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.
To enter – Please use the Rafflecopter form below to take advantage of your entry opportunities.
MANDATORY ENTRY MUST BE LEFT AS COMMENT ON BLOG POST BELOW– then you can check off in Rafflecopter that you did it. Otherwise, all other entries will be invalid. (Click instructions for what to comment about.)
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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.
We are facing a similar challenge this year in preK with the added monkey wrench that lunches have to be “kosher style,” i.e., no mixing milk with meat and no pork. Nuts are also verboten. I send a turkey sandwich on goldfish bread almost every day, usually with a bag of pretzels, a dish of fruit salad (I buy premade at publix) or a buddy fruit pouch and either a water bottle or juice pouch (I like honest kids). Some days I send a cup of hummus with carrot sticks for dipping. If I send a dairy lunch, it’s yogurt, fruit, pretzels and string cheese.
That is a monkey wrench!
My son eats everything so I never had to deal with the picky eater syndrome. But here are some big hits for him. Cheese stick with ham rolled around it. Sliced apples or any other type of fruit. (since he loves fruit he usually asked for 2 fruits). Goldfish or wheat thins. We did not do dessert at school. He never had time to eat it. He got his dessert when he came home.
Core out an apple and fill it with tuna salad. It looks pretty, is unique, and it’s healthy! You can put it in its own baggie, and it should hold up fine.
sandwiches with olive spread and ham
My daughter is an extremely picky eater due to sensory issues, although she is trying new things as she ages. She will not eat bread so I do ham or turkey roll ups as a main meal cut in small pieces and threaded on toothpicks, usually a bag of chips or cheese crackers, some gummies and another sweet or snack. She also loves soup heated and put in a thermos. Lately she has liked the small lunchables minus the cheese.
A juice box, fruit cup, pb&j, and cheeze it’s.
I pack sandwiches (P&J or cheese) and fruit salad and veggies with dip & pretzels.
My son loves ants on a log made with Sunbutter (instead of peanut butter, due to allergies) and just about anything else raisin. Little boxes of raisins on their own are always a big hit too!
My son likes whole wheat pasta salad with grilled chicken breast and fresh veggies. And I always add fresh fruits to his lunchbox
I pack turkey on wheat sandwiches, baby carrots, grapes, a yogurt, and juice.
Peanut butter and honey sandwich.
We have a mandatory one fruit and one veggie required for all school lunches!
Almond (or other non-peanut) butter with banana chunks to dip or spread is an idea my little grand-daughter likes. Another is a home-made trail mix she calls “Cranberries and Almonds” (it had dried cranberries and almonds along with oats, baked with a bit of honey. She also likes a small container of tuna or egg salad with crackers she spreads herself. Hard boiled eggs are another easy favorite.
Most things that can cause allergies are out here… egg salad, cherry tomatoes (garden) , crackers and some type of fruit are always good choices. I also like to use tortilla shells instead of bread.
honey wheat bread turkey or chicken sandwhich or quesadilla filled with cheese, finely chopped carrots with corn or peas or chicken fried rice with fine chopped carrots/mushrooms. cucumbers or apples as a snack.
As a retired teacher, I think you should make sure your child can open and eat everything in the lunch by herself. Opening 2 or 3 things for each child in the class is exhausting for teachers who usually are on duty during their own lunch. (Teacher need a minute or 2 to eat also.) Opening milk cartons, ketchup packets, pudding and fruit cups, etc. was tough for K students and would be more so for Pre-K. You might want to take string cheese out of the wrapper and cut it in smaller pieces. Some ideas include different varieties of assorted breads, meats, cheeses, veggies, fruits, etc. On a Saturday, make a sample school lunch for your child and see if she is able to handle the different components. Your example lunches look pretty good! Best of luck!
We pack carrots and dressing for a snack!
An apple & cheddar cheese on a Pepperidge Farm Fish Sandwich Roll would be fun!
Usually a sandwich, chips, fruit.
I do hard boiled eggs and a homemade zucchini muffin with some fruit. Or a tortilla spread with nutella and filled with cut up bananas and strawberries!
I pack a sandwich, goldfish, yogurt and a cookie.
usually an apple or grapes, a sandwich, yogurt, water bottle, and string cheese
I always pack something fruity! and a hershey kiss!
Tomorrow’s lunch is turkey and cheese roll up tortillas, grapes frozen go gurt and nilla wafers
Cheese stick, Ritz crackers, slice of turkey, apple slices, and yougurt.
string cheese is a good one to put in there
Lots of fruits, vegetables and nuts
A turkey sandwich, fresh vegatables with ranch dressing, an apple and a juice box.
provide a lot of variety, and make it something they will eat and not try to trade
My daughter loves to take Nutella this year on crackers or bread and fruit while it’s in season.
Thanks, Karen
lemontart5kb at gmail dot com
My daughter likes celery and peanut butter as a snack.
Almond butter sandwich with bananas on it, yogurt and fruit.
I’ve been making homemade alternatives (Poptarts, “sausage bites”,etc) and adding fruit and yogurts to make things different but healthier.
Turkey wrap, string cheese, carrot sticks w/ranch dressing.
I like to make kabobs with meat, cheese, and vegetables served with ranch dressing for dipping along with fruit and graham crackers.
yogurt, in season fruit, fresh cheese
Greek yogurt, grapes, roasted almonds and cranberries.
Veggies rolls.
My daughter loves seedless grapes so we always freeze them and add to her lunch
Carrots and ranch dip, apples and peanut butter, cucumbers and dresssing.
With the peanut restriction, that can be tuff. But I really like your ideas. My daughter particularly likes lettuce. So I would pack her an egg salad sandwich (also a fav for her), with strawberries, lettuce leaves and some goldfish or cheez-its.
sandwich and an apple
My kids favorite lunch always included a pickle.
That’s funny because my daughter LOVES pickles too!
string cheese
cut up fruit and veggies with a yogurt dip and whole grain goldfish are favorites with my boys
Help me with healthy lunchbox ideas! What do you pack in your student’s lunchbox?
you lost me,as a kid I wanted candy apple,twinkies and froot loops…Stick with the old ham and cheese
If you have a Costco membership they have these little Aussie Bites. They’re mini muffin things that are so healthy. My son loves them and I’m ok with him eating three or four because their packed with honey, oats, fruit, sunflower seeds, and omega-3s.
my kids are older now – 9,8,7 – so they get a say & usually pack up their own lunches in the morning after consulting the menu from school & deciding they rather take in lunch then eat at the cafeteria. of course I give it the final ok.
usual lunches they take are:
some sort of sandwich – pb, ham, chicken breast or turkey on wheat, nutella or JIF hazelnut spread with banana slices.
a whole fruit: apple, banana, pear or peach
or
sliced fruit: kiwi, strawberries, melon or pineapple
Cheese sticks & veggie for snack time (usually they eat this while they wait for me to pick up from after school program): carrot sticks with pb, cucumbers or broccoli florets
drink: some sort of juice pouch/box or water bottle
To keep it fun for them & jazz things up every now & then I’ll toss in some jello or rice pudding.
& of course I always put in a love note to each one ^.^
My daughter is also 4. I am very focused on healthy lunches and here’s some things my daughter adores:
1. Guacamole- gotta love those little single serving pouches.
2. Hummus
3. Whole Wheat pasta- she loves it plain.
4. Baby carrots
5. Cold cauliflower and cold broccoli.
6. Black olives
7. Chick peas- she loves them as an alternative to having hummus so much.
8. Rice balls- when rice is still warm form them into little balls. They work great in a lunch as they can just pop them in their mouths.
I like packing greek yogurt, berries, any veggies they will eat at the time, organic if possible, sometimes chips or a cookie that is organic.
my daughter is entering middles school and while they are allowed to have lunchboxes, there is a NO peanut/peanut butter rule this year. OMGosh! PB&J are the usual lunch box dish for her! We are going to try whole wheat wraps w/ ham & cheese, mini salads fit nicely into containers like you show above, I usually put the cheese/meat in the smaller compartments, sliced cheese/pepperoni & crackers and fresh fruit.
I make healthy whole grain wraps that my son loves! I make peanut butter wraps, egg wraps and chicken guacomole wraps! I use whole grain wraps! Also I give him sting cheese, carrot sticks, and fruit!
I like to pack goldfish and pretzels along with a lunchable or sandwich and juice.
Thank you for the ideas! Always looking for a way to keep lunch interesting.
No kids. I’d add celery sticks to the mix.
Thanks for the contest.
Ham & cheese sandwiches, lunchables, fruit cups, yogurt, pudding, carrots or other misc. fruits & veggies, goldfish crackers, little debbies, chips, etc
I pack veggies and dip.
fresh fruits veggies and sandwiches!
I pack fruit.
Sandwich, fruit, and a juice box (or they buy milk at school).
organic bread/ham, fruit, gluten free rice treats
vegetables and dip.
yogurt, cheese sticks
kport207 at gmail dot com
i pack lots of veggies, fruit, and some cheese. my kids have always loved that for lunch at school. its filling but not too filling to make them tired!
I always give the kids a fruit or vegatable with every meal
Yogurt with minimal sugar content.
PB&J wraps!
Sliced fruit, cup up veggies and cheese.
I like to also add in some sort of dip at time, even a little container of peanut butter that the kids use as a dip is a bit hit.
Thanks so much.
I think hummus dip and veggies are a good choice.
Make healthy whole grain wrap with grilled chicken, cheese, tomatoes! My son loves wraps! Also make sure to add fruit, and veges-such as carrot sticks!
Fruit cups, low-fat string cheeses and bananas.
i made a turkey sandwich, jello cup and orange juice 🙂
I like to pack a 1/2 sandwich, apple slices, pudding cup.
I always made my own fruit cups with fresh fruit
String cheese,carrot sticks,pop chips, sandwich and milk.
Thanks for the chance.
mogrill12@gmail.com
I always send my daughter with a nutri-grain bar.
I make little finger sandwiches, strawberries, juicebox & a Hershies chocolate kiss.
I like to pack V8 fusion, so they get veggies that they like!
Turkey on whole wheat, fruit, water or milk, sometimes yogurt, graham crackers
sandwiches, yogurt, fruit,crackers
a turkey sandwich and fruit
I pack apple slices with almond butter and a turkey and swiss sandwich on rye!
i pack apples or bananas
Fresh Fruit, Veggies, Yogurt, and Sandwich wraps
I pack fruit, he loves grapes
I pack fruits like strawberries and grapes and usually a sandwich.
Peanut Butter & jelly, chips and baby carrots.
chrissylea1979 (at)gmail(dot) com
I put gogo squeeze in their lunch boxes.
My kids like to have yogurt, cottage cheese, or fruit with their lunch. Certainly is good to have healthy foods to choose from!
a banana potasium is so crucial for our kids
Jesse
some fruit.
Fresh fruit, Cheese, Crackers, peanut butter, sliced vegies, and my own dehydrated meats.
peanut butter and jelly, GOD BLESS AND KEEP YA’LL IN HIS LOVING ARMS.
yogurt, carrot sticks, apple slices with peanut butter,veggie/fruit juice box.
ham and cheese chunks, crackers, carrots w/ranch dressing, fruit roll-ups. Thanks.
frozen yogurt gogurts
my daughter takes lunch meat wrapped in tortillas.
Chicken salad wraps, fruits with a yogurt dip & a small bottle of spring water!
veggie sticks, apples and water.
grapes and cheese sticks
PB&J on an oat bagel
veggie sticks, yogurt, fruit, cheese.
I always include fruit.
fresh fruit veggies, yogurt tubes, granola bars and turkey roll ups
fruit!! my daughter loves kiwis and grapes!
Crackers, sandwich meat, fruit, trail mix (I know, it would violate the school’s no peanut rule), sandwiches, hard boiled egg, tortilla roll up, fried rice, buttered pasta…
Lots of baked chicken breast.
Peanut butter in a mini plastic bowl, a baggie with little pretzel sticks and a baggie of little carrot sticks. a juice drink and two cookies for dessert. She doesn’t eat much
Yogurt!
BOTTLED WATER..THANKS, SIMMS3710@YAHOO.COM
A piece of fresh fruit, turkey sandwich, yogurt, and a juice!
we homeschool so don’t pack lunches but love to win giftcard
ABreading4fun
i make veggie pitas
peqnut butter and banana sandwich
My granddaughter loves peanut butter, yogurt, and string cheese.
Mozzarella sticks (not the fried kind), a few pieces of lean lunch meat, or a sandwich on wheat bread, some baby carrots, some kind of fruit (bananas and strawberries are a favorite)or possibly yogurt, and bottled water.
Sorry, this is my correct email…
Fruit and cheese cut out in fun shapes 🙂 *Thanks* for the giveaway!
We usually pack fresh fruit, cheese, and some whole grain crackers, as well as a sandwich, water or a no sugar added juice, a few veggie sticks. I occasionally put a cookie or a treat in there for them as well, the fruit leathers are great for a special treat.
cheese , turkey sandwich, fruit
My girls’ favorite is Tyson’s honey battered chicken nuggets. thank you!!
I usually pack a nice healthy wrap of fresh deli meat, cheese, a little ranch and lettuce as well as carrot and celery sticks, the Go Gurt yogurt tubes and a Capri Sun or bottle of water with the sugar free Kool Aid packs. Thanks so much for hosting this great giveaway!
furygirl3132[at]comcast[dot]net
peanut butter and crackers- string cheese, apples, carrots
tcogbill at live dot com
cheese sticks (string cheese) gogurts 🙂
In addition to a sandwich (or sometimes leftovers from dinner), I pack some carrot sticks and a small container of Cheerios or other cereal as a snack.
h4schaffer at gmail dot com
Pretzels, Cheese and Crackers, Fruit Slices, and Sandwich.
We do apple sandwiches with peanut butter and raisins. Literally, slicing and apple sideways and making it in into “bread”.
fresh veggies
Diet soda and lunchables
carrot sticks!
I put fresh fruit in there, they especially love apples and grapes. I put them in the green veggie bags as it keeps them fresh until lunch time, I also always use an ice pack. My kids love the new natural peanut butter and it also helps with weight control.
Berries, pretzels, cheese cubes, meat and cheese roll ups, oatmeal cookies.
My son is a picky eater and prefers two things, one of which is banned in school: peanut butter sandwiches and cheese sandwiches. As such, my options are unfortunately limited….
yogurt, meat, cheese and crackers, wraps, fruit, granola, and veggies
I pack grapes, bananas or granola bars and a sandwich
Fruit and veggies, and sandwiches using fun cookie cutter cutouts. So many snack packs now and individual servings, it really helps.
string cheese, fro gogurt, fruit
veggie wraps, homemade soup or stew in a thermos, veggies and yogurt dip
Grapes, baby carrots, cottage cheese, wraps
They love homemade trail mixes. Pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, raisins, craisins, M % M’s, etc.
We pack yogurt with frozen fruit to keep it safe.
And we use lean protein for our sandwiches like turkey chicken or tuna.
Thank you.
fruit
Awesome giveaway! Janna Johnson jannajanna@hotmail.com janna@feedyourpig on GFC
Veggie slices with peanut butter or ranch dressing.
apple, bananas or yogurt
Grapes and watermelon
ky2here at msn dot com
bite sized fruits and vegetables so they can snack whenever they’re hungry
I pack apple slices and peanut butter.
Yogurt, granola bars, fruit, etc
Multi grain bread spread with cream cheese, jelly and organic peanut butter, crusts trimmed and cut into small squares.
Granola bars, string cheese, carrot sticks.
apples and peanut butter and grapes!
Always add fruit and do lettuce wraps with ground turkey and guacamole for a mini taco salad
We always add lots of fresh fruit and cut veggies!
Yogurt, fruit, crackers.
A sandwich, crackers, and fruits.
I pack a thermos of juice cut with water. Also, mini carrots, cheese slices and raisins.
celery sticks and peanut butter
rypm25@aol.com
Salad with meat and cheese.
carrots, grapes, whole grains or yogurt
a fruit every day
Cheese Crackers, & Fruit
I pack turkey on wheat bread rolled to look like sushi
Tuna salad on an english muffin. Strawberries and cheese cubes.
I pack fruits, veggies, and crackers.
Grapes, humus, and whole grain pita chips for dipping.
I don’t have kids yet but I’d pack fruits and veggies
we like yogurt, pretzels and grapes
nannypanpan@gmail.com
Fruit and string cheese
Fruit and string cheese
We pack similar items as common lunches include a variety of fruit, veggies, and sandwiches. The little rice cake minis make great low calorie snacks. For a different and fulfilling snack I highly recommend Quaker Rice Cakes. They have a variety of flavors. You can pack one big rice cake that is usually around 35-60 calories each or portion out the smaller rice cakes. They have different flavors between the huge ones and the quakes.
http://www.quakeroats.com/products/rice-snacks/quakes/sweet-chili.aspx
http://www.quakeroats.com/products/rice-snacks/rice-cakes/apple-cinnamon.aspx
Wraps with a variety of fillings!
cjnedrow at gmail dot com
I like to include frozen fruit like grapes makes a neat pick me up
vmkids3 at msn dot com
I include fruit like grapes or cherries
Apple slices, grapes, and string cheese.
raisens, nuts, apples, oranges etc
brich22 at earthlink dot net
Greek Yogurt, cheese sticks, fruit and her favorite crackers.
Blueberries, yogurt, pudding cups. Thanks for the giveaway.
my youngest loves a chicken wrap with a little lowfat yogurt dressing instead of mayo and lots of veggies
Well, I don’t have a student but I know from experience with my nieces that kids love to dip things. Plain yogurt with fruit to dip, peanut butter with carrots and celery to dip and marinara (with extra veggies pureed and hidden inside) with cheese and crackers to dip seem like some sensible ways to get them eating healthy stuff and enjoying lunch at the same time.
Crackers with ham and cheese slices, blue berries, and string cheese.
We love to make wraps together! We’ve gotten pretty creative with what we put inside. the current favorite is apples, raisens, and peanut butter.
turkey sandwich and yogurt
Fresh strawberries and carrot sticks.
A sandwich or a wrap and crackers. I also included fruit or a granola bar!
pb and j with an apple or banana
My daughter loves turkey or chicken wraps, yogurt, apple slices, juice and oatmeal cookies.
I cut up a lot of fruit and veggies. Little pizza bagels are good too.
cheese crackers,string cheese,apple slices
My son loves salad, but we homeschool so he gets one every day for lunch!
The kiddo is homeschooled, so I only pack my DH’s lunch. I usually send him with leftovers.
Fruits, string cheese, crackers, cheese, or yogurt.
I don’t have kids, but I like to include a variety of whole grains, vegetables, and fruit in my lunches.
I try to get as much fruits and veggies as possible in there and usually a pbnj sandwich cause my daughter loves them!!!
Fruits, yogurt & Salad
We home school so no lunch packing but we have lots of fruits and veggies for lunch
We like to pack graham crackers with peanut butter.
we pack cut up fruits
I always pack fresh fruit
I pack pita chips and ranch dip with my childrens lunches.
I have a hard time as well…I do make a lot of wrap sandwhiches…pb&j in a wrap indtead of bread..although You can not use peanuts I see. This is just one of the things I do
sliced bell peppers
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.