Every morning we go through the same thing, what are we packing for lunches. Luckily my husband is usually on the lunch line and gets Noah and I out the door but we still feel like he is always eating mac n' cheese or hot dogs....he doesn't seem to mind but we still want to expose him to different foods and eat a well rounded meal. Here are some ideas for those of you that go through the same thing day after day.
1. Not just PB&J but try other toppings between two pieces of bread:
~ lunch meat and cheese
~ cream cheese (we use a vegetable & chive sometimes)
~ nutella (maybe more of a snack choice)
~ finely chopped BBQ chicken or pork (I say finely because our little guy really does not like the texture of shredded meat)
~ tomato sauce, pepperoni
~ peanut butter, honey, banana
Try some different grain choices:
~ pita
~ tortilla
~ biscuits
~ bagel
~ waffle
2. Pasta. Noodles are always a hit with out little guy.
~ macaroni and cheese
~ butter and grated parmasen
~ spaghetti sauce
~ mixed with veggies: peas, carrots (with a little butter)
~ teriyaki with mixed veggies
~ ravioli: stuffed with cheese, meat, vegetables
Not just Elbows: (Have fun with noodles there are so many to try)
~ rotini
~ elbow
~ shells
~ ramen
~ the wagonwheel shapes
~ spaghetti
~ sometimes you can find special shapes: hearts, animals, letters (I have seen them at World Market)
3. Chicken Nuggets
4. Mini Pizza
5. Quesadilla:
~ refried beans
~ cheese
~ shredded meat
~ spinach
~ mushrooms
~ peppers, onions
6. Sides:
~ applesauce
~ fresh fruit: apples, oranges, pears, peaches, bananas, mango, cherries, blueberries, raspberries, melon, grapes, the possibilities are endless
~ raw veggies: carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, avocado, peppers
~ cooked veggies: carrots, broccoli, califlower, peas, grean beans, edamama, squash, sweet corn
~ crackers or breadsticks
~ cubed cheese/string cheese
~ graham crackers
6. Add a Dip:
~ ranch
~ guacamole
~ hummas
~ cream cheese
~ salsa
~ a mexican layer dip
Share your ideas, and I will add more as I think about it. We also try our best to pack lunches in containers that can be reused. Noah sports a lunch box from LapTop Lunches http://www.laptoplunches.com/ , it is a bit spendy at first but we use it. The Container Store http://www.containerstore.com/shop/kitchen/foodontheGo also offers several lunch container options.
1. Not just PB&J but try other toppings between two pieces of bread:
~ lunch meat and cheese
~ cream cheese (we use a vegetable & chive sometimes)
~ nutella (maybe more of a snack choice)
~ finely chopped BBQ chicken or pork (I say finely because our little guy really does not like the texture of shredded meat)
~ tomato sauce, pepperoni
~ peanut butter, honey, banana
Try some different grain choices:
~ pita
~ tortilla
~ biscuits
~ bagel
~ waffle
2. Pasta. Noodles are always a hit with out little guy.
~ macaroni and cheese
~ butter and grated parmasen
~ spaghetti sauce
~ mixed with veggies: peas, carrots (with a little butter)
~ teriyaki with mixed veggies
~ ravioli: stuffed with cheese, meat, vegetables
Not just Elbows: (Have fun with noodles there are so many to try)
~ rotini
~ elbow
~ shells
~ ramen
~ the wagonwheel shapes
~ spaghetti
~ sometimes you can find special shapes: hearts, animals, letters (I have seen them at World Market)
3. Chicken Nuggets
4. Mini Pizza
5. Quesadilla:
~ refried beans
~ cheese
~ shredded meat
~ spinach
~ mushrooms
~ peppers, onions
6. Sides:
~ applesauce
~ fresh fruit: apples, oranges, pears, peaches, bananas, mango, cherries, blueberries, raspberries, melon, grapes, the possibilities are endless
~ raw veggies: carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, avocado, peppers
~ cooked veggies: carrots, broccoli, califlower, peas, grean beans, edamama, squash, sweet corn
~ crackers or breadsticks
~ cubed cheese/string cheese
~ graham crackers
6. Add a Dip:
~ ranch
~ guacamole
~ hummas
~ cream cheese
~ salsa
~ a mexican layer dip
Share your ideas, and I will add more as I think about it. We also try our best to pack lunches in containers that can be reused. Noah sports a lunch box from LapTop Lunches http://www.laptoplunches.com/ , it is a bit spendy at first but we use it. The Container Store http://www.containerstore.com/shop/kitchen/foodontheGo also offers several lunch container options.
What a good reminder of different lunch ideas! We were so lucky that at the first daycare Henry attended, they would heat up lunches so we had so many options of what we could send with him. Now he goes to a home daycare where he gets healthy meals prepared for him.
ReplyDeleteStill, this list is perfect to jazz up summer picnic lunches as we head out to parks and the zoo. A new favorite at our house is a whole wheat tortilla spread with peanut butter and topped with sliced bananas or apples. We also like lettuce wrap sandwiches!