Outside the Breadbox Thinking: What to Pack for Lunch When Your Kid Won't Eat Sandwiches
This year my family has reached a new milestone: all 3 of my kids are in school or preschool all day on 2 days a week.
I’d prepared myself emotionally for being away from my 3-year-old for six hours twice a week, but there was one thing that never occurred to me until we were in the thick of things.
She doesn’t eat sandwiches.
Sure, she’d had a PB&J and a grilled cheese or two, but when it comes to sandwiches she’s just not a fan. When she’s served a sandwich she generally takes the thing apart, plays with the lunchmeat and pokes holes in the bread.
Now that she eats lunch at preschool twice a week, I had to think outside the breadbox. Here are 10 ideas I came up with, that can all be packed in Ziploc sandwich bags.
1. Ham and cheese roll-up on a whole-wheat tortilla
2. Veggie packed pasta salad
3. PB&J pita bread
4. Vegetable-flavored cream cheese and crackers
5. Turkey and cheese sticks
6. Veggies and hummus
7. Fruit salad with a protein on the side
8. Ants on a log (celery sticks loaded with peanut butter and raisins on top)
9. Sesame noodles with red peppers and carrots
10. Make-your-own pizza with an English muffin and a baggie with cheese and pepperoni
What do you pack for your preschooler’s lunch?
A big thanks to Ziploc for sponsoring this campaign. Click here to see more of the discussion.
Mary Lauren Weimer is a social worker turned mother turned writer. Her blog, My 3 Little Birds, encourages moms to put down the baby books for a moment and tell their own stories. Connect with her on Facebook and Twitter.
Photo Credit: iStockPhoto
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When we went gluten free, we really had to think outside the box to pack lunches. These are a few of our favorites!
these are also some of my favorites! there are a few of us who don’t eat gluten in our house so turkey and cheese roll ups are frequent!
lettuce wraps can also be really fun for kids who don’t like sandwiches or are gluten free!
ants on a log are such old school classics
I would never eat sandwiches as a kid! My mom would sent campbells soup in a thermos, veggies, bagels or dry cereal! Seems like there are so many more options these days!
I remember taking tuna-noodle casserole and getting made fun of! Still won’t eat it..LOL!
I love the vegetable flavored cream cheese on a cracker. That sounds good!
Thanks for these! Unfortunately, the easiest option- peanut butter- isn’t a viable one at any of the schools or daycares in my area. They are all nut free. I wind up giving my son a pb&j for breakfast and breakfast for lunch a lot (yogurt, cereal, wholegrain waffles) because of it.
Sesame noodles are such a good idea because you can eat them warm, cold, whatever!
Ugh…not looking forward to packing lunches! Love these ideas though!
As the other of a child with a gluten allergy, sandwiches are a big no! Some of these ideas are great though — love the veggies/hummus one!
Mini bagels with veggie-cream cheese was a favorite of my VERY picky daughter!
Peanut Butter is a favorite for most children!! I love peanut butter.
The veggies and hummus are one of my favorites, but I had almost completely forgotten about ants on a log. Brings back childhood memories!
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