Monday, July 28, 2008

Menu Ideas - Lunch

My kids love sandwiches! We can really put away the bread, peanut butter and jelly. There are only a few other menu items that my kids will eat at lunch. Both Joshua and Abby Kate will eat all of their sandwiches if it is the only item on their plate. Sometimes I feel like I have to hold off on the "other stuff" until they eat their "main dish". Our lunches are pretty routine. I would love to hear what you all do!

Today's Menu Idea - Lunch

Peanut Butter Sandwiches

Jelly Sandwiches

Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches

*They love to tell me how they would like their sandwich to be cut. Joshua prefers big or little triangles. Abby Kate usually likes squares or rectangles. On occasion, Abby Kate likes her sandwich "like Daddy's" (no cuts, just bread on top of bread).

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Any kind of Chef Boyardee microwaveable meal (Joshua's favorite - he is my Italian food lover)

Mac n' Cheese (Abby Kate's favorite)

Chicken Nuggets (I have not done this in a long time. Don't know if the nuggets have "real" meat.)

Hot Dogs

Peanut Butter Crackers (The kids consider this a big treat.)

That is really about it! Sounds pretty bad, doesn't it? When the kids were younger, I always gave them a meat, veggie and fruit at lunch. I don't know if they would really go for that nowadays. Yes, I know that it is all about what you present for them to eat, but sometimes it is just not worth the fight. I feel like if I were to offer them that kind of a meal now, I would need to plan out a menu for lunch. Does anyone else do this, or do you just give the kids what they want? I don't know, I grew up on sandwiches everyday and I think that I came out just fine.

8 comments:

TARA said...

When it's lunchtime here, I cringe because we've been fixing the same boring stuff for 17 years now and we are all burnt out. PB or PBJ, grilled cheese, pimento cheese for RIchard, tuna fish salad, or turkey cheese. If we want variation - we grill the turkey cheese in that Panini maker Chris gave us for Christmas.

As I eat my dull sandwich, I usually am wishing we could go out!

andersons said...

at walmart, just hanging in various places on the food isle are dinosaur sandwhich cutters. it cuts two dinosaurs from 1 sandwhich with no waste but the crust. i got one and i have all girls. what about frozen pizzas for lunch? they have them know with whole wheat crust and they are very good. good luck.

Stacy said...

Umm...For us:
Main--
Hotdogs (both kids favorites...I only buy turkey ones),
Turkey sandwiches (both kids like turkey, cheese, mustard, mayo. They like to pick how it's cut too!)
Leftovers-pizza, grilled chicken, spaghetti (lawson doesn't like spag.)
Grilled Cheese
Lunchables--I keep these now for a quick picnic lunch.
English muffin pizzas-My mom used to make these-English muffin, spread some pizza sauce, some mozza cheese then whatever meat or veggie. In oven till bottom's brown and top's melted! Yum!

Sides--
Green beans or corn from can
Baby carrots and ranch
Fruit-usually fresh in summer, canned in winter
Yogurt
String Cheese
Pudding (instant, sugar free, and a whole serving of milk!)
Applesauce
Chips

I try to mix it up...some days it is top notch healthy...some days, not so much! :)

We also seem to go in kicks...yogurt a lot for a couple weeks, then not for a while. same with applesauce.

Maybe I'll think of something else, but that seems like it right now.

THE MORROW FAMILY said...

We seem to have the same things most of the time, too....whatever is quick and easy...
Main dish:
-hotdogs
-peanut butter and jelly sandwich
-turkey sandwich with mustard and cheese
-chicken nuggets (shame on me, I guess :) )
-grilled cheese sandwich (occasionally)
-peanut butter crackers (just started this a little)
-Chef Boyardee pasta (occasionally)
-oven pizza
-leftovers if we have some
Sides:
-Easy Mac
-green beans, corn, broccoli w/ cheese, and other vegetables that are easy to warm up (my kids don't always eat the vegetables, but I try to fix anyways most of the time)
-canned fruit, fruit cups, or fresh fruit
-string cheese
-yogurt, applesauce
-chips / cheese its (usually do this at the end if they eat good and want some)
-cookie / dessert (give at the end sometimes if they eat good)
*I TRY to give some type of fruit and vegetable whenever I can...doesn't always happen, but I try...even if they don't eat it...it makes me feel better to atleast offer it.
Some new ideas would be great to have! :)

Amy said...

Our lunches are pretty routine too. Seems like everyone's are, makes me feel better. :)
We do alot of pb&j's and turkey/cheese sandwiches. I try to do sandwiches every other day and have hotdogs, chicken nuggets, english muffin pizzas, vienna sausages or something on the other days. Doesn't always work that way though. With whatever they have though we always do applesauce, yogurt, or some fresh fruit. I don't usually do veggies at lunch, we save those for dinners. Then they usually get goldfish, pretzels, or some other cracker type thing to go with it. Usually lunchtime sneaks up on me and I'm just trying to get them fed quickly and down for their naps.

Jason said...

What, no SPAM? Come on, people...

Jess said...

We get stuck in a rut too but here are some of our favorites for lunches:
PB & J (grape, apple or blueberry jelly or jam to mix it up)
apple butter sandwiches
bologna & cheese sandwich
lunchmeat sandwich (ham or turkey)
"homemade lunchables"
*I would buy lunchables when on sale as a treat but quickly realized it was cheaper, easier, and probably healthier if I made our own version to serve, so we have chosen lunch meat (even pepperoni) plus mild cheddar cheese cut into slices with whole wheat Ritz crackers*
Pizza (the frozen ones of course)
Cheese quesadillas
grilled cheese sandwiches
macaroni and cheese
treasure hunt mac n' cheese (mac n' cheese with hot dog cut up in it)
hot dog burritos (a hot dog rolled in cheese and rolled in a tortilla then warmed in the microwave)
egg & cheese burritos
ramen noodles (w/ only 1/2 the high sodium packet for flavoring)
sometimes we have a fun change and eat breakfast foods (I make pancakes for dinner or lunch)
Left overs from dinner the night before (if it went over well the night before)
My boys will eat almost anything but my daughter is really difficult to please. If she gets the option she will stick to bologna, hot dogs, mac n' cheese, and PB & J. She'd eat PB & J every day for every meal if I let her! Good luck. If you get any great brain storms, please share!!!

Jess said...

oh and about the fruits and veggies. I do my best to make sure they get a fruit at lunch and a veggie and fruit at dinner. I know it isn't what the FDA recommends but as long as they eat veggies and fruits during the day, I'm a happy mommy.