Lunch ideas

**Ashley01** · 05-25-2011, 10:21 AM

I need some lunch ideas. I take children into my home and have anywhere from 2-6 kids for lunch and come summer it'll be 3-9 kids. We do things like eggs toast fruit, sandwiches, soup, wraps with meat/lettus/cheese, crackers meat veggies, when I make things like macoroni casserole I'll make enough for left overs for lunch. But I need some new ideas especially when summer rolls around and I am feeding a 5, 6, 9 and 10 year old. The other kids are all toddlers so there not as picky and fill up faster. So ideas that will fill them up and not break the budget would be great! Any snack ideas would be great to. Right now they have things like toast, crackers, fruits, yogurt, veggies, apple sause, popcorn etc. But the little tubs of yogurt are like 2.99 for 6 so one pack of them wouldn't even do a snack time same with apple sause. Tia!!

**Neeley** · 05-25-2011, 10:46 AM

Snacks
Carrot sticks
Celery with peanut butter
Brownies
Cookies
Graham crackers with vanilla frosting is yummy! (Who said every snack has to be healthy?)
Pickles
Boiled eggs
Chips and dip
Pudding
Jell-O
A watermelon goes a long way
My kids use to like to snack on a cup full of dry cereal
Ice cream
Homemade candy apples
Pretzels drizzled with a touch of chocolate are fun to make and yummy.

Lunches
Tuna salad
Chicken nuggets
Corn dogs
Fish sticks
Baked potatoes
Spaghetti
BLTs
Chili cheese fries
Ravioli
Tuna melts
Egg Bake - 1/2 to 1 dozen eggs (Depending on how many you are feeding) beaten in a casserole dish. Add cooked sausage, mushrooms, cheese, veggies...whatever and bake at 375 for between 20-30 minutes until cooked throughout.

**Ashley01** · 05-25-2011, 10:54 AM

Thank you! I have my binder out and writing down all the ideas!

One question what do you do if the child says he/she doesn't like the meal I made? I actually haven't come across that yet with the little ones they pretty much eat it all but I'm sure the older ones will be more vocal about not liking something.

**dinah** · 05-25-2011, 03:09 PM

i would think quesadillas and mini pizzas (made on english muffins) would be good lunch options. they could even make them themselves. i think having kids participate in making the food is a good way to ensure they will eat the food.

some other lunches could be grilled cheese sandwiches, perogies, soups, and spaghetti.

(real) fruit salad would be good for snacks. ants on a log would be fun too (celery with cheese whiz and raisins).

you could also meal plan with the older children. it could be a fun activity for you to have a list of the meals you can and could make and have the kids plot the meals and snacks into a calendar. they would have to account for variety (ie. a meal can only be once a week, so no mac and cheese 3 days a week), they would have to co-operate (ie. no meals that 1 kids absolutely hates), and they would have to make sure they reach the 4 food groups in each meal. if the kids have problems reading you could have little pictures of the meals and they could plot those into a calendar.

**pollypurebred39** · 05-25-2011, 05:20 PM

**Neeley** · 05-26-2011, 01:20 AM

Originally Posted by Ashley01

One question what do you do if the child says he/she doesn't like the meal I made? I actually haven't come across that yet with the little ones they pretty much eat it all but I'm sure the older ones will be more vocal about not liking something.

I am a meanie about meals. My rule has always been that I am not a short order cook. I make one meal for everyone. If you do not like what is being served you have two options - eat it anyway or make yourself a PB&J sandwich with an apple. Now with that said if there is something I know someone absolutely,positively hates, I try not to make it unless that person is not there. For example - one person in our family absolutely HATES spaghetti. I only make it when she is spending the night off.

**joyofsix** · 05-26-2011, 06:03 AM

If they don't like what you're having I'd invite them to have a obj sandwich. I'd go with theme days to make your life easier
Mon-Mexican
Tue-sandwiches
I always try to have fruit with each lunch. Snacks can get crazy. I try to just have one in the middle of the afternoon. Cheese sticks and crackers, pb and crackers, pudding and nilla wafers, popcorn,Graham crackers, yogurt (Aldi ) , fruit. You might make Friday treat day with Popsicles or ice cream cones. That is pretty much what I did when I babysat.

**xtena** · 05-26-2011, 09:36 AM

As far as the yogurt goes the bigger tubs are a lot cheaper (and healthier, the little tubs are very unhealthy loaded with sugar or artificial sweeteners). You could get plain unsweetened or vanilla and add honey or jam and fruit to it. Homemade is cheaper yet. I've seen instructions to make it in a crockpot; haven't done it myself so I can't vouch for the results but I've seen a lot of good reviews for the method.

**Luckybustert** · 05-29-2011, 01:52 PM

My children liked egg salad a lot. Mixed reviews on PBJ, though.

**zakity** · 05-29-2011, 05:22 PM

Crockpot yogurt is super easy to make and it would make enough for everyone for the price of milk and a tub of yogurt.

Directions:

Pour 1/2 gallon of milk into a crockpot. Turn on low for 2.5 hours. Unplug for 2.5 hours. Stir in a cup of yogurt and mix thoroughly (like really thoroughly). Wrap the crockpot up in a blanket or large towel and let it sit over night to "yogurt up".

Side notes:
Do NOT use metal to stir in your yogurt, like ever. Metal kills off the "stuff" in the yogurt that makes it yogurt.

We start the yogurt about 3 or 4 pm to get it "done" so you don't have to sit up and wait after you had wanted to go to bed.

Homemade yogurt isn't as thick as homemade. If you want thicker yogurt, make it up and then strain it overnight in a strainer lined with cheesecloth or a tea towel. If you continue to strain it, you will eventually wind up with a cheese product that is sort of like cream cheese. You can season it and spread it on crackers. (You can save the whey and use it in recipes in place of the water or use it as the water when you make up powdered milk.)

We always use whole fat milk when we make yogurt. I can't get it to turn out right if we use a lower fat milk. Other people have though.

**Ali Lee** · 05-31-2011, 01:03 PM

Suggestion-buy school size cans of applesauce, disposable bathroom size cups & dish out your snax plus freeze the LO's. Popsicles would be a cheap afternoon treat on a hot day. Boxed mac & cheese with a can of tuna or chicken thrown in could be a lunch. My dau's dau gets a bag of dry cereal & sipper cup of milk for bkfst. And they must sit @ the table...
Good Luck to you! What patience you must have & a "thankful gift" to the mothers....