Today I am going to write about a topic that has frustrated me for a few years now. SCHOOL LUNCHES. Calling out all of my Homestead mom's out there who struggle with this very topic as well. So lets review what these frustrations are. First, if you google, school lunch box ideas, you see all these pretty pictures of apples and eggos cut up, etc. But let's be real here folks. If you cut an apple up and toss it in a tupperware or a ziploc baggies sealed, by the time they get to eat it, the apple slices have turned brown. Even if you do squeeze a shot of lemon on it, they still turn brown. My philosophy on lunches is, if I would not eat it then they wont either, so who ever eats thawed out eggo pieces, cold. First of all they get soggy even if you toast it first, so there is that. Also, many of these websites, suggest making sandwiches the night
before...hmmm....really, an egg salad sandwich is soggy by morning kept in a ziplock or container sealed. Lettuce on a ham sandwich is wilted and the bread again is soggy. Maybe a jam or peanut butter sandwich is good to make the night before, but which school allows peanut butter sammy's, not any I know in Canada.
Now lets look at some options for snacks. Fruit roll ups, fruit gushers, or any kind of chew fruit snack. The dentist has strongly suggests that the sticky stuff sits all day between their teeth and it is the worst snack to put in their lunch. The same goes for juice boxes, drinking juice is apparently terrible for kids teeth. Ok I would agree to an extent.
My daughter takes a water bottle, but it cannot be a plastic store bought water bottle like Nestle type, because the school has taken a stand on the environment and how it is not good for the environment. But, now they cannot take it in a metal non BPA Water bottle because the bottle must clear, to be able to see the contents, so you have the Plastic clear water bottle, that most of them contain the BPA, so there in lies some further frustrations.
My child's school does not have a cafeteria so, I am restricted to what I throw in her lunch. Now let's talk about, snack boredom. It is December, she is now bored of Apple Sauce, Yogurt, granola bars, Cheese and crackers, goldfish crackers, Cheese strings. So now what? I alternate every week and everyday. I Always put raspberries, strawberries, blackberries or grapes in her lunch. I also rotate, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, button mushrooms, celery, carrots and green peppers. I always put 2 fresh fruits and 2 fresh vegetables.
Now lets put a twist on this. SHE IS A VEGETARIAN. So not meat. I did send her with hard boiled eggs once and the entire class laughed at her when she opened the container and the odor lingered throughout the classroom.
I have tried pita breads, to avoid the soggy bread. But the lettuce and mayo and tomato and cucumber made it soggy still. I have tried soups in a thermos, and they are cold by 11:45 am. They are not allowed to use the class microwave, as they are worried about the kids burning themselves, and there are not enough classroom monitors to ensure that they don't. There is one monitor for 3 classrooms. So there's that.
So fellow mother's out there battling the school lunch drama, each and every single morning, please do shed some light, help a mom out. Can you please send me your suggestions, thoughts, comments to help me out. I would appreciate this very much.
Happy LUNCH DRAMA Trails
Image Sources:
https://tupperwareman.co.uk/products/sandwich-keeper
http://www.kidsstoppress.com/2017/06/hacks-to-ensure-your-lunch-box-sandwiches-never-get-soggy/
https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/55028426669381889/?lp=true
It's like you spoke directly from my soul!! Well with a few minor variations, like I make pb&j for my son almost every day. I can't believe they don't allow that in Canada!?! Why?!?! Also my son eats meat so that's a challenge I have never thought of!! Bless your heart mama!
Sometimes I will put raisins or vanilla wafers in his lunch, but he gets tired of the same old crackers, chips, juice and sandwich every time. I'm thankful our school provides lunches there or I would be in the dog house! I guess my suggestions are not very good. Maybe if you let her assemble her own sandwich at school, the bread would survive?
Mad props to you though for dealing with this challenge for so long!! Pinterest isn't helpful at all!! 40 clicks to get the recipe you want, 12 clicks and sign up for email on the dress pattern you liked to try. I hope you have somebody comment with something helpful!!
No peanut anything around here. My youngest son has a small peanut allergy, but some kids cant even be in the same room as peanut butter.
Yup my daughter has one of those kids in her class, epipen and all. She loves Peanut butter sammy's.
Bless you for commenting at least, and ya I hear you about the challenges with dealing with Pinterest. Because my daughter has kids in her school that have peanut allergies, they are not allowed anything that has nuts in it. She also has kids with egg allergies, kiwi, and the list goes on. Yes I could send just the bread and let her assemble and make the sandwich, I do suppose that is a great idea. Here in Canada, they do not get Recesses. They get 2 breaks during the day. So she gets on the bus at 8am she gets a nutrition break for 40 minutes at 10:20 which the first 20 minutes is for eating and the second 20 minutes is for outdoor play, so the kids are rushed outside by the teachers, and if they have to put on snowpants and boots etc, they take that time away from the eating time, so no time to slap a sandwich together. Then at 2:10 is the next nutrition break, again 40 minutes long with 20 to eat and 20 outdoor time. So she can never really win with eating at school, as there is just not enough time to eat. They are not allowed pop, chocolate or candy either in their lunches, not that I let her eat any of that but the rules are yucky. They are not allowed to have food in the classroom like to eat and apple while they are at their desk is not allowed., the day for them finishes at 3:10 and she is home off the bus at 4:00pm, so that is a long day for her to go with only 40 minutes total to eat all her lunch. OH the struggles....
Yup my daughter has one of those kids in her class, epipen and all. She loves Peanut butter sammy's.
Oh my what a challenge! Im afraid i cannot think of anything to help.... seems like your stuck between a rock and a hard place. I cant believe they dont let peanut butter in the schools! I mean i get it but how many kids go digging in others lunch boxes? Seems like they could provide a separate table for those kids with allergies so there was less risk. And to rush them to play when they need the nutrition to focus and learn.... ugh is right i would be furious! Kuddos to you for keeping your head! I would have made a butt of myself at the school.
I like the vanilla wafers! We used to eat those and dip them in whipped topping or nutella
I wish she ate the vanilla waffers @goldendawne, she is not a cookie fan. But she likes my banana bread...no nuts of course.
Boy, am I glad I homeschooled my kids! LOL
I sure wish that the option was available to me. We have really strict rules here in Canada, well at least in Ontario around our education system. I wish I could have too. Thanks
If you also take suggestions from male non-parents, I stumbled upon this lifehack a while ago:
If she is a vegetarian the thing that made so much sense to me is the following
Pre-prepare (?) several jars of salad in your fridge in one session, i.e. 5 glasses, one per day.
Put dressing in first, have all her favorite veggies on top stacked up, and close up with a twistable lid.
She would then simply take the envy-inducing salad jar to school, twist it upside down once and back, open it up and have a perfect ready made salad. <3
I would have been teased to death back then for this, but in vegan and vegetarian times there's hardly anything cooler for a kid to bring to school. And hardly anything better compared to soggy grains like you mentioned. I love toast but it's just not worth it if has been in a bag.
If 5 days is too long of storage time for her, you could try going down to twice a week preparing lunch the afternoon before, vs. every morning. If you're really good at showcasing this, she will want to prepare it all on her own. hehe. Depends on her level of vegetarianism-commitment, or something ;)
She could also switch up her salads every day by preparing and filling the jars just the way she likes them, having different combinations for each day. Or let you be the random generator when you pack her jar in the morning.
Add extra croutons in a separate bag for maximum wow.
On the downside she might get her lunch stolen every day, but I would definitely try it out for a week and see what she says.
Sorry for my weird grammar, I definitely have to go to bed.
Happy lunchin' <3
Love it...who says a male non parent does not have fantastic ideas? This is great, she does take salads often. Only problem is she is not allowed glass, so I will just put it in a plastic tumbler, but thank you so much and please keep on being creative. I did not think about the croutons though, will give that a try.
Take this as extra inspiration <3
https://www.organizeyourselfskinny.com/2014/03/17/the-ultimate-mason-jar-salad-tutorial-and-recipe-round-up/
I will follow some of these tips, with a plastic tumbler, as she is not allowed glass at school. Darn Rules. Thank you for your help.
Let me know how she liked it.
In fact I should start doing this more often, been tunring into a salad monster the last years
It has been YEARS since I packed a lunch for a child.. but pulling some ideas I would...
Have you tried the flat breads? They are made of things like foccaccia and ciabatta- both very hearty and can uphold to moisture.
Maybe a bagel or bagel chips with a dip?
In regards to the vegetarian meal... my oldest daughter went through that phase also. And for the life of me can't remember what she ate at the time.
My mom used to pack me lunch and I LOVED kosher dill pickles... she would put them in with my lunch all the time.
Maybe some pretzels with a yogurt based dip?
I am at a loss... my youngest is 24 so it's been MANY years
Aww Thank you @goldendawne for the ideas. Yes I have put pickles in her lunch before and she does love them. As for the flat bread, I would have to make it, unless it is sold at Walmart because I have a small town to do groceries it is hard to find, but will absolutely give it a try. We did do pita breads for a little bit. This is my last child out of the gate as the other 2 are in Univ and never had this problem at all with them. I am praying that this is a phase.
I had no idea school lunches could be so difficult to figure out. All those rules! I think some schools her ask that the children aren't bringing candy in their lunches but besides that, we can do whatever we please!
I'm not in that phase yet, as my son is two, but once we get there, I'll be doing a lot of pizza snails. I grew up on those and they are delicious. My mum would make a bunch and then defrost 2 for each day (I had other foods too though).
Pizza snails, eaten cold? Please do share this tasty treat thanks
You do a basic pizza dough, sprinkle whatever toppings you want on top, but you need to have it sliced up well. Then you roll the dough, cut into snails, sprinkle cheese on top, bake and voila! You can do 2-3 pizzas worth and have enough for lunches for a month (with other stuff as well of course).
Thank you sounds easy and yummy, do you freeze the prepared snails..LOL ...then bake in the morning or freeze the baked snails?
Bake and then freeze. They can be reheated, but there is no need, they are great cold.
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sooo, here's a little tip i learnt when working in a restaurant a few years back.
spread a little olive oil on the bread. the oil will repel the liquids.
toast the bread a little
don't put any mayo's or other sauces directly on the bread, lay your cheese as a protective layer, and between the cheese and other fillings you can put wet ingredients like tomatoes, mayonnaise etc
also make sure any salad leaves you use are dry, dry, dry!