My kids - ages 4 and 6 - are bored of their lunches, and I’m looking for ideas. All the parenting sites are about how to make twee little shapes out of food (like ladybugs out of a strawberry, 2 pretzels and some licorice). Gimme a break.
I’m not looking to start a new freaking hobby, I just need some new ideas.
So what do you pack in your kids lunch (or what do your kids pack themselves?)
What are they getting now?
But some ideas at any rate:
Hummus and some pita
Chopped salads - choose from things like: cucumber, tomato, green beans, hard boiled egg, olives (black or whatever kind they like), cheese chunks or shreds, grilled chicken + a little ranch or blue cheese dressing stirred up over everything.
Cottage cheese and melon or berries.
Moving thread from IMHO to Cafe Society.
Anything that could be a sandwich is more fun on crackers!
I guess it depends on what your kids like, but just changing up the bread could snap the boredom. I just discovered “sandwich thins”, which are sort of like a roll, but very thin, and pre-sliced. Multigrain with veggies is quite delightful (cucumbers make many sandwiches better).
What about wraps, but sliced up and presented laid out like sushi?
Dips. Celery and carrots with peanut butter. Any veggie with ranch dressing. Apple slices with peanut butter or caramel dip.
Hardest part of packing lunches is keeping it economical. Prepackaged single-serve anything is ridiculous.
Along those lines, you can actually buy food grade little disposable containers at “Food Service” stores (in Michigan it was called GFS Marketplace - Gordon Food Service). Maybe at Costco too. You could buy a hundred 1 oz plastic tubs with lids for a few dollars - just the right size for dressing or dipping sauce.