Healthy School Lunches Kids Will Actually Eat

For my second grader, I normally give him for lunch/snack: spring water in a thermos, plus an organic milk carton (chocolate, vanilla or strawberry - depending on his mood), an organic gummy fruit snack or twisted fruit, real fruit (apple or strawberry slices) and a ham or turkey and cheese (or just cheese) on honey whole wheat bread (all organic - yet again!) or on crackers (mini sandwiches!). If I'm out of sandwich stuff, I throw in a Clif bar. I let him know when his lunch is or is not nut-free so that he can sit at the right table.

He's not into yogurt or string cheese at school, so those snacks I save for home. He's also not into dips, so veggies are out....he gets a veggie pot pie or steamed veggies at dinner.

For class parties, I usually send in the Kinni Toos oreo-type sandwich cookies - nut, gluten, lactose free...but not taste free! :)

I will have to try some of these new ideas to see if any of them are a hit. Thanks! - 1/23/2013 10:07:37 PM

How exactly does one pack guacamole? Do you freeze that too? - 9/24/2012 6:42:34 PM

I don't think my child should do without a food in their lunch because of another child's food allergy....not quite fair.
Our school doesn't say you "can't" pack nut things or foods that might cause an allergic reaction in another child. The child needs to be educated on their allergy, that is the parents job, not for everyone around them to have to do without. When we have classroom parties, we don't include things with nuts in them as a general rule since we are feeding the whole group, but individual lunches shouldn't count.

Our school has lunch tables for those kids with allergies, they sit away from other kids that might bring peanuts, etc....best plan I've seen yet! - 9/24/2012 4:09:43 PM

It's a nice article.
"As long as your child is old enough to eat nuts and there are no allergen concerns, experiment with various forms of nut butter." -- this shouldn't even been an option for school ideas. I have not come across a school yet allows any form of nuts. Some children have a serve allergy to it! That section should be taken out. Just because your child doesn't have an allergy to it a child in his/her class mate might or a child down the hall.

And I know with the schools around here healthy lunch ideas are promoted and one day a week is chosen as an all healthy day which they encourage everyone to participate in. [of course eating healthy everyday is great :P]

But suggesting any form of nuts to take to school concerns me! - 9/24/2012 7:13:59 AM

Keep in mind that many schools don't permit anything containing peanut butter in lunch rooms, because of allergy concerns.

Our friend insisted on packing peanut butter sandwiches anyway, and her son ended up eating lunch in the principle's office every day, for a whole semester.... - 9/7/2012 2:13:31 PM

I am not a parent yet, but I question the assertion that chocolate milk is better than no milk. Like anything, it can be part of a healthy diet, but I think the USDA recommends more dairy products than most kids and adults really need. See Harvard's School of Public Health alternate healthy eating plate for details about calcium, dairy, and health: http://www.hsph.h
arvard.edu/nu
tritionsource
/healthy-eating-plate/ - 9/6/2012 10:14:21 PM

Excellent tips! And a very timely reminder. Thanks, SP! - 9/6/2012 7:29:17 AM

we are the same in our area of canada-- not nut products of any kind. We even have one classroom with a fish alergy. There are a few things that kids will be happy to eat cold, although parents would totally turn their noses up, such as grilled cheese sandwich. I make it for my daughter in the morning and wrap it up, sometimes I cut it into cute shapes, but she likes it. I make it with real cheese, not processed slices. Not the best option, but for a kid that doesn't eat sandwiches, I take what we can get !! - 8/28/2012 5:32:14 PM

Peanut Butter is a big no no in my childs day care. They have whats called "wowbutter" it looks and tastes like peanut butter but tree nut free. my 2 yr old likes it and my teenager mistaked it for real peanut butter ( had to hide it so he wouldn't eat it all) I have included the website below. :) Hope this helps. My kids love PB&J one of our favorite go to meals.

http://www.soyb
utter.com/wow
butter.html - 8/28/2012 2:15:12 PM

MontrealMama I have the same problem. No peanut butter, no nuts, no tree nuts and nothing that may have been in contact with nuts. This really limits what can be sent to school especially since I have a picky eater. I have to read every label before I pack it for lunch. PB & J would be so much easier! - 8/28/2012 1:14:51 PM

Im not sure if anyone else is affected by this but I live in Quebec, Canada and we are forbidden from sending peanut or other nut butters to school as well as products that may have come in contact with them, they have also recently added that we cannot send eggs to school either.
This makes lunch choices that much more difficult!
- 8/28/2012 12:08:51 PM

I realize not all schools are the same but as a "lunch lady" and mother of 4. The choices we offer at our school are very different than when I was in school and if you teach your children to make the correct choices they will. I kind of resent all the bad publicist the school systems gets these day but as I said all schools are different. We off er a lot of fresh choice and we have made to order sandwiches that you can also have grilled on a panini grill. But the state and government also give us a lot of regulation so are good and some not so much. For example the kids have to take a milk and a fruit which is a great idea but if they dont eat it, it is waste. Granted I work in the high school so the kids are older but some times it seems waste full to make them take some thing they dont want They are old enough to make up their minds. - 8/15/2012 1:17:23 PM

Love the salad idea DRAGONCHILDE, especially for myself! haha:) - 8/15/2012 9:38:41 AM

Bagging salad is tough; but there are easier ways to get healthy foods in. Instead of traditional salad, opt for salad-wraps... where you make the sandwich wrapped in a huge leaf of lettuce! You can also add a back of raw veggies with a tiny cup of dipping sauce. - 8/15/2012 9:34:38 AM

I have a teen son who will only take all disposable containers. I am always struggling to have items that can be both healthy and fit in a ziploc. It can be done but how do I get a salad into a bag? It
It's hard to be cool when mommy pushes good for you! Lol - 8/15/2012 8:33:24 AM