I have Lunch Tray readers well trained not to expect posts from me on Friday after the Lunch Buffet appears, but then I learned of a blog/Twitter party (who even knew there was such a thing?) being hosted over the weekend by Mrs. Q (the anonymous teacher behind Fed Up with Lunch) and by Scatteredmom at Notes from the Cookie Jar. Apparently if I blog about certain lunch-related topics and let them know about it, as well as mingling (in a virtual sense) with other bloggers, I’m eligible to win all sorts of fabulous prizes. Or something like that.
At any rate, the blog/Twitter party was a good excuse to kick off (a few days early) September’s Back-to-School festivities on The Lunch Tray, starting with the promised TLT Lunch Box Exchange.
First, the ground rules. To participate in the exchange, leave in a comment below your favorite, go-to lunch box “entrees” – you can share a whole list or just one, you can link to recipes, whatever you like. The only thing you cannot do is comment unfavorably on an idea left by someone else. Lunch Tray readers have shown themselves to be a polite and supportive bunch, but it’s clear that we all come from different perspectives when it comes to kids and food. So if you find someone else’s lunch idea nutritionally wanting — too high in sodium (I know I’m guilty there) or sugar or overly processed or whatever, just keep that little thought to yourself.
OK, I’ll kick things off. Here are three entrees that my kids have liked – on and off — over the years that are a little more unusual than the standard PBJ:
Brown rice and edamame: If you don’t happen to have leftover brown rice, and if, like me, you’re willing to pay a grossly inflated price for convenience, throw one of those pre-cooked, frozen brown rice bags into the microwave until done (three minutes). Mix a half-cup or so of the rice in a bowl with a handful of cooked edamame, season to taste with soy sauce and toasted sesame oil. Put in Thermos. (If you really wanted to get fancy, you could add sliced green onion and/or sesame seeds, but who wants to get fancy at 7:o0 am?)
Bean and cheese wrap: spread canned refried (fat-free, if you like) pinto or black beans on a whole wheat tortilla and sprinkle with shredded Jack, Colby or other cheese. Microwave just to warm it up a bit, spread on some salsa, roll and slice. It’s room temperature when eaten, but apparently that hasn’t bothered anyone so far.
“Limey” Dip: I got this recipe from one of my favorite bloggers, Catherine Newman, back when she was writing for the now-defunct Wondertime magazine. Not everyone loves the admittedly odd combination of edamame and lime pureed in a creamy dip, but I do (and my daughter did for a long while). Put the dip in a small container and pack with dipping vehicles like crackers, pita chips, crudite, etc. By the way, I leave out the optional garlic when I make this.
Keeping in mind that, with only a few exceptions, sandwiches are generally spurned in my house, here are . . .
My other go-to lunch box items:
- Amy’s or Whole Foods bean burritos, heated until cooked, then wrapped in foil;
- yogurt;
- leftover anything, but especially pastas, black bean soup (packed with some baked corn chips and shredded cheese to mix into it), turkey or bean chili (ditto);
- steamed Asian dumplings, cut-up into a Thermos and doused with soy sauce;
- peanut butter – on crackers or in a PBJ on whole wheat;
- hard-boiled eggs;
- shredded cheese (for some reason, my kids reject cheese in stick or sliced form)
- spicy, pumpkin-stuffed Indian naan that we get at a local farmer’s market;
- hummus and pita chips; and
- tomato soup
- [Ed update: “forgot” to add one I’m not proud of – deep fried, frozen chicken taquitos from Whole Foods, microwaved until hot and then cut in half and put in a Thermos. Not so great nutritionally but tasty and really easy if you’re pressed for time.]
Sadly, that’s the beginning and end of my entire lunch box repertoire at the moment, and more than a few of these have fallen out of favor (don’t you hate when that happens?). So I’m counting on you, Lunch Tray readers, to dig me out of a serious rut.
Start talking, people.
[Ed. Update: After you check out all the great ideas below, be sure to read “It Takes a Village to Pack a Lunch, Part 2,” which collects even more lunch ideas from around the Internet.]
Tracy says
Hello! I hope you win something! Okay, so my son LOVES a homemade lunch-able. I put in some organic crackers, cheese, and deli turkey, ham, chicken, or roast beef. Other big hits have been leftover pizza (on a wheat crust), and a whole wheat bagel with flavored cream cheese. I put in some of the following: fruit (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, grapes, pineapple or watermelon), homemade trail mix with cashews, peanuts, raisins, cereal, and chocolate chips, carrots and dip, peanut butter and celery, yogurt, hummus and pita chips, sugar free jello, Cliff Z-bar, organic granola bar, a dove dark chocolate promise, and water with a lemon slice. I haven’t yet figured out how to pack apple slices without them going bad. Any ideas?
L says
You can keep apple slices from browning by putting them in water with lemon juice. I’ve also had great luck with crushing a vitamin C tablet into a bag of apple slices with a little water. These have lasted overnight and until the afternoon for a party at my daughter’s school.
bettina elias siegel says
I, too, have had success by just squeezing a little lemon on the slices.
bettina elias siegel says
Tracy: Thanks for being the first to kick off the idea exchange! – Bettina
Elizabeth says
Pineapple juice also keeps apples from turning brown.
Bettina Elias Siegel says
Did not know that!
Tracy says
I forgot to mention one of his favorites! Instead of chips, I pack dry cereal like Kix, Cheerios, Oatmeal Squares, Life, etc. He loves it!
Melissa says
Granola bars and cereal bars are always a quick go-to lunchbox grap here… various crackers and good cheese too! Dried fruits, fruit leather are nice staples to keep on hand… leftovers threaded on to swizzle sticks to make “lunch-kabobs” are usually a pretty big hit. 🙂
Merry120 says
Thanks for reminding me about edamame! My little guy is just starting preschool so I’m focused on snacks more than a whole lunch. We also have to be nut & chocolate free so that adds an extra hurdle. Some ideas I am going to be using are:
-mini bagels with a side of cheese & fruit
– hummus with veggies
– baby tomatoes and baby bell pepper with cheese and crackers
– mini muffins with a side of veggies and/or fruit
bettina elias siegel says
Merry120 – great ideas and these would work for “lunch,” too. I think I’m too wedded to the concept of an “entree” – maybe that’s why I’m running out of ideas! 🙂 Bettina
Scatteredmom says
I have a teenager who eats non stop, so his lunches have to be loaded with lots of good stuff to keep him from going to the vending machines. Some of his favorites include:
-home made pesto on whole wheat pasta
-chili
-beef and bean burritos: I make them ahead of time, freeze them individually, and the night before I pull one out and bake it. Then I let it cool overnight in the fridge. He microwaves it at school. They have a home made filling w/beef, salsa, pureed kidney beans, cheese, cilantro, etc.
-basically any leftovers from dinner the night before
Thanks for entering our blog party! It’s so fun to get to know new faces, and new blogs!
bettina elias siegel says
Scatteredmom – you shame me! It never occurred to me to make and freeze my own burritos. Of course I should be doing that. And I loved the Twitter party last night — sort of like a loud, crazy cocktail party where you can’t really hear everyone but you still have a great time. 🙂 – Bettina
Em says
Homemade frozen burritos: brilliant! I love it. I take it you bake them individually, but how long does the bakking take?
Em says
(I really can spell “baking.” I guess I got excited or something.)
bettina elias siegel says
Em: I wonder if you even need to bake? Maybe you just wrap up and freeze? I know there’s such a thing as a baked burrito, but at places like Chipotle (and many others) you just fill the tortilla, wrap and eat. – Bettina
Em says
It’s true, and that’s how I nearly always make mine at home. Baking would help with thawing, but if a person has access to a microwave or toaster oven at lunchtime, even that bit wouldn’t matter.
Lori says
Lord–you all have kids who eat burritos and beans, you should be so proud! Mine would never go for that…
We have a “Chinese menu” approach: a carb, a protein, a veg, a fruit. Carbs are wheat bread, TLC crackers, mini pitas, multi-grain wraps; protein is hard boiled eggs, tuna (daughter only), string cheese/babybel (son only), soynut butter (no peanuts in our school), cooked pepperoni (made only slightly better by being Applegate Farms), sometimes leftovers from dinner. Luckily my kids will eat carrot sticks, cucumber, cherry tomatoes and red peppers (although in the winter you can only get them imported from Europe, argh!), frozen peas (they defrost by lunchtime). And they eat a lot of dried fruit (Trader Joes is especially good for this) and apple sauce (my solution to the brown apple problem). I also sometimes put some plain yogurt with honey or Lyle’s golden syrup in there. And of course, a reusable bottle of water, to try to cut down on the amount of waste…
jean says
such great ideas!! thank you! sorry to say i don’t have much to offer in return except that my son loves whole grain pasta salads with pesto and parmesean.so that is another idea…
Waverly says
These are all great ideas. I am impressed by all of the variety. My children tend to like to eat the same thing for lunch every day – they give me a hard time when I change it up. One of my sons will not eat anything BUT a PBJ everyday. To save time, I premake 2 loaves worth of organic peanut butter + fruit spread sandwiches on whole wheat and freeze them. I put each sandwich in a baggie and then place the baggies in gallon size freezer bags. In the mornings, I only have to pull out the premade sandwich. It thaws way before lunchtime. PS. One thing I’ve always done is leave out processed food and chips. I pack fresh fruit, cheese, and water as sides. I guess it works because they are happy with it.
Erin says
I am having to get creative as my son is going to be eating lunch at preschool this year, but his FAVORITE thing to eat that I make is homemade chunky black bean salsa with corn chips. I have a feeling I will be making a lot of that this year. He also love hummus with pita bread. (I don’t know why, he hates animal proteins for lunch, but has no problem with them at dinner.) So any other suggestions on my son getting in some protein during lunch will be very appreciated, because he has no problem eating his fruits and veggies!
Mrs. Q says
Thanks so much for participating! Great ideas. What containers do you use?
bettina elias siegel says
Mrs. Q – a confession: I’ve been recommending great lunch systems all over The Lunch Tray and have yet to totally clean up my own environmental act. We use Thermoses for hot food, of course, but my Lunchskins are on order so I’m still -gasp – using plastic baggies. And I need to make a switch to one of the bento systems I’ve mentioned here – Planetbox, Easy Lunchbox System or Laptop Lunches. Blogger, heal thyself! 🙂 – Bettina
Karen says
My picky eater is down to 3 options for lunch (we also have a nut-free school, dang it!):
lunch 1 ==> Butter “sandwich” (whole grain bread and butter), plus a cheese stick and fruit.
lunch 2 ==> “breakfast for lunch” (cinnamon toast crunch in a large tupperware, skim milk in a thermos, fruit). We only do this on days when she has “lunch for breakfast” – pb & honey & nutella on whole grain bread. Note nut-free school, dang it!
lunch 3 ==> hot dog heated in the morning, put into thermos, potato chips and fruit on the side. Rarely done since she “doesn’t like hot dogs anymore.”
bettina elias siegel says
Don’t you hate it when some standby suddenly falls out of favor??? And I swear I don’t abuse the standbys by giving them everyday (though I’d like to.) Really annoying. Also, I feel your pain re: nut-free school. While Lisa Siegel (our allergy guest blogger) has made me so much more sensitive to the other side of this issue, it would be hard to give up that lunch staple in our house.
Karen says
My happy eater loves her turkey roll-up: turkey breast (or really, any deli meat), mayo & shaved carrots rolled up in whole-wheat tortilla.
Em says
One of my own go-to lunches, which may or may not be kid-friendly, depdending on the kid in question, is an Asian-inspired wrap: peanut butter (sorry, nut-free school folks!) mixed with a crushed garlic glove, a splash of soy sauce, and some hot pepper flakes, depending on my mood. I spread that on a whole wheat tortilla and then top it with baked tofu or tempeh (though you could use chicken or beef just as easily) and whatever veggies I have on hand. I usually get those giant-sized tortillas so I can put in lots of veg. Favorites include shredded lettuce, carrot matchsticks simmered in soy sauce and water, and sauteed cabbage and onions.
bettina elias siegel says
That is SO up my alley, Em. I am absolutely having that for lunch this week.
Since we’re on the topic of Mom Lunches – my new obsession is sauteed veggies (of all kinds but especially shredded cabbage, snow peas, peppers, carrots) to which you add cooked brown rice, soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger juice (from the Ginger People- I’m too lazy to grate), and sliced green onions and then at the end you scramble in an egg or two. Sort of a healthier version of Chinese restaurant fried rice. I swear I could eat this every day and never tire of it.
BTW, haven’t forgotten that you offered to share your fave veg. cookbooks. Will do a post on that soon and then will bug you.
– Bettina
Em says
Money-saver re. ginger: I buy several whole roots at once, peel them up, and throw them in the food processor. (Mine has a mini that fits on the top.) Then I freeze the pulp & juice on a cookie tray, and when it’s frozen, I break it into shards and put them in a plastic bag. Would be very easy to chuck into your healthy fried rice!
No worries about the veggie cookbooks. Gives me more time to think about favorites!
Bri says
Packing lunches gets me weirdly excited. For those of you who are struggling with the PBJ kids in nut-free schools, definitely check out sunflower butter — it tastes very similar and has saved the day for my youngest, who’s a PB addict. We do lots of leftovers, plus variations on quesadillas (including the ever-popular pizzadilla, with homemade marinara, cheese, and whatever else the kids want) to get us through the lunch rut. I also make homemade “hot pockets” with ham, broccoli, and cheese in homemade pizza dough (these can be frozen, too!). I’m always talking about packing lunch for my kids on my blog — feel free to check it out — redroundorgreen.wordpress.com
bettina elias siegel says
Bri – just checked out redroundorgreen. What a great blog! Glad to meet you! Bettina
Bri says
Likewise, Bettina! I’m loving this new blogging community I’ve met through the Blog Party Mrs. Q. hosted. 🙂 Keep checking in at RRG! Today I’ve got a post all about what happens when you have to pack a lunch at midnight and you don’t have what you thought you had in the fridge…
June says
My daughter hates sandwiches – she views bread as a plate and nothing more. But she does love hummus and veggies to dip with (carrots, celery, etc). Also, I put in frozen fruit (berry mix, peaches, etc) to help keep things cool, and they are thawed out at just about lunch time.
Black beans and rice with salsa and a bit of avocado is another favorite.
And, like Karen above, meat roll ups with veggies inside is also a big hit.
Melissa says
Great ideas so far! I also pack leftover spaghetti or noodles in a thermos, along with chicken noodle soup or tomato soup. Every once and a while I’ll pack breakfast: toasted waffle or french toast (I make up big batches and freeze them) with a bit of maple syrup for dipping, and some bacon or a hard boiled egg. Whole Foods & Trader Joes carries baked tofu in different flavors. Chilled shrimp with cocktail sauce. I make a lot of wraps with different fillings: ham & cheese, bbq chicken, smoked salmon & cream cheese.
Mara says
Love all these great ideas! Can’t wait to try some of them out! My only add ons – for my picky son – he loves yogurt and I have the laptop lunch box for him, so in the tiniest box, I put granola and in a bigger box I put fresh berries. So he adds these to his yogurt for a fun parfait. Loving that lunch box by the way. For my middle school girls – as a treat when they have had a tough week, I will go get them sushi rolls, dumplings or spring rolls at the grocery store and pack those up with some packets of soy. That is usually their favorite choice. I wish they would be happy with leftovers 🙁
Viki says
My teenage daughter takes her lunch daily. Girls can be odd as teens. (Did I say that?) No beans allowed anymore. They cause gas you know. I know it isn’t immediately…but she wont take them anymore. Lately it has been fruit, carrots and celery, and sometimes a few whole grain crackers. Sometimes a wholegrain fruit and nut bar gets thrown in or a container with some almonds. This holds her over until she gets home.
When she was small we made homemade Lunchables with Real Cheese, whole grain crackers and Actual Turkey or Chicken, add some veg and or fruit and it was great. She always carried water too.
Milk never would stay cold enough for my kids even with an ice pack. They wanted the milk ice cold.
I teach 2 days a week at a preschool. I take my lunch and it has to be a healthy lunch, not just for me, but because I eat at the table with the kids. I have to be an example. (I’m taking one of Em’s wraps next week, that sounds fantastic!) I use lock n lock boxes and even bento sets. All the kids want to know what I’m eating.
I eat leftovers, hummus, veggies, cheese. I drink water. We talk at the table about what I’m eating, about what they are eating, about what is “growing food”, and what isn’t. Hint: I don’t pack food that isn’t “growing food” and I really Do ask the parents to NOT pack junk too.
It doesn’t always work and I can’t demand, but it really makes for a better day if the kids in my class eat breakfast and have good food in their lunch. If I can see a difference in kids 3 and under, I know the teachers in grade school can see a difference there too.
Em says
So happy my wraps seem like as good an idea to everyone else as they did to me when I made them up! Enjoy. 🙂
Viki says
I forgot to add that DD will also eat for breakfast or lunch wholegrain waffles with Almond butter spread on them.
Apple with Almond butter is a favorite too. She just hasn’t taken them to school yet this year.
Toby says
A lot of folks have said they pack leftovers. We do too, and we use an insulated container about the size and shape of a soup bowl (3.5″H x 6″Diam). It is “squat” enough to fit in the lunch box.
After a quick search, I can’t find it online, but i can look a little harder if that would be useful.
Toby says
We have a garden in the summer, and my daughter loves to take anything we grow to lunch with her. We grow tomatoes (roma, beef steak, cherry, and grape), basil, cilantro, parsley, chives (she eats them like celery sticks), and sweet peppers. We also grow hot peppers (tobasco and jalapeno), but she obviously doesn’t take those with her.
When I get home from work, she loves to look over the garden to see what we can prepare for her lunch box. We’ve had a garden ever since she can remember, and it really gets her excited about eating healthy, fresh food.
Bettina Elias Siegel says
Wow, Toby, that sounds ideal! Growing your own food, with your daughter’s involvement, and then she takes it to school . . .
Toby says
I forgot to mention strawberries. They are perennials, and she loves looking under the leaves like an Easter egg hunt. Since we have a sink in the garage, these rarely make it inside!
Karen Frenchy says
Wow! Thanks for this post and the great ideas.
My 4YO’s lunch usually has : 30% carbs (rice/pasta), 30% proteins & 40% veggies. Then, some cheese (stringcheese, babybel or laughing cow) and some fruits (diced or applesauce). I use bento boxes: they are practical & cute. I use silicon cupcake liners to separate some foods (like cherry tomatoes or the diced fruits). I put an ice pack in her insulated lunch bag et voilà !
In winter, I use a thermos jar to keep her food warm. I wish Thermos would make rectangle containers…
We have a “tradition” = on Friday, it’s sandwich… I try to make this lunch fun by using cookie cutters so she has mini sandwiches in shapes of hearts, flowers etc… 🙂
Bettina Elias Siegel says
Karen: I’m glad these ideas were helpful and I totally agree about the square Thermos! Are you listening, Thermos-people??? 🙂
Carson says
My picky 2nd grade daughter’s favorite currently is a ham roll-up: 2 slices of Applegate Farms ham and a lettuce leaf rolled around a cheese stick and secured with toothpicks. If your kid likes olives or pickles (mine doesn’t), you could stick a couple on the ends of the toothpicks. We also rely heavily on mac-n-cheese in the thermos, and yogurt (frozen overnight so it will be cold at lunchtime) with a Cliff Z-bar and banana.
Carson says
Just realized this discussion is a year old! Saw August and thought it was current…..oops! Well, I got some good lunch ideas anyways. 🙂
Bettina Elias Siegel says
Carson: Never too late to add ideas! And I will be doing something like this again in the fall, and I hope you’ll come by again.
Melanie says
I’m just now finding this post and LOVE it! So many fantastic (and different) ideas to “spruce things up!” I never thought about freezing foods like PB&J or burritos (or my favorite idea – yogurt!) and packing them to use as an ice pack and to thaw by lunch. My question though is do they create a soggy mess (the PB&J or burritos) and with the yogurt, doesn’t it make everything else in the lunchbox wet? I can’t wait to try this idea!! Thanks so much for writing this post – off to read part 2 now! 🙂
Bettina Elias Siegel says
Melanie: So glad you are finding this series helpful! I personally am not a freezer of lunch box items — I use an ice pack when needed — so I can’t answer your question based on personal experience but my guess is that a PB&J would thaw with minimal moisture created. (And as for burritos, not sure which comment you read but the “burritos” I pack — a whole wheat tortilla smeared with fat free refried beans and shredded cheese — are not packed frozen.) As for the yogurt, I’m wondering if just wrapping it in a paper napkin might prevent any condensation problems — again, if that’s even an issue.