Yesterday when she brought her out to the car, Sabrina's teacher told me that she isn't sure Sabrina is really enjoying the sandwiches- that she pulls the turkey out and just picks at her lunch. Her teacher is so sweet and I could tell she was trying to be tactful. The thing is, I know this. My once non-picky eater has changed recently into one of
those kids. The picky ones. She wants the crusts cut off her sandwiches, but she doesn't really even eat the bread. She likes cheese, but not
on her sandwich. She will pick it off and not eat it, but if the cheese is served separately, she will eat it. She doesn't like peanut butter or jelly. She doesn't like soup or virtually anything with a sauce. The sauce thing is actually a lifelong dislike. Even as a baby, she wouldn't eat anything that got her hands messy. She likes fruit and veggies, but even the ones she loves, she will only eat sporadically. On top of that, she is used to eating lunch around 1:00. At school, she eats no later than 11:30, which is usually only 2 1/2 hours after she finishes breakfast. I'm pretty sure she's not even hungry by then.
I'm dealing with the lunches the same way we deal with dinners. You get what you get. I try to make sure I'm serving things she wants, but if she chooses not to eat, that's fine. She doesn't get anything else. And she's fine with this. Most nights lately, she takes one bite of everything (that is our only rule- a "good manners" bite of each thing) and asks to be excused. She knows she doesn't get anything else and doesn't try to push it.
So, I knew that she wouldn't be eating much, but I still feel a little disappointed. We decide together what's going in her lunch box, so aside from that, I am not sure what to do. For today, we decided to make a sandwich out of a whole wheat bagel. She eats a bagel at least one morning a week, so I know she likes them. I put a pink marshmallow in the center and trimmed the edges to look like petals. A cheese stick makes the stem. She asked for sliced apples (dipped in pineapple juice to keep them from turning brown), and we used the butterfly clip we made together on a bag of pretzels. (And, maybe I should wake her up and give her breakfast at 6 am?)
These are awesome ideas, I really do love them but what are some more, umm, time friendly ideas for four kids? Hubby in the military and while not deployed, he is not living in the same state as us (for training at another base) and I have to get four kids lunches ready in between, well you know, tons of stuff! They are quite tired of lunchables, uncrustables & Capri Sun drinks lol Feel free to email me directly or facebook me (craftingqueen12 (at) gmail.com) or https://www.facebook.com/rockinmamatofour :o) Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteRebecca, thanks for commenting! And thank you to your husband for his service (and you! I know families make lots of sacrifices too.)
ReplyDeleteThese lunches are taking me 10 minutes, tops, but I only have one kid in school! While I don't think four lunches would take four times as long, I totally get what you are saying. Do you use Pinterest? That is where I find lots of ideas. Here are a few I thought of for you. They are different enough to be interesting, but they wouldn't take long. I think one unusual element can really make these lunches special- it doesn't have to be super elaborate.
1. PB&J Sushi- Use a rolling pin to flatten a slice of bread, then add a layer of PB, followed by a layer of jelly. Roll into a tight spiral, cut into 4 peices.
2. Use a toothpick to lightly trace a message onto the outside of a banana (a joke, an "I love you," etc) By lunch time, the message will have appeared on the banana.
3. You didn't say if you had girls or boys, but the butterfly clip I used the other day was a big hit with my daughter, and we made it together, so that was a fun little project. Take a two inch piece of pipe cleaner, fold in half, and glue (I used a glue gun) to the inside of a clothespin. Spread a layer of Elmers glue along the length and sprinkle with glitter. When it's dry, use it to clip the center of a snack sized bag (pretzels, cheerios, Pirates Booty, trail mix) which forms the wings.
4. Wilton makes food safe markers that are generally used on cakes, cookies, but can be used on anything. You can find them at Hobby Lobby or a similiar store. It would be quick and easy to use those to draw a funny face or write a message on a sandwich.
5. If you're doing sandwiches, you could put them on something besides bread- mini bagels, flatbread, wrapped up in a tortilla. Or cut your sandwich into small squares and thread onto kabobs. My daughter is four, so I use popsicle sticks, but you could also use plastic straws or wooden skewers, although I would clip the pointy part off, knowing how schools are these days.
6. The kabob idea also works for fruit. Strawberries, grapes, apples (I think I mentioned a dip in pineapple juice keeps them from browning and doesn't alter the taste as much as lemon juice)
I'm also seeing us getting away from the traditional sandwich-based lunch. She loves turkey pepperoni and cheddar squares with wheat thins, or veggies like carrots or sweet red or yellow bell peppers with hummus, so you could try something like that. As far as drinks, I always send water, but Horizon makes shelf-stable single serving milk boxes that my kids love, so that's an option too.
I love that you took the time to comment, and you are the first to comment that I don't already know! I hope you visit again!