Daycare cold lunch

[Faevantastic]

Our daycare is going to stop their lunch program (bastards!). I need lunch ideas. They won't be heating up anything either (bastards!). Besides cold cut sandwiches, which Evan won't really eat, does anyone have any suggestions as to what I could send him with?

PS. He's allergic to peanut and tree nuts

[shmoo]

Pasta salads with roasted veggies and cheese? Roasted sweet potatoes with black beans and a dressing of line, honey, and olive oil (it's one of my favorites and I eat it cold or room temp). Tuna fish salad with crackers, hummus and pita.

[puppylove64]

Wow that sucks! I would be at a total loss!

Pasta, tuna or chicken salad. Maybe cold cut wraps? BLT? Macaroni salad.

[Regina Philange]

You are going to be paying less money then right?

[Regina Philange]

And i am curious to see these ideas. I cant think of much. i am sorry!

[breezy8407]

Well that's annoying.

What about yogurt or cheese? Containers of fruits and veggies if he will eat those.

I like the pasta salad idea. You could do quinoa salads with beans/veggies/greens for a little protein, too.

Hummus and veggies?

[katie]

Will he eat the lunch meat is you role it up with cheese? Or get it cut a thicker and make it into cubes? Lillian will not eat anything on bread, she takes it off.

What about a thermos thing that is supposes to keep stuff warm? You could put spaghetti, mac n cheese. My nephew has one that he brings to school.

I would want to switch DC if I had to send her with food..ok that's dramatic but it's annoying seeing that is wasn't what you signed up for.

www.amazon.com/Thermos-Stainless-King-16-Ounce-Midnight/dp/B0017IFSIS/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1406208286&sr=8-2&keywords=thermos+food+jar
Says it keeps things hot for 7  hours. Not sure I believe that but maybe at least a few?

[katie]

This is a bit expensive but it looks good with the 4 containers that you can store hot and cold!

www.amazon.com/dp/B008EGUEEE/ref=twister_B009L3EZCG

[dixeedeluxe]

Another vote for deconstructed sandwiches here.

[Faevantastic]

Regina Philange - nope, no change in rates!

katie - I really want to switch now. They're not exactly cheap either. I still have to provide two snacks on top of lunch. H is hesitant about switching because he wants E to be with his friends. I'm looking for other places

Thanks for the ideas! I will do pasta salads and the thermos is a great idea.

[Deleted]

Cream cheese and jelly sandwhiches were popular at our but free daycare

[Regina Philange]

Jul 24, 2014 8:37:49 GMT -5 Faevantastic said:

Regina Philange - nope, no change in rates!

katie - I really want to switch now. They're not exactly cheap either. I still have to provide two snacks on top of lunch. H is hesitant about switching because he wants E to be with his friends. I'm looking for other places

Thanks for the ideas! I will do pasta salads and the thermos is a great idea.

That's so unfair. Can you complain? How can they expect you to pay the same amount when they aren't offering meals?

[tennisgal]

Our DC won't heat up food either, but I will send stuff in a thermos: mac&cheese, chicken noodle soup (with most of the broth drained), pizza. I'd send other stuff, but W is pretty picky and that's about the extent of the hot stuff he eats! Otherwise, I send fruit, PB sandwich (I know you said yours is allergic though...), yogurt, cottage cheese, cold meat/cheese slices, raisins, crackers and cereal bars.

ETA: our DC has a fridge that we can put stuff in, so I put everything in a insulated lunch box in the fridge.

[imimahoney]

Hummus with pita chips and carrots to dip, guac (you can buy the individual cups) with chips and tomatoes, are bit hits here.

Also, you can send the frozen yogurt tubes and by lunch they are defrosted and eaay to eat.

[Faevantastic]

Jul 24, 2014 8:39:51 GMT -5 Regina Philange said:

Jul 24, 2014 8:37:49 GMT -5 Faevantastic said:

Regina Philange - nope, no change in rates!

katie - I really want to switch now. They're not exactly cheap either. I still have to provide two snacks on top of lunch. H is hesitant about switching because he wants E to be with his friends. I'm looking for other places

Thanks for the ideas! I will do pasta salads and the thermos is a great idea.

That's so unfair. Can you complain? How can they expect you to pay the same amount when they aren't offering meals?

We'll complain for sure. I'm really freaked now about other kids bringing pb&j,

[Regina Philange]

Jul 24, 2014 8:53:06 GMT -5 Faevantastic said:

Jul 24, 2014 8:39:51 GMT -5 Regina Philange said:

That's so unfair. Can you complain? How can they expect you to pay the same amount when they aren't offering meals?

We'll complain for sure. I'm really freaked now about other kids bringing pb&j,

I don't blame you! My daycare is a nut free environment for exactly that reason. Sorry you are dealing with this all of a sudden.

[Deleted]

Wow I can't believe that they are ending their food program but not offering a tuition discount.
And I like the thermos idea. And will he eat cream cheese? We eat crackers or bagels w cream cheese.

[jg183]

We send lunch and he eats it cold regardless... Mac chs, noodles, quesadilla... Luke never notices!
Fruit, yogurt, frozen veg (I heat at home) all works

[laurack]

Our daycare also doesn't provide lunch or heat food. They have a no nut policy.

Most often I send a sun butter and jelly sandwich, it's Matilda's favorite. I have a lunch box with sections, so in the other parts I put carrots and guacamole or hummus (I buy mini tubs) and some kind of fruit.or maybe a pouch and a cheese stick.

Sometimes I send pasta with cut up meatballs or chicken sausage and veg.

I've sent chicken nuggets and sweet potato fries. Leftover steak from dinner cut up. Even Mac n cheese. It's surprising what she will eat not heated. I guess because she's always eating so slow /messing around at dinner her food is usually cold by the time she consumes it anyway

[devotchka]

Jul 24, 2014 8:09:56 GMT -5 shmoo said:

Pasta salads with roasted veggies and cheese? Roasted sweet potatoes with black beans and a dressing of line, honey, and olive oil (it's one of my favorites and I eat it cold or room temp). Tuna fish salad with crackers, hummus and pita.

dude, your kid eats well! mine won't touch any of those things... which severely limits what i can send for lunch. sigh...

[devotchka]

Jul 24, 2014 8:23:46 GMT -5 katie said:

Will he eat the lunch meat is you role it up with cheese? Or get it cut a thicker and make it into cubes? Lillian will not eat anything on bread, she takes it off.

What about a thermos thing that is supposes to keep stuff warm? You could put spaghetti, mac n cheese. My nephew has one that he brings to school.

I would want to switch DC if I had to send her with food..ok that's dramatic but it's annoying seeing that is wasn't what you signed up for.

www.amazon.com/Thermos-Stainless-King-16-Ounce-Midnight/dp/B0017IFSIS/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1406208286&sr=8-2&keywords=thermos+food+jar
Says it keeps things hot for 7  hours. Not sure I believe that but maybe at least a few?

We have this one and it works well and is a good size for kiddos:http://www.amazon.com/Thermos-FOOGO-Stainless-Steel-Ounce/dp/B0025Y6742/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1406220237&sr=8-4&keywords=thermos+kid


Similar to the above one.  

[devotchka]

Some ideas from my pinterest toddler lunch board:

www.pinterest.com/offsite/?token=209-880&url=http%3A%2F%2Fweelicious.com%2F2010%2F10%2F05%2Fcottage-cheese-pancakes%2F&pin=109141990943424115

www.parenting.com/gallery/nut-free-recipes?src=NL&con=hol&cid=enews082911

( w/ yogurt?)

weelicious.com/2010/10/05/cottage-cheese-pancakes/

[shmoo]

Jul 24, 2014 11:43:19 GMT -5 devotchka said:

Jul 24, 2014 8:09:56 GMT -5 shmoo said:

Pasta salads with roasted veggies and cheese? Roasted sweet potatoes with black beans and a dressing of line, honey, and olive oil (it's one of my favorites and I eat it cold or room temp). Tuna fish salad with crackers, hummus and pita.

dude, your kid eats well! mine won't touch any of those things... which severely limits what i can send for lunch. sigh...

He eats a lot better for other people than he does for me, and he eats a lot of pasta based things! I try to send one "adventure" meal and 1 favorite (he eats an early dinner with the nanny) so he tries different things but always has something that I know he likes.

[shevacc]

I had to start sending lunches about a month ago...but we switching daycares so it wasn't a shock to me. They do heat up things but I would probably send mostly the same stuff regardless, subbing crackers for the rice. Most days I send either a cheese sandwich or leftover cut up meat plus rice/pasta, some fruit (lately blueberries or cut grapes), some crackers/cheez-its, a fruit leather, and a string cheese. She doesn't seem to care about the repetition. Honestly, I brought the same lunch to school for years as a kid so I don't worry so much about sending nearly the same thing most days. She doesn't eat all of it but often eats quite a bit more on the 10 minute drive home from daycare.

[onehitwonder]

I second the sunbutter rec. I alternate jelly flavors. Plum has some fruit and veggie snack bars. Lunchables (or your own version).

[kdrake8]

Jul 24, 2014 8:23:46 GMT -5 katie said:

Will he eat the lunch meat is you role it up with cheese? Or get it cut a thicker and make it into cubes? Lillian will not eat anything on bread, she takes it off.

What about a thermos thing that is supposes to keep stuff warm? You could put spaghetti, mac n cheese. My nephew has one that he brings to school.

I would want to switch DC if I had to send her with food..ok that's dramatic but it's annoying seeing that is wasn't what you signed up for.

www.amazon.com/Thermos-Stainless-King-16-Ounce-Midnight/dp/B0017IFSIS/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1406208286&sr=8-2&keywords=thermos+food+jar
Says it keeps things hot for 7  hours. Not sure I believe that but maybe at least a few?

I have this!! I have heated soup at 7am and at 12 have burnt my tongue on it still! It will keep it warm!