High Maintenance Mom

For many, the beginning of the school year includes packing a lunch for the first time. Below is a helpful list of lunch items for different ages and a pdf of a "cheat sheet" for letting someone else pack a lunch for you. If you are packing for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers, you will want to cut the food into small pieces and avoid choking hazard shapes such as a circular piece of hotdog (cut hotdogs into spears)...

I am still working on lunch containers and will be adding links to some of our favorite items. I will also be incorporating your comments into later versions of the "cheat sheet". Leftovers from dinner are generally good for lunch. We make extra Mac and Cheese whenever we have it.

Lunch Cheat Sheet

• Pack lunch in a __ lunchbox __bag, ___ other ________________, which can be found __________________________________________
• During the day the lunch ___ will ___ will not sit in a refrigerator.
• How to prepare it:
• Dice everything (infant)
• Cut into spears
• Cut into cubes (.25", .5". 1", _________)
• All food must be in separate containers
• Some food can be packed together such as cheese and meat slices or raisins and cranberries

Protein

• Cheese - slices, sticks, circles (the ones in wax), or melted on bread or pasta
• Lunch meat - cut in small squares or in a sandwich
• Hotdogs/Sausages (beef, pork, turkey, tofu, etc.) - cut in spears
• Meatballs (you can put veggies or cheese inside)
• Tofu - cut
• Nut butters - (peanut, soy, almond) small amounts on sandwiches, if allowed in classroom
• Yogurt - (can add granola)
• Cottage cheese (can add fruit or granola)
• Beans - black, garbanzo, navy, adzuki, etc.
• Eggs - scrambled, hard boiled with mayo, quiche, frittata, or fried and cut in pieces
• Fish - cut, with mayo in a sandwich, mixed with pasta or rice

Starch

• Crackers - with cheese, meat, or spread
• Bread - with butter, cheese, pb&j, meat, etc.
• Mini bagels (trader joes) or regular bagels
• Pancakes or french toast
• Veggie booty or pirate booty (not popcorn)
• Graham crackers
• Pasta w/tomato sauce, cheese, butter/margarine, or pesto
• Rice
• Tortillas - with cheese (tomato sauce), beans and rice, cream cheese and jam, or butter/margarine
• Cereal (dry or as part of a bar/cookie/mix - O's, shredded spoonfuls, and puffins are our favorites)

Fruit

• Grapes - cut in half
• Melon - cubed or as wedges
• Citrus - peeled, break into wedges
• Apples/Pears - cut, whole, or as applesauce
• Avocado - slices
• Berries (strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries)
• Raisins/Dried Cranberries
• Tropical - mango, papaya, kiwi, etc. - cut

Vegetables

• Frozen - peas, corn, edamame
• Broccoli - cooked (or thawed)
• Carrots or peppers - cooked or cut in spears
• Mushrooms - cooked or raw
• Cucumber - sliced
• Squash/potatoes - cubed, fried, or mashed
• Tomatoes - cut
• Beets - cut (but they really stain)
• Vegetables also work well in soup or with pasta
• Muffins or bread (carrot, zucchini, pumpkin, etc)

Other

• Dips (ketchup, mustard, salad dressing, sour cream, etc.)
• Drink (milk/soymilk, water)
• Ice pack
• Napkin
• Note (some people send notes to older children)

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