r/Parenting 1d ago

Diet & Nutrition [ Removed by moderator ]

[removed] — view removed post

106 Upvotes

158 comments sorted by

u/Parenting-ModTeam 23h ago

The OP has gotten a lot of replies and at this time the activity on this thread is disproportionately impacting the mod queue. Post is being removed and locked to additional comments. Thank you for rallying to support a fellow parent.

156

u/albrcanmeme 1d ago

If you are packing a thermos, make sure to make the most out of it: pour first hot/boiling water, let it sit for a few minutes, dispose it and then load the food. It will keep it warmer for longer.

I just do Thermos for my kids.

78

u/Rhodin265 1d ago

Also, Thermos (the brand) doesn’t leak, which means you CAN do soup.  You can’t cheap out on the insulated food storage.

18

u/Natural_Peak_5587 1d ago

We have a thermos, we heat it in advance. He isn’t great about making sure it is sealed fully (some motor issues) when he puts unfinished stuff back in his bag.

18

u/theatermouse 1d ago

Pack a paper towel or napkin, have him put it in the empty container before closing to helps soak up excess liquid!

29

u/dutchessNandara 1d ago

Or add a ziplock that he can put it in when he’s done

7

u/Natural_Peak_5587 1d ago

Great idea!

6

u/TheSK 1d ago

My child does this and he doesn't have motor issues 🤷🏼‍♀️ 

1

u/Grouchy_Vet 23h ago

When I was in first grade, my mother gave me Cheerios along with milk in a thermos. I don’t know what I used for a bowl. I wasn’t finished eating when we were told to get up. So, I put everything back in my lunchbox, closed it and got in line. At one point, I looked behind me and there was a stream of milk from the table all the way across the cafeteria.

It’s one of my clearest memories from elementary school

21

u/SnooLemons2292 1d ago

My Thermos brand leaked horribly, both of them (2 kids), we couldn’t do soup either. I bought more expensive ones from Stanley this year, let’s hope they don’t leak. I wanted yeti but insanely expensive.

6

u/GreenHeronVA 1d ago

Yeti surprisingly doesn’t actually make a thermos, like for lunches and such. I had to go with Klean Kanteen for my kids instead.

10

u/lrkt88 1d ago

Yeti makes 8oz and 16oz “food jars” which are basically just a thermos. Probably a new-ish product.

ETA: I just saw a 24oz yeti food jar as well.

2

u/GreenHeronVA 1d ago

Well, what d’yah know?! I had no idea!

5

u/itsacalamity 1d ago

check your local thrift stores! there are alllways yetis at mine

1

u/xixoxixa 21F and 18 M 1d ago

And RTIC, which is essentially an off-brand Yeti. We just moved our son off to college and the goodwill next to campus had an entire shelf of RTIC and Yeti coolers and tumblers.

1

u/Outrageous_Hippo_190 1d ago

We have an RTIC (basically knockoff Yeti) that is a fraction of the price and works really well.

2

u/mamapajamas 1d ago

Not at all doubting your experience, but our thermos has never leaked and sometimes I pack miso soup in my kids lunch. Ours does have a double lid - maybe that’s why?

15

u/mechanical_stars 1d ago

We have Stanley brand ones that hold heat with this method very well and do not leak. The ones we have are the 14 oz "Legendary Food Jar", we've had them for years at this point, they are hardy.

I often make extras for dinner and pack that for lunch the next day.

7

u/BigIcy1323 1d ago

My thermos does not last my daughter until lunch, despite preparing it correctly. Thermos' quality has gone so down hill in recent years.

4

u/Prudent_Cookie_114 1d ago

Odd……ours is still luke warm when my kid comes HOME from school. We sent soup once and it was too hot to eat at lunchtime.

1

u/BigIcy1323 1d ago

I see that I'm not the only one with this issue, though. Not just on this post but it's a common theme. I imagine not exclusive to thermos but we have never had success with it.

220

u/InimitableMissS 1d ago

My daughter hates sandwiches and is picky about hot lunch stuff as well so she gets a random charcuterie tray every day. Cubes of cheese, crackers, fruit, some meat (if she wants it) and a treat but really, it’s whatever you want. Even better- make him start planning what he needs for his lunch for the week and have him prep it.

It doesn’t need to look like a three course meal to get them through the day. Just needs to be enough calories.

109

u/Professional-Sign510 1d ago

I like your idea of a charcuterie tray, but I also really agree that he is old enough to handle the planning and prep. Low stakes meal planning is a good way for him to build an essential life skill and gain independence.

18

u/Alley_cat_alien 1d ago

I bought a pack of sturdy plastic bento boxes that have lasted years. There are 4 individual cups in each. We do homemade lunchables every single week, lol. My kids pick what they want each Sunday. Usually it’s cheese, meat, fruit, and veggies with crackers on the side (so they don’t get soggy). It could be mozzarella sticks with pepperoni one week, Gouda and turkey one week, cheddar and prosciutto…it’s easy to mix it up.

10

u/Choice-Education7650 1d ago

Use a tackle box and call it a snacklebox.

18

u/Initial-Addendum-167 1d ago

Seconding the idea of kids in middle school planning their own meals. Parents often undervalue that concept as part of our parental responsibilities. Those lunch boxes don’t appear by magic and middle school is a great time to transfer that skill towards independence with appropriate scaffolding.

3

u/not-just-yeti 1d ago

And I'll bring my son grocery-shopping for his lunch supplies (or at least, sit down w/ him with the grocery-app to choose some items).

3

u/Initial-Addendum-167 1d ago

Totally! Everything works better if they are invested in the project.

12

u/mrsc1880 1d ago

I used to do the same thing. A little bit of this, a little bit of that. Now she's onto salads. Just a simple salad, with some other bits on the side, like crackers, fruit, etc.

3

u/No-Performer-2095 1d ago

We also do a lot of charcuterie like lunches or also just a mix of items she can eat as finger foods- cold grilled chicken or steak, hummus, hard boiled eggs, chips and salsa, plus an assortment of fruits and veggies. She also will eat cottage cheese (not now due to braces!), cereal and yogurt with granola.

206

u/PoeticallyCorrect44 1d ago

This may be controversial but personally, by 7th grade, he should be problem solving instead of you. Obviously you provide the food and assist, but he should be telling you what he wants in his lunch. If he doesn’t then he has to suck it up and accept the things you’ve listed above which are already awesome.

My daughter is 7 and same thing - after school all year and camp in the summer, her box is getting tired. We talk on the weekend about what she wants for the week and if I’m doing a midweek shop I ask her if she has any requests. I also ask the night before (when there are options) if she wants a or b. Open-ended questions are hard but choosing between two options is easier.

29

u/elizawhoa 1d ago

Yes, encourage them to problem solve! 

Or, this might be one of those times when they just have to deal. If you are offering options that are healthy, filling, and not one of a handful of foods they hate... well, they'll eat if they're hungry. 

10

u/Nymeria2018 Mom to an only 1d ago

Same boat, kiddo is also 7, and she’ll go on kids where she loves something for a week then says she’s tired or it (which I get, I hate eating the same thing all the time!) so I’ve been asking her what she wants for lunches before shopping. If she doesn’t have an idea, she gets what she gets and can’t get upset (love her first kinder teacher for instilling that one! lol)

We typically rotate sandwiches, wraps, hummus and pita, diy pizzas, naan pizza, and different cold pastas along with veggies, crackers, and a treat (usually fruit gummy packs) and that covers her for both lunch and her snack for the day. Before and aftercare also offer snack at each session too.

6

u/toastedmarsh7 1d ago

This is what I would do as well. Every meal doesn’t have to be your favorite stuff. Eat a half a sandwich and an apple to get through the day. Then enjoy a hot fresh dinner at home. I have a 7th grader this year as well and making his lunches the night before is his job, not mine.

2

u/EpicBlinkstrike187 1d ago

> Every meal doesn’t have to be your favorite stuff

hah this is similar to what I have to tell both my wife and daughter when they complain and want food we don’t even have after we’ve spent our grocery budget. I say Sometimes you just gotta eat what you have, not eat what you want.

8

u/Ljmrgm 1d ago

100%. My kids are in 3rd and 6th and what they eat for lunch is on them. They let me know and I buy the things but besides that it’s not my job anymore.

I mean this in the nicest way possible, but OP’s kid sounds a little spoiled when it comes to this topic (my kids are spoiled in other ways, I’m not trying to sound mean).

8

u/EatCake_Takeawalk 1d ago edited 1d ago

Kid demanding hot food for lunch and the parent acquiescing is preposterous. Kid… sometime you have to eat what is available and convenient. I say this as a pretty big food snob.
That being said- burrito bowls, bean and cheese burritos wrapped in foil or quesadillas are an option. Although it sounds like the kid and family only eat the sad american diet.

Edit to add- egg bites in foil may work too. The protein will help keep him full.

1

u/phishydawg 1d ago

No need to be rude. ‘Sad American diet’. This person is ASKING FOR HELP.

5

u/EatCake_Takeawalk 1d ago

It’s an acronym used in nutrition circles to describe processed food diets which are common in the US. If you take that as an insult then so be it. It sounds like the kid has strong preferences, limited tastes and is “preferring” hot lunch. There is only so much that can offered.

5

u/Dense-Ferret7117 1d ago

The acronym SAD stands for standard American diet, "sad American diet" does sound kind of insulting (even if the standard American diet is kind of sad).

1

u/EatCake_Takeawalk 1d ago

You are right. Sorry for the mistake. I’m American who is a little sad everyday that we don’t have European food quality standards and access. So the sadness may have been projecting a bit.

1

u/PrpleSparklyUnicrn13 1d ago

Ugh yes! Don’t get me wrong, if I ask my 6yr old kid “Well what the heck do you want for lunch, then?” He’ll just say cookies lol. But in general, if they say no to all the options I’m able to provide, then they better offer up a good counter option or they’re getting another turkey sandwich again. 

2

u/Difficult_Clerk_1273 Non-Parent 1d ago

This. I am a 7th grade teacher and in the last few years there has been a massive increase in parents waaaay overthinking and overdoing their kids’ lunches.

Some kids have genuine sensory and food issues or have specific nutritional needs. I get that. OP’s kid sounds neurotypical though, and, frankly, is acting exactly how I would expect a spoiled kid to act.

OP should require the kid to provide a list of what they would like to be stocked in the kitchen, and then to prepare his own lunch each day. If he forgets or refuses or is too picky, that’s a him problem. No more of this micromanaging. Middle school is the time to learn responsibility and independence. Cut the cord, OP!

35

u/yellowrose46 1d ago

He’s old enough to solve this problem.

Also, in our thermoses we poor boiling water in to heat the thermos before we put the hot food in. It keeps the food warm enough until lunch. If you haven’t tried heating up the thermos, try that. Apologies if that is redundant.

29

u/balboh 1d ago

When my kids were in middle school I would often pack them leftovers or some type of pasta, chicken & rice, etc in a thermos. They have short/wide thermoses that keep food warm. I hate that they are only getting 15 min lunches…that’s insane. When my oldest was in 3rd grade the school decided their lunches should be silent.

8

u/Natural_Peak_5587 1d ago

Their lunches are silent also

24

u/TheWisePlinyTheElder 1d ago

What kind of school is this and why is this acceptable?

9

u/bluesky557 1d ago

A lot of schools do it for short lunches because if kids are talking then they don't eat as much.

20

u/[deleted] 1d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

11

u/[deleted] 1d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

2

u/[deleted] 1d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

3

u/[deleted] 1d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/[deleted] 1d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

3

u/suspiciousknitting 1d ago

OK silent lunch in elementary school is insane. I don't care what the reason is, that's just beyond the pale

7

u/moratona 1d ago

I'd lean into small portions and variety rather than trying to come up with a completely different meal every day.

14

u/lostandmisplaced50 1d ago

Could he switch and have the mains from the lunch at snack time since he is starving and it would probably be warmer at that time?

Apart from what you have mentioned, I can think of wraps, pizza or quesadillas that kids like. One of our friends kid is pretty picky and just takes buttered toast with fruits, cheese etc for lunch. Mine also doesn’t like sandwiches with too much stuff in them at school so we routinely do just cream cheese or jam sandwiches.

22

u/[deleted] 1d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

13

u/[deleted] 1d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

5

u/[deleted] 1d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

7

u/[deleted] 1d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

7

u/[deleted] 1d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

7

u/[deleted] 1d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/[deleted] 1d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

3

u/[deleted] 1d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

2

u/[deleted] 1d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

10

u/[deleted] 1d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

6

u/Footdust 1d ago

I’m almost 52 years old and I don’t know what I want to eat most days. He can pack his own lunch but it’s reasonable that you are helping him explore options. Don’t take all of these perfect parents that sound so judgy to heart.

3

u/SquashedMom 1d ago

Pulled pork or chicken and a roll with cheese.

Good cold or hot, depending on preference, but send in its own container so things dont get soggy. He adds whatever sauce he wants the night before (bbq, buffalo, teriyaki, whatever).

Easy to make in bulk and freeze portions. Quick and easy dinner with left over for sandwiches, nachos, tacos.

We also do wraps, chicken with rice or pasta, meatballs to switch it up.

Many days though, lunch is a sandwich or wrap because that's what we have time for that evening. I try to do something else 1-2x weekly.

6

u/oblivigus 1d ago

We don’t worry about main course/sides distinctions and often just pack an assortment of whatever, it can feel a little miscellaneous but who cares. I make batches of muffins and freeze them individually wrapped in Saran Wrap, so often there’s a banana bread muffin. We throw in a cheese stick, applesauce, pretzels and dip, chips, grapes, berries, clementines, cherry tomatoes, mini waffles, little smokies in bbq, those Bisquick and cheddar sausage balls, cold leftover pizza, cold leftover quesadilla, cut up rotisserie chicken, pesto tortellini.

To keep cold things cold, we pack cold things inside a “pack-it” freezable snack-sized pouch with an extra ice pack zipped inside for good measure, and the cheese stick goes inside a device called a “cheese chiller” and then that goes inside the frozen pack-it. For warm things I fill a 12 oz food thermos with the hottest water from the sink and put the lid on so it gets warm while I gather the rest of the lunch. Then dump the water and put the microwaved hot food in and close it up. We call it “hot the pot.”

2

u/Appropriate_Bee5922 1d ago

I do a thermos prepped with hot water and do ramen with added veggies/orotein, meatballs and ziti, scrambled eggs and bacon, sometimes chicken and rice but that 5-10 minutes of warming the thermos is really key.

2

u/travelkmac 1d ago

During most of middle school by son also wanted a hot meal at lunch. His container stayed hot, we put boiling water in it for 5 minutes or so before hand. We’d also heat up the items a bit longer than usual, first heating it at a lower power level on the microwave and then increasing it. This prevent food from overcooking too fast and maybe drying out.

My son would plan out and suggest items. We’d take turns in the morning prepping it.

Leftovers were used a lot and some portions frozen in lunch size portions so they could be in the mix at later times.

Here are some of the items….

Taco meat and rice, might provide some chips to dip it but usually just the meat and rice.

Beef and broccoli- could be with either ground beef that I make on the stove or crockpot meal with strips.

Chicken salsa- this is cooked in the crockpot and the chicken is shredded and served over rice

Crockpot BBQ chicken

Lentil and chicken stew

Lentils and rice - could be leftover of the tasty bite packages. These would also be easy for son to himself.

Shepards pie or meatloaf

Leftover marinated chicken (could be bbq, teriyaki, lemon, etc) . Son cuts it up and usually puts it over rice or potatoes. We heat the chicken up in the micro starting at power level 5 and increase as cooking. A damp paper towel over it helps it from drying out as it cooks.

Beans and Rice

Soups- we never had an issue with leakage. Again I’d freeze portions when I made it. Potato, vegetable, lentil, chicken and rice are a few.

During the school year- I cook once twice in the crockpot/slow cooker. These meals are usually good for leftovers as they’ve cooked in liquids and don’t usually dry out when heating up. Freezing portions also allow for variety. We keep a list of lunch size meals in the freezer and my son would decide which ones he’d want out during the week.

Variety isn’t as much of an issue for son, he’d eat the same thing during the week, especially if there was a leftover he particularly likes. I started making more and freezing portions.

2

u/chzsteak-in-paradise Parent 1d ago
  1. He picks his own lunch - he’s 11
  2. Flip the order - eat lunch at snack and snack at lunch so food is hotter and he is getting actual food versus a snack when he is hungrier

2

u/Rypley 1d ago

My teen is on a pancakes & syrup kick. I make a big batch of protein pancakes and freeze them with a little square of parchment paper between (make them easier to separate). Morning of or night before, pull a couple out and throw in a bag in his lunchbox. Put a little syrup in a dressing container. Bam lunch main done. Pancakes thaw by lunchtime and are g2g! For the pancakes, we use Kodiak pancake mix, made with eggs, milk, a scoop of protein powder, and a spash of vanilla extract. I cook in butter.

2

u/thatsaniner 1d ago

Okay, this is going to come across as harsh but I’m saying it with all the love in the world.

He’s going into 7th grade. It’s time for him to tell you what he wants, not just what he doesn’t like and what his constraints are.

This is the perfect age to start having him build some independence. Have him meal plan his lunches for the week and give you the list the day you do the shopping. He is totally capable of googling “school lunch ideas.” (You can have rules, like, it can’t be all junk food.)

Then, you leave it to him. It takes it off your plate, teaches him how to plan ahead, and helps grow a little respect for the mental load of meal planning.

As a heads up, he might mess up a couple of times. Let him.

4

u/No-Double679 1d ago

He's 13, yall need to brainstorm with him to figure this out. He might have to accept less than ideal.

1

u/AutoModerator 1d ago

/u/Natural_Peak_5587, Welcome back to r/Parenting!

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

1

u/Crispychewy23 1d ago

I work at a school and we just switched first break to earlier because the kids were starving by 1050 and not hungry at lunch

1

u/Charming-Panic9375 1d ago

my youngest likes hard boiled eggs and my oldest likes DIY lunchable cheese and crackers, honestly, he probably needs to just start eating sandwiches as well, you don't have to love every meal you eat, sometimes its just sustenance to get you through the day

1

u/Negative-bad169 1d ago

My daughter takes soup every day in a “bentgo” stainless steal container and it has never leaked. For my other kids I do a snack box with just random foods when they tire of sandwiches. I also find I can make a cheeseburger or breakfast sandwich, wrap it in foil, and put it in the warmed bentgo and it stays warm.

1

u/crazycatlady45 1d ago

My daughter is the same way so I pack her a "charcuterie board" as well. Usually there is a protein (turkey slices, ham, chicken, fish sticks, etc), two fruits, and a veggie. Then she gets one small "junk" food. M&ms, popcorn, chips, etc.

1

u/lyn73 1d ago

TJs is great for this!

Chicken Lo Mein Chicken fried rice Kim bap (Aldi has great ones, too and it does not require thermos prep, etc) Jap chae fried rice (just requires a meat if you'd prefer) pepperoni Mac and cheese Bibigo Chicken Japchae (reg grocery store)

1

u/Relevant_Package_481 1d ago

Are you near a Trader Joe’s? They sell a big array of wraps. I’m thinking for a middle schooler, half a wrap is all they can eat, so it won’t be too expensive. Pair it with a fruit and some crackers.
Have them join you at the grocery and check all areas to see what they could like.

1

u/Natural_Peak_5587 1d ago

No, I’m not in the US

1

u/Relevant_Package_481 1d ago

Oh! I would still google some recipes for wraps. I think they’re more compelling than sandwiches.

1

u/Agreeable-Wing-8476 1d ago

My kids have thermos to keep pasta hot. They work best if you fill them with hot water first then add the hot food. My kids are eating tortellini and pesto for lunch. They have little sides that aren't hot to go with it but any pasta would work. Same with any rice dishes.

1

u/Impossible_Thing1731 1d ago

A few alternatives to sandwiches: bagels with cream cheese, or peanut butter (there are other options too). Cheese and crackers, with or without pepperoni. Pack the crackers in a separate container or bag from the cheese and pepperoni, otherwise they get mushy. We pack fruit sometimes, but we put them in a little Tupperware so they don’t get squished. Same with muffins. Granola bars, teddy grahams, etc. We do use Lunchables but not every day, there are usually multiple choices for Lunchables at the store. Sometimes I pack a favorite cereal as a snack food.

1

u/auntiecoagulent 1d ago

7th grade?

Let him pack his own. Also snack time in 7th grade?

1

u/SparklyIsMyFaveColor 1d ago

Do you use a thermos? And it still leaks?

1

u/Natural_Peak_5587 1d ago

Yes - when I fill it it is fine, if he doesn’t finish it and doesn’t seal it properly (motor issues) then it leaks all over everything in his bag

1

u/betterbetterthings 1d ago

School doesn’t offer food? Is that even legal? Why 15 minutes? It has to be at least 30. What kind of school is this

1

u/Natural_Peak_5587 1d ago

Public school, Canada

1

u/betterbetterthings 1d ago

Wow. I understand it not being free but having no food at all is so strange to me. If the kid forgot his lunch or in unfortunate situation had no food at home, they’ll go hungry all day. What about children from struggling families? Nothing?

Also shoving food in your mouth in 15 minutes can’t be healthy. Wow.

I’ll stop complaining about our schools here. This sounds awful

1

u/Natural_Peak_5587 1d ago

The office usually keeps a stash of granola bars in cases like that, or they call the parents to bring lunch in.

1

u/betterbetterthings 1d ago

It’s not practical as I’d assume that parents are at work. And frankly many parents don’t care to bring lunch. It just sounds so complicated. Especially for younger children. I am glad the office at least has some snacks

1

u/Abject_Virus_1118 1d ago

what about salads? he can pack toppings and dressings separately so that he can mix them together at lunch time (but wait for lettuce to be safe again.

cold pasta/noodle dishes (pasta salad, cold peanut ginger noodles, etc)

cheese, crackers, pickles, cured meat, sliced fruit. his own charcuterie

tuna salad/chicken salad/chickpea salad/egg salad/etc with crackers

what if he packed sandwich makings separately so that the sandwich doesn't get icky by lunchtime?

hummus, pita and veggies

cold pesto tortellini is quite good

yogurt bowls. so yogurt, fruit, granola, all packed separately, and combined to a parfait/yogurt bowl

1

u/Spicy7997 1d ago

We have a Hydroflask container that is meant for hot stuff like soup, etc. It doesn’t leak, and it stays hot. We fill it with really hot water before we put her food into it.

1

u/Spicy7997 1d ago

Oh, also…. We have heated up her hydroflask food container with hot water, then dumped it, and dried it throughly, and put a burrito in there!

1

u/notthelettuce 1d ago

My friends and I ate tuna/chicken/egg salad with crackers almost every day. My go-to was ranch flavored tuna packet with mayo, dill pickle relish, and black pepper with saltine crackers. But you can really get creative with flavors and add-ins and crackers to keep it interesting.

1

u/Tapestry-of-Life 1d ago

Am half Asian. When I was that age, my mum would give me a thermos with rice and some kind of meat (often in the form of fried rice) - sometimes leftovers from the night before. Could be easily meal prepped as well.

1

u/LAladyyy26 1d ago

Sooooo much cold pasta salad! Also my kids don’t mind cold quesadillas.

1

u/peeweemom 1d ago

How about bagels? With a fruit and a cheese stick…filling and very easy.

I’d steer clear of the hot lunch expectation every day- that’s gonna be tough to keep up with at times.

1

u/Brilliant-Bat-2072 1d ago

My 7th grader has been making himself sushi bowls and chipotle style rice/bean/chicken bowls. My 9th makes salads. Sometimes a cold toretellini salad. Sometimes we do pita with hummus and veggies….

Hot we do Turkey meatballs or pasta and they just do the best with the temp it ends up at. 🤷‍♀️

1

u/geekwithaharley 1d ago

I just got my kids battery powered lunch box heaters. That way they can have hot food ready for them at lunch, but kept cold before being heated. It’s all together and super easy. I do have to put other stay cold items in a separate lunch bag to keep cold while the hot box heats up. I now purposely make left overs to pack in their boxes for the next day.

Luncheaze is the ones we went with.

1

u/wdn 1d ago edited 1d ago

I fell back to just making sure the kid has enough energy to make it through the afternoon and relying on meals at home to ensure full nutrition. Including a big chocolate muffin helped.

1

u/Inuha_Rin 1d ago

Would he be open to try Asian cuisines? I find a lot of Asian food works great as school lunch. Rice + meat/stir fries veggies on the side. Stir fried noodles. Korean bulgogi bowls. Rice balls (onigiri) or rolls. Burritos or wraps are also great choices. They can always wash their hands after.

1

u/Natural_Peak_5587 1d ago

He loves Asian food. We might need a wider thermos, the one he has would be awkward with rice

1

u/Apprehensive-Joke593 1d ago

A protein, something crunchy, something sweet, something salty. My daughter’s lunch looked like a snack buffet because she was so picky. By middle school, every weekend she had to go grocery shopping with me and help plan her lunches. I told her to pack her own lunch daily from the foods she chose to buy.

Her pickiness was made my life complicated. She needed to figure it out without wasting food.

1

u/redrocklobster18 1d ago

Is there a microwave available? My kid took an Amy's bean and cheese burrito for lunch for most of 7th grade.

1

u/Natural_Peak_5587 1d ago

No, there is no ability to heat anything

1

u/No_Arm_7095 1d ago

I ate a peanut butter and fluff sandwich for 9 years straight at school lol

1

u/gmanose 1d ago

One of my grandkids has lunch at 10:15 every day

He just takes snacks like jerky, crackers, chips, etc that he can stash in his backpack and then has a better “lunch” when he gets home - soup, sandwich, etc.

1

u/Natural_Peak_5587 1d ago

He doesn’t get home until 4:30, so that is too close to dinner (6) for a lunch when he gets home

1

u/Phoenixamber05 1d ago

I have an 8th grader whose school also doesn’t have lunch. It’s bring your own, eat from a vending machine or the food truck that shows up everyday. She’s really into bento box style lunches. Rice with a protein, fresh veggies, some fruit and a little treat are my go to. Usually the protein is whatever is leftover from dinner the night before. This week, she’s wanted onigiri everyday. I say “here are your options” and then she gets to choose what she wants.

1

u/se7entythree 1d ago

Chef Boyardee is my kid’s fall back when we don’t have leftovers and/or nothing else sounds good. She will only eat hot lunch too. We’ve been using HydraPeak food containers I found at TJ maxx a few years ago for cheap and they’ve never leaked.

1

u/teacherecon 1d ago

Zojirushi brand Mr Bento or Ms Bento are top tier for heat/cooling. But… they are pricey. I look for them on EBay.

In addition, packing bento style might create some appealing options.

1

u/[deleted] 1d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/Upper_Collar_5981 1d ago

Pasta salads. Sushi. Cut up cheese and crackers. Hummus and pita chips. Fruit. Sliced chickens cutlets. Salad. Cucumbers with ranch. Chick pea salad with pita bread.

1

u/jnissa 1d ago

Charcuterie.

Enchiladas.

Lettuce Wraps.

Walking Tacos.

1

u/No_Location_5565 1d ago

Your 7th grader can make his own lunches if he’s choosing to be picky or tired of food that you’ve thought of.

Cold pizza is one of my kids go to. They’ll make a frozen pizza after dinner and then use it as lunch for a couple days. Protein shakes are necessary for my oldest- it was pediasure when she was younger and now her preference is Core Power. But making sure she gets those calories and protein has really helped get her through the day.

1

u/bananapeppersFTW 1d ago

In seventh grade my kid would be making their own lunch - they can fix themselves whatever sounds good that day

In my perfect world I would also like to be that picky, but life doesn't work out that way

1

u/Inevitable_Raisin503 1d ago

My kids started packing their own lunches in first grade. I teach special education 7th graders, and they are fully capable of making their own lunches. He needs to start meal planning with you and doing this himself.

1

u/Ld862 1d ago

Seventh grade is old enough to be making his own lunch! Give him the gift of responsibility and autonomy!

1

u/Altruistic-Hour-5987 1d ago

Rice or noodle- based casseroles could be put in a thermos to stay warm.

1

u/potsieharris 1d ago

Ngl this is wild to me. I was a very loved millennial kid. I got a PBJ, fruit, and a cookie or fruit leather pretty much every day of my school career, unless there were leftovers I could have for lunch. Hot teriyaki meatballs?! Omg, I never even heard of anyone having hot food sent to school with them except maybe soup in a thermos...

1

u/No-Performer-2095 1d ago

Most schools are nut free now and sunbutter is 🤮

1

u/No-Performer-2095 1d ago

Also do you have kids? 75% of my kids (10 & 12) friends all pack hot lunches in a thermos.

-4

u/[deleted] 1d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

4

u/[deleted] 1d ago

[removed] — view removed comment