Pre-K presents a new challenge — the lunchbox. And oh boy is it a challenge. This is the first year my girl will stay at school through lunch and from school restrictions to feeding a slow eater who loves sweets, I am concerned about filling her lunch with everything she needs to keep her healthy and full.
I have been feeding her lunch everyday for the past four years, why should a packed lunch be so much harder? I don’t know, but it seems daunting. Let me start with the main rules…
- No Peanuts
- No Grapes
- No Lunchboxes
Yes you read that right, no lunchboxes. The school has this rule that all lunches must go into the refrigerator, but there’s not enough room in the fridge for all those lunchboxes. So instead of lunchboxes, we have to pack lunch into a gallon-size baggie. Ummmm ok.
So what to pack?
After much thought, and a lot of wandering the aisles at Super Walmart, I came up with a few go-to lunch menus to mix and match throughout the year. I think these menus will meet requirements set forth by my daughter (desert included), myself (healthy) and the school (above). What do you think?
Lunch One:
Ham/Cheese rollup
Sliced Strawberries
Mott’s Snack & Go ($1.00 off Mott’s Snack and Go Applesauce pouches)
Goldfish
Graham Crackers
Lunch Two:
Almond Butter & Jelly Sandwich
Carrot Sticks
Del Monte Fruit Cup ($1 off any 2 Del Monte Fruit Cup Snacks)
String Cheese
Chocolate Goldfish
Lunch Three:
Chicken Salad Sandwich (her favorite)
Shelled Edamame
GoGurt ($0.75 off two Yoplait kid products)
Sliced Watermelon
Nilla Waffers
Lunch Four:
Cheese Sandwich
Wheat Thins
Mott’s Medley’s Fruit Snacks ($0.75 off 3 Fruit Snacks)
Blueberries
4-5 M&Ms
So there you have it, my menu plan to get the school year started. I am sure I will find that I have to adjust as the year goes on, but it looks pretty good for now.
Oh and to solve the no-lunchbox rule and prevent squished-lunch syndrome, I found Ziplock boxes with three divided compartments that fit nicely into a gallon-sized baggie leaving enough room to slip in a drink. Plus the box doubles as a plate to eat from, a major score. Next, I decided to dress up that boring gallon-sized baggie and put a smile to my daughter’s face (and a little color to an ordinary bag) with the help of a few bright sharpies. (Nope I am not an artist, but it makes her smile!)
GIVEAWAY - Walmart wants to challenge you to put a healthy twist on lunch and give one lucky reader a $25 Walmart gift card to help you stock up on lunchbox necessities.
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Disclosure – I was provided a gift card and a gift card is being provided to the winner, however, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Yogurt parfaits
fruit or a yogurt, and usually string cheese and baked chips.
Afraid I am not too much help– no kids in school, but do have a grandson that packs his lunch for work. He normally takes ready to eat veggie soup, yogurt, some sandwich materials, etc. The hardest things to get him to take is fruit, which is always available. Most of his items are not suitable for a small child, largely because he does have a microwave to heat things up.
I make homemade bread and turkey.
lunchables,with fruit and a drink
Sandwiches. He likes turkey ones.
I don’t have kids, but I try to pack my hubby’s lunch for him in a healthy way. Today he got a large mixed green salad with whole grain croutons, organic Italian salad dressing, ice water, strawberry fruit leathers, pumpkin spice mixed nuts, and a small bag of tortilla chips!
I pack a homemade sandwich a water and some fruit for lunch!
Cheese and crackers
I don’t have to pack lunches for my kids (yet), but when I do next year, I will probably pack an Uncrustable, fruit of some sort, and some graham crackers or mini-cookies. If peanut butter isn’t allowed at Rylie’s school, then I’m screwed. LOL
My daughter always liked sandwiches on different kinds of bread and rolls… kept it from being so boring.
A favorite was Hawaiian Sweet Dinner Rolls.
Katharina angelsandmusic[at]gmail[dot]com
i like to put fresh fruit and a sandwich in their lunch box
cheese, crackers and apple slices!
Cheesesticks, pudding cups, yogurt
chicken salad sandwich & cheese & crackers
Half turkey sandwich, fruit stick, goldfish and kids chobani
my son loves ham and cheese sandwiches,carrot sticks,celery with peanut butter and any kind of fruit
Pita wraps are my fave to make!
I dont have any kids but I used to always like getting a ‘little debbie’ snack cake in my lunch
Fruit and carrot sticks with peanut butter
A good sandwich
Turkey sandwhiches
cheese and crackers with fresh fruit
I make a fresh fruit salad with fruits she likes
cut carrots and celery,apple slices
ardelong2(at)gmail(dot)com
sandwhich and fruits
Peanut Butter and crackers.
A ham and cheese sandwich, cheese and fruit
I always pack some type of fruit!
my kids like any kind of sandwich filling in pita bread and i always try to give them some sort of fresh fruit every day and
pretzel sticks, nuts, goldfish
I like to have a variety of fruit and veggies, string cheese, and all of my kids love Cheez-Its.
I pack apple slices and peanut butter to dip them in.
Ants on a log (celery, peanut butter, and raisins) string cheese, turkey and crackers
schueler.jessica@yahoo.com
I guess you cant have peanut butter or is it just no peanuts?
P&B Sammy and Fruit
Fruit and veggies are always good!
Mine likes turkey and pickles no bread,a few carrots with ranch dressing, a gogurt and a mini fruit roll up
string cheese and greek yogurt
turkey rollups with american cheese and an apple no peels of course.
I pack apple slices
Thanks for the giveaway…our kids love cold baked chicken breasts for lunch.