from the responses!!
B.

I send pre-cooked baby carrots that I have kept in the fridge. They warm up to room temp by snack-time. I also send Tillamoo cheese, which is the perfect size for little hands! Chunked pineapple, cut grapes, peach slices, cantaloupe chunks are also good. We usually have at least a couple packets of stone ground organic crackers for extra snacks and some fig newtons. All healthy things that are easy to eat and don't have to be heated. Avoid any nut items - a number of MDO programs don't allow them because of allergies and your son really shouldn't be exposed to things like pbj until he is 24-26 months old. Peanuts are highly allergenic and the longer you wait to introduce them, the less likely he will ever develop an allergy to them.

Finger food! Like the other ladies said, chopped up lunch meat, cheese and fruit. Crackers. I usually make my own version of the "lunchables". I usually send a little container of yogurt. Did you know that there is a lot of protein in yogurt? I didn't, but the kids love it.

I have to same exact problem. My daughter is 15 mo. and very picky. I try to send things that she can eat herself so it is a little easier on the teacher. I usually send her cubed cheese, fruit - fresh or fruit cup, and a cup of vegetables. Wal-mart sell vegetables, their brand, in the little cups that fruit cups come in. It is just the right amount and the carrots are diced up. They also sell corn, green beans, and peas.

I know I'm a week late, so maybe you won't see this, but another idea is hard boiled eggs. My daughter will only eat the whites, so I can cut them in half, take the yolk out, and pack it with an ice pack. Good source of protein, and an alternative to pb& j in case you ever get a note saying that a child has joined the class who is allergic.

I just assumed we couldn't heat things up, but one day my daughter asked for chicken nuggets and said her teacher would heat them up for her. I still don't want to pack them--there are 17 kids in her class. If they all had to wait in line to have their lunches microwaved, it would be 2 PM before they could all eat!

One thing that works well is pasta or the can soups like Dora or Cars, there is noodles and veggies and they can eat with there hands.

Hi i teach at school that also is not premitted to heat up any food, the best suggestion I can recommend is to purchase a good camping thermos at walmart or target in sporting goods. This thermos if hot water is appled and left for 5 minutes , then food is put in thermos will keep food warm for hours. This will allow you flexiblilty with food, left overs are terrific in lunch boxes!

When my boys were little and in MDO, I sent finger foods. Black olives, cubed cheese, crackers, grapes cut in half, mandarin oranges (from a can), a PBJ cut in 4 pieces. Smuckers has a frozen PBJ that thaws out by lunchtime - the perfect size for little guys. I preferred to send stuff that was fairly healty that they would eat. If they didn't like it, they would not eat due to being too social.
Good luck!

I have a 15 month old that goes to mothers day out also. I just send him some popcorn chicken that I heated up a little hotter then I would normally do and then put them in a bowl with a lid and by the time he eats it is room temperature. I also send things that have to be heated up sometimes, but the teachers have a microwave in the room so they can heat that stuff up.

i send uncrustables, chips, and juice.

Meat inside cracker with cheese. Meat and cheese cubes with fresh fruit and fruit dip for desert. Bottled drink no cans,or soft drinks, flavored water or water. Puddings, jello squares the kind that he can pick up and eat with out a spoon. These are some simple and easy things that are possible.

There are some great recipe resources on the EasyLunchbox website here: http://www.easylunchboxes.com/neat_ideas/recipes/index.htm. And check out EasyLunchboxes at www.easylunchboxes.com. This clever solution to the lunch-packing chore is the simple two piece EasyLunchbox container: The bottom has three compartments to hold an entree or sandwich and two side dishes. The fitted lid covers all three compartments in a snap. No more mismatched plastic container pieces to keep track of or wasteful baggies. Fits perfectly inside the roomy EasyLunchbox custom carrying bag. And there is still space for a drink, ice pack and more. This is the most affordable lunch-packing solution on the market. You'll be amazed at how much faster, 'greener' and easier lunch box packing will be! FDA approved. No BPA, phthalates, lead, vinyl, or PVC. Safe for dishwasher and microwave. Visit www.easylunchboxes.com. Press release here: http://tinyurl.com/yjwk4c4

You can send all sorts of things. One thing I do with my son's lunches for school is put an icepack in there to keep anything cold that needs to stay cold. But usually it's still fine without one. I pack anywhere from sandwiches to sliced apples and peanut butter, chips, small juice drinks, even pudding sometimes. If I remember correctly they will usually eat their lunch 3 hours after getting to mother's day out and most food will stay a good temperature for that long. I also will make the lunch the night before using an insulated lunch bag and leave the whole thing in the fridge overnight so the inside of the bag stays colder longer. Of course nothing frozen but just about anything else goes that you know your son will eat. My son loves peanut butter so I've also done celery sticks and peanut butter. Good luck and have fun.

Isn't MDO such a God send?? It is the only 10 hours a week I have a small break from my two kids...being a SAHM is hard work and a break two mornings a week is such a blessing.

I can't send food that has to be heated up either...the teachers can't leave the room to go heat it. I send sandwiches, cut up meat and cheeses, mandarin oranges, grapes, crackers, yogurt, dried fruit, a banana, etc...

I do send peanut butter and honey sandwiches because they are allowed in my children's room (there are no peanut allergies in their rooms)...however some of the rooms are peanut free and you can not send peanut products if your child is in one of those rooms.

Well I have to run...{{{{hugs}}}}

I have the same issue. You can get a little thermos at Target or Walmart & put some left overs in it or pasta pick ups (or any other warmed foods). Then get an ice pack to keep cold items cold. You can send a cut up sandwich (meat & cheese or PB&J), cheese cubes, yogurt, cut up fruits & veggies, cereal/ snack bars, etc. As long as your son will eat it, you can send just about anything with a thermos & ice pack.
Good luck!

My daughter always ate Peanut Butter and Jelly. There are the lunchables that has the meat,cheese, and crackers. If your little one likes carrot sticks they will work good also. My daughter loves grapes and fruit as well. Mix it up. KLK