Thursday, August 28, 2008

Lunch Box Battles

Posted by Mandy at 7:41 AM
Madison has always been a lunch box carrier. She's always sworn that cafeteria food was "disgusting" and so I have joyfully taken the roll of lunch maker for her each morning before she heads off to school.

At the end of the last school year, I started noticing more and more food coming back home with her. Her excuses ranged from, "I didn't have enough time to eat," to "So and So was talking to me the whole time and I couldn't eat." Uh-Hu...

Finally, the truth came out. She basically was tired of everything I would fix her to eat. It seemed that no matter what I stuck in her little lunch tote, she would decide it was inedible. Finally, I threatened to make her eat the "disgusting" cafeteria food if she continued to avoid even tasting her lunch box meal.

This year, the battle has begun much earlier. As early as the 4th day of school she was bringing home complete sandwiches, totally untouched. When asked about it she said, "I am so tired of sandwiches!" She hasn't eaten a sandwich in MONTHS.

So, I've found things she loves to eat. Any fruit and vegetable will be eaten, and any type of cracker or chip. The problem is, I feel she needs protein! For a while, making a home-made lunch-able did the trick. Putting separate containers of turkey slices, cut up cheddar cheese, and Wheat Thins or Whole Wheat Ritz Crackers delighted her. Now, not so much.

I stuck a turkey sandwich in her lunch this morning and gave her a good talkin` to about how she better eat at least half of it, or cafeteria food, here she comes!

Does anyone else struggle with making varied lunch-box meals each day? Have you found some cool foods that are healthy and kid friendly that your kids love? If so, share the knowledge!

7 comments:

Allison C on Thursday, 28 August, 2008 said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Allison C on Thursday, 28 August, 2008 said...

I didn't like sandwiches but loved peanut butter crackers. My mom made up batches of baggies with peanut butter crackers, sometimes ritz sometimes saltines, and stored them in the freezer. One of these baggies went into my lunch everyday from 1st grade through 9th!

I still love them. Plus, the homemade ones have more and healthier pb than store-bought packets.

Not liking my bread smashed with other food included meats. I would however, eat the lunch meat by itself, with some dry seasoning of my choice slathered on.

signed,
a VERY picky childhood eater

Anonymous said...

I know that they sell the individial peanut butters now to take to school.

Have you thought about taking her to the grocery store with you and letting her help pick out what would be her lunch.I know that alot of kids would rather eat something they picked out(and possibly made themselves)than what a momma would buy and make.

We had this problem with Ashley over the summer.She was hypoglycemic and HAD to take her lunch to summerschool.No bread at all-it was definitely interesting.I gave her 20 bucks and her sheet and told her she had to get 5 meals approved by me on that money every week.She did so with flying colors.Of course she is a teen and they also have access to a microwave for soup at hands and things like that.

Mandy on Thursday, 28 August, 2008 said...

KT, You know, I did that the first week of school but then once that food ran out (and it ran out quickly!) I just started buying "my" stuff again.

Good idea.. I need to make a point to take her on a "lunch box shopping trip" this weekend!

Amanda and Justin Dreyer on Thursday, 28 August, 2008 said...

When we had lunch box battles- my mom started making me pack my own lunch for school ( I started in 1st grade). Wraps seem to be a good alternative to sandwiches. My neices like to make them with me and you can do cutesy fun stuff with them like making them look like little mice by adding olives or pickles for eyes (using a couple toothpicks) and curling a piece of peeled carrot for the tail. I know mornings are hectic so it wouldn't be an everyday thing.

Mandy on Thursday, 28 August, 2008 said...

Wraps are a great idea! I wonder if she'd go for that...

Mom of these kids on Friday, 29 August, 2008 said...

What about lean pockets?? My kids love those, and are easy to do. I just heat them up in the morning, then wrap them in foil.

I never ate sadwiches as a kid. My mom fixed me a can of Chef boyarde Spaghetti in a thermos everyday of my life for years. Not real healthy....but it sure was yummy to me!

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