My 7 year old son prefers that I pack his lunch for school each day. Usually his lunchbox consists of the following: (1) A sandwich - usually some type of lunchmeat like ham, turkey or chicken breast, bologna, cheese or on occasion, peanutbutter & jelly. (2) chips of some sort (3) fruit - usually fresh but sometimes canned such as pineapple chunks, applesauce etc. (4) dessert - usually storebought, prepackaged cookies, pudding, jello etc. (5) water - everyday. He likes it and preferes it.

Since my husband's work has been extremely slow and I have been putting in 50 + hours a week at the office (including Saturday's), I haven't been spending money on things such as chips, prepackaged cookies etc. I have been buying veges such as carrots, green peppers and cucumbers (his favorite) to pack in place of the chips and I have baked homemade cookies, brownies and cakes, which I feel taste better and are cheaper (and go further) then the store-bought, prepackaged kinds.

Sometimes I pack him a string cheese, and some rolled up lunchmeat like ham with some crackers instead of a sandwich. And sometimes I pack him yogurt along with his sandwich, fruit, dessert etc. But I seem to be running out of ideas and I seem to be packing him the same things all the time. He never complains and he is a very good eater and likes a variety of foods. I thought maybe you guys could help me with some quick, simple, nutritious, ideas. What do you pack in your child's lunchbox? Thanks for your help.

Blessings,

-- Greenthumbelina (sck8107@aol.com), February 23, 2002

Answers

Peanut butter and raisin sandwich YUM, peanut butter and apple or banana or both. Celery with cream cheese plain or with raisins instead try peanut butter w/out raisins.

-- Cindy (SE. IN) (atilrthehony@hotmail.com), February 23, 2002.

I've done this for 8 years and see no end...maybe HS will be different? I do mostly what you do. Hoagie type buns are a switch f/reg. bread. Also I make mini pizza crust, pkg. toppings (sm. cup of sauce, cheese & pepperoni). I make the crust on weekend and do pkging the night before. My son now usually tells me the night before and we do some things then. I only make sand. in the morning.

-- DW (djwalace@sotc.net), February 23, 2002.

Hey, it doesn't get better. My 22 y/o is working an evening shift, sometimes all night and going to college. I pack his lunches/suppers. He usually takes left overs (meat loaf sandwiches, sausage sandwiches, Ham, egg sandwich, stuffed pitas, etc ) I cook a bit extra and make the sandwich right then and stick it in the freezer. Fruit juice (his choice) cookies, cake, carrot sticks, apples or oranges, etc. I keep wondering if a wife will do this for him? =o)

-- Rosalie (Dee) in IN (deatline@globalsite.net), February 23, 2002.

When I was little, my mom often packed last night's leftover supper--spaghetti, pizza, meatloaf sandwiches, etc. Soup was another favourite. We heated them up in the morning, put them in a food thermos (they were fatter than the drink thermoses), and they were still warm at lunch time.

My mom got chips in big 3-gal. cans at a bulk price. This was a local item; I don't know what might be available where you are. We got our fruit at an orchard that gave a discount for windfalls. Sometimes, late in the season, you can get them free, but I think you're in Florida, so that idea might not help, unless you can get citrus that way.

We often helped with the cookie baking, picking what kinds to make and baking 2-3 weeks' worth at once. We divided them up into baggies and put them in the freezer. Muffins are good, too; you can make some yummy ones with leftover hot cereal.

If you freeze his water in plastic bottles (like pop bottles), it will keep his lunch cold (esp. meat sandwiches) while it slowly melts for a cold drink at lunchtime.

If you can get a copy of The Tightwad Gazzette, there is a section in there about creative (and, of course, cheap) lunches.

-- Cathy N. (homekeeper86@sympatico.ca), February 23, 2002.

Thanks for all the suggestons everyone. I DO have a copy of the Tightwad Gazzette II (I think it is). Maybe there is something in there that would be helpful. I had thought of the leftovers idea but didn't know if the stuff would really stay hot. One of his compalints about the cafeteria food is that it is always cold. EEEEWWWWWWW..... That's why he doesn't want ot buy his lunch. I don't want him to either b/c when he has, I'll ask him what he got for lunch and he might tell me one or two things. It's not like the old days when they filled your tray with one of every item (balanced). If the kids don't ASK for something, they don't get it. Sometimes they don't even get it when they DO ask for it. Lunchtime in this cafeteria is like feeding time at the zoo anyway. Well, thanks again. I appreciate all your replies.

Blessings,

-- Grenthumbelina (sck8107@aol.com), February 23, 2002.

Does he like soup? If you bought a small (1-2 cup) wide-mouth thermos- type container he could have something hot every day. Or you could make a cold chicken/tuna salad to go in it.

Check out your library or bookstore for lunchbox recipe books--there will be some good ideas there.

-- GT (nospam@nospam.com), February 23, 2002.

I do the same things that have been offered plus:

A small container of tuna fish and may. Crackers. Slice of cheddar. Apple slices.

Leftover ziti heated up and put in a thermos.

I buy beefaroni in cans when very cheap to have as an emergency lunch food.

Egg salad sandwiches.

Celery sticks with cream cheese and raisons.

You are lucky that your guy will eat so healthily. He'd be a dream to fix lunch for.

I totally agree that you should teach him how to bake with you on weekends and then slice and freeze for lunch/snack during the week. Somethings we do are: bananna bread, muffins, brownies.

How about plain yogurt sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon--send along a container of granola to go on top.

How about leftover chili in the thermos and some fritos to scoop it out with?

-- Ann Markson (tngreenacres@hotmail.com), February 23, 2002.

A fun thing to do to make school/work snacks seem more special is to pick up the portion control cups (They sell in packs of 50 or 100) at a restaurant supply. I think they end up costing about six cents with lid, holding four or five ounces. Reusable.

I buy round labels to fit the top, at local office supply. Your computer will no doubt be like mine, with formats for most (for all I've ever gotten anyway). I designed cute colorful labels, some with downloaded pictures (you can reduce them quite small), using different typestyles/colors in your word/works program. Also made labels for my dried tomatoes, peppers, goat cheese, for gifts.

The cups can be used for small cookies, etc. What doesn't fit in the cups can be put in small snack bags (half the size of sandwich bag) and labels can be used on these, too.

I put individual names on some labels as well as "For Someone Special," "My School Snack," etc.

-- HV (veggie@ourplace.com), February 24, 2002.