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Post by shanniebananie on Aug 3, 2022 17:51:51 GMT
What does your teen like to pack in their lunch? I am hoping to meal prep items on Sunday that they can just grab throughout the week. Trying to keep ideas healthy and with plenty of protein.
Ideas so far:
Cut up veggies/fruit with dip Chicken salad to serve with crackers and veggies Taco salad - pack individual ingredients to mix at school Leftovers from night before Pasta salad Green Salad with individual toppings to mix at school Asian noodles heated in thermos - add grilled chicken "Home-made Lunchables" with Turkey, cheese, crackers Yogurt with fruit and granola Hummus with veggies
What would you add to the list? Trying desperately to be organized this year!
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Post by littlemama on Aug 3, 2022 17:54:10 GMT
A sandwich, chips, and something sweet- fruit if available or cookies. And a water.
I have enough trouble coming up with things for dinner lol, lunch has to be simple!
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pantsonfire
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Take a step back, evaluate what is important, and enjoy your life with those who you love.
Posts: 4,762
Jun 19, 2022 16:48:04 GMT
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Post by pantsonfire on Aug 3, 2022 18:34:20 GMT
Dd always had left overs. If there wouldn't be left overs she would get GF pasta salad or green salad with homemade ranch and toppings she liked along with fruit, chips, pumpkin seeds, water.
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Post by Skellinton on Aug 3, 2022 18:34:31 GMT
I don't have teens but I have them in my family and they are sandwich, chips/crackers/pretzels, fruit and beverage people.
What about sometimes making a dinner that tastes good cold and feeding them leftovers?
Frankly, I would make the kids make their own lunch, seems like they might be more likely to eat it that way.
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Post by littlemama on Aug 3, 2022 19:03:34 GMT
I don't have teens but I have them in my family and they are sandwich, chips/crackers/pretzels, fruit and beverage people. What about sometimes making a dinner that tastes good cold and feeding them leftovers? Frankly, I would make the kids make their own lunch, seems like they might be more likely to eat it that way. Ds' high school started so early thst he didnt have a choice but to make his own lunch!😂
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sueg
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Apr 12, 2016 12:51:01 GMT
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Post by sueg on Aug 3, 2022 19:06:43 GMT
I don't have teens but I have them in my family and they are sandwich, chips/crackers/pretzels, fruit and beverage people. What about sometimes making a dinner that tastes good cold and feeding them leftovers? Frankly, I would make the kids make their own lunch, seems like they might be more likely to eat it that way. Ds' high school started so early thst he didnt have a choice but to make his own lunch!😂 Lunch could always be prepared the night before. That's what my DH does as he leaves early for work,
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Post by workingclassdog on Aug 3, 2022 19:08:47 GMT
Oh yeah, after like 3rd grade they pack their own stuff.
I had Lunchables, deli stuff, tortillas, bread, chips all available. I need to do a grocery run to get this stuff this weekend. ugggg...
I was so happy for the last two years lunch was free.. so sad that ended.
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Post by Merge on Aug 3, 2022 19:10:19 GMT
Mine always made their own lunch starting in middle school. Ask her what she wants to pack and put it on your grocery list. When I started getting ideas about making healthy stuff available that they hadn't picked out, it would rot in the fridge and they'd buy a ramen cup from the school store instead of packing lunch.
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Post by bc2ca on Aug 3, 2022 20:14:29 GMT
FWIW, breakfast & lunch have never been about variety in our house.
DD lived on hummus, pita chips and vegetables (cucumber, carrots and/or red pepper mostly).
DS made a sandwich (turkey, Havarti cheese, mayo & mustard), filled a baggie with carrots and grabbed a few Cuties and always had an assortment of granola and CLIF bars in his backpack.
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Post by littlemama on Aug 3, 2022 20:25:28 GMT
Ds' high school started so early thst he didnt have a choice but to make his own lunch!😂 Lunch could always be prepared the night before. That's what my DH does as he leaves early for work, None of us likes a sandwich made the night before. We're quirky that way! 😂😂
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Post by sabrinae on Aug 3, 2022 21:25:26 GMT
My girls do a lot of what you already have listed. Additionally: pasta salad, cold vegetable pizza with a ranch/cream cheese spread as the “sauce”, homemade soup in thermos, leftovers from dinner, noodles with peanut sauce with a lot of veggies and usually chicken Either in a thermos or cold, fried rice with pork and veggies in a thermos, leftover pizza eaten cold, egg salad, chicken salad, pinwheel style tortilla roll ups, wraps, big salad — I often buy them the bagged salads that include all the toppings and dressing right in the bag. I almost always wash and cut up veggies and fruits and just keep them stored in the fridge ready to eat. Homemade luchables - cheese slices, meat slices, crackers, pickles or a sort of charcuterie board style lunch. Generally my girls won’t eat sandwiches for lunch. They will usually pick a couple of options and we will prep them on the weekend and then they can mix and match all week long. .
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Post by Darcy Collins on Aug 3, 2022 21:42:26 GMT
Ummmm - huh? I am a bit blown away that you think you need more variety than that tbh - especially as the leftovers provide a huge variety on their own. My kids also packed their own lunch early on and put what they needed on the shopping list. There wasn't much if any variety in what they requested. As you added desperately to the end of you post - just let it go - ask them what they want to pack and don't stress if it's the same couple things all the time.
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Post by liya on Aug 3, 2022 21:56:41 GMT
DD always bought lunch at school. DS had the same thing almost every day: sandwich, bag of popcorn (chips, veggie straws or the like), fruit snacks, water and maybe cookies.
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basketdiva
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Posts: 3,619
Jun 26, 2014 11:45:09 GMT
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Post by basketdiva on Aug 4, 2022 0:43:56 GMT
What do the teens like/want? Designate one shelf in refrigerator for lunch choices. Do the same in a cabinet. Have the teens bag their lunch the night before or in the morning. I’ll bet they don’t forget more than once.
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Post by AussieMeg on Aug 4, 2022 1:30:06 GMT
Well my teenager - 17yo DS - has started work this year (apprentice carpenter) and his mummy still makes him lunch! For starters, there is NO WAY in a million years he would eat cut up veggies with dip. The not-so-junky food that he takes to work (and to school previously): Wrap with a chicken, mayo, bacon and cheese mix Chicken schnitzel / chicken tender roll or wrap Chicken Caesar salad (this is about the healthiest thing my son eats haha - no other salads!) Protein bars or muesli bars Salami cheese and crackers (is that kind of what you mean when you say 'lunchables'? We don't have them here.) He would eat yoghurt, but we don't pack anything that needs to stay cold. His not-so-healthy snacks are potato chips, cookies, brownies. Maybe a Mars Bar if they're half price at the supermarket. DS did Year 11 last year at a trade school, and they had a microwave, kettle, and sandwich press in the kitchen. That was so good, because he could take leftovers or noodles or a sandwich or wrap that he could toast.
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sweetpeasmom
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Jun 27, 2014 14:04:01 GMT
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Post by sweetpeasmom on Aug 4, 2022 1:41:32 GMT
Lots of the things you posted I packed the last 2 years for dd. One more thing she really liked were the Tuna Creations pouches except the chicken version (I was afraid the tuna might smell too bad). She really liked them with Ritz cracker.
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Post by worldwanderer75 on Aug 4, 2022 1:44:35 GMT
My kids like breakfast burritos, quesadillas, meat and cheese sliders, salads, pizza, bagels with cream cheese, chicken salad on a croissant (pack the croissant separately so it doesn't get soggy), mini tacos (from costco) and a few of the other things on your list. They always take a fruit, veggie and something crunchy (chips, goldfish, pretzels)
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Post by candleangie on Aug 4, 2022 5:13:58 GMT
We just make extra at dinner and split the left overs into lunch sized portions.
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Post by Zee on Aug 4, 2022 10:12:05 GMT
I literally have no idea what my son ate for lunch for all four years of HS.
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kibblesandbits
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Aug 13, 2016 13:47:39 GMT
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Post by kibblesandbits on Aug 4, 2022 10:58:40 GMT
I packed my boys lunch every single day until they graduated HS. Food = love. I took great pride in their lunches lol
We started every school year with a huge trip to Costco and they chose all kinds of snacks, cheeses, soups, whatever. That was a good starting point. Bagels and spreads Cinnamon bread w/cream cheese Muffins and quick breads (banana, strawberry, etc) Sushi rolls and edamame Snack box (meat, cheese, nuts, HB egg) Thermos food - soup, leftovers, noodles, oatmeal Pasta salads Rice and beans Vegetable sticks, bean pods, and dip Wraps - meats, cheese, etc Granola and greek yogurt Baked potato and cheese Sandwiches (not often - sandwiches are the best when fresh) Uncrustables
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Post by Jamie on Aug 4, 2022 12:11:38 GMT
Nothing - at that age they would be doing it on their own. From about 4th grade on if I wasn't having hot lunch, it was my responsibility to pack it the night before. If they forget to pack something and don't have $$ to get lunch at school hopefully they will remember to take the responsibility and make their own lunch or make sure they have the means of getting it at school.
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Post by hop2 on Aug 4, 2022 13:11:37 GMT
If they are a teen- over 12-they can pack their own lunch.
Discuss with them on the weekend or whenever you do your shopping what they want. OR take them with you.
Then each evening before bed said teen preps their lunch so they can just grab it in the morning.
Make the teen a part of the process if not the process for choosing/packing the lunch.
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J u l e e
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Jun 28, 2014 2:50:47 GMT
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Post by J u l e e on Aug 4, 2022 13:12:43 GMT
I love this thread for the different ways we all approach things.
I would definitely start with your kids though. What I envisioned as fabulously healthy variety and love-filled lunches were far from what my daughter wanted. She’s just not a big eater in the middle of the day and her lunch periods were SHORT. She was more about ease than variety. There’s be no way she’d want to assemble and eat a taco salad at lunch. She could eat a Rx bar and an apple every lunch for weeks - and still does. Lunches can still be healthy, but if you’re having lots of healthy variety at dinner, lunch can be more about convenience and less stressful.
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Post by hop2 on Aug 4, 2022 13:22:44 GMT
Lots of the things you posted I packed the last 2 years for dd. One more thing she really liked were the Tuna Creations pouches except the chicken version (I was afraid the tuna might smell too bad). She really liked them with Ritz cracker. both of mine still keep these ( tuna & chicken )on hand just in case. They always kept one in their locker incase they forgot lunch. DD keeps one in her desk drawer & DS also keeps them on hand for when ever. It’s something they learned when in school as a plan B for a meal if things didn’t go as planned.
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styxgirl
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Jun 27, 2014 4:51:44 GMT
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Post by styxgirl on Aug 4, 2022 14:15:10 GMT
Sometimes, I just give my DD17 money or my debit card and have her go to the store and pick out stuff for lunch. Or, I will ask her any special requests and pick stuff up when I'm there.
She likes snacky-type lunches - lunchables, cheese/peanut butter crackers. carrots, cucumbers, grapes, cut up strawberries, cantaloupe, watermelon. She also loves kettle cooked potato chips. They do have some microwaves at school but sometimes there's a line to use them. She will take leftovers and sometimes a can of spaghettios and a microwave safe bowl. Just have to make sure the cans of stuff are the pop-top type.
Our school lunches have been free the past few years ... And they have been terrible. The kid barely eats school food. Most of the time if she doesn't take her lunch she will just scarf down food once she's home from school!
Second semester last year, she had an internship class that allowed her to be off-campus around lunch time so she would eat out quite a bit. But she paid for that herself.
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Post by Darcy Collins on Aug 4, 2022 14:27:59 GMT
I love this thread for the different ways we all approach things. I would definitely start with your kids though. What I envisioned as fabulously healthy variety and love-filled lunches were far from what my daughter wanted. She’s just not a big eater in the middle of the day and her lunch periods were SHORT. She was more about ease than variety. There’s be no way she’d want to assemble and eat a taco salad at lunch. She could eat a Rx bar and an apple every lunch for weeks - and still does. Lunches can still be healthy, but if you’re having lots of healthy variety at dinner, lunch can be more about convenience and less stressful. The short lunch was an issue - but even more so - some years their lunch ended up insanely early - like 10:45 when they started at 8:30. A protein bar or other snack like item was fine. I think my daughter had lunch after school most of high school. The timing worked better any way as she often didn't get home from dance until 9+ and had dinner then. In college she pretty much does brunch and dinner - with maybe a snack in there somewhere.
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Post by crazy4scraps on Aug 4, 2022 15:43:19 GMT
I’m another that thinks the kids should be in charge of what they bring for lunch if they aren’t inclined to getting cafeteria lunch at school. I would take the kids shopping with me a couple times and have them choose what they want to pack in their lunches that get my blessing. If they never go to the store with you they don’t know what their options are, and you can shoot down the really junky stuff right from the get go. From then on, it’s up to them to let you know what they are running low on.
There is no point in buying things other people suggest if your kid won’t eat them, especially once they’re old enough to find other ways around getting what they want. I’ve been really surprised to hear what goes on at lunchtime from my kid about her table mates at lunch. One girl my middle school kid sat with last year would literally throw out 3/4 of the bagged lunch her dad or grandma packed EVERY SINGLE DAY because she just didn’t want to eat it and she thought she would get in trouble if she brought it back home uneaten. Even my kid was horrified by the utter waste.
In our house, we all have the AnyList app downloaded on our phones and all members of the family can add things to any of our shared lists (Costco, Target, Grocery Store, etc.) at any time. For example yesterday, DD was with a friend for the day but she knew I was going to Costco later that afternoon. She was able to add some things to the shared Costco list that I wasn’t aware that we needed so I was able to pick them up when I was there. Usually I’ll text anyone I’m not right with telling them, “Heading to Costco, anything you want needs to be put on the list” and my list updates in real time with whatever anyone else adds. That way no one can complain if the things they wanted didn’t get bought.
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Post by danalz on Aug 5, 2022 14:17:44 GMT
My almost 17 year old DS has eaten the same lunch every day since 6th grade (now going into 11th) PB&J Sandwich Chips Apple Granola bar Gatorade
If there is leftover pizza he will replace the sandwich with that.
He's a creature of habit and makes his own lunch every day.
He also has an open campus with many food options nearby. He will occasionally use his debit card and get some take out. He has 50 minutes for his lunch period so there is plenty of time to run out and come back.
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