We are into our second week of summer vacation (and yes, it’s barely mid-June - summer seems to get longer and longer, which is good and bad…) and we have already had four picnic lunches. I am not talking beautiful picnic basket with cloth napkins, wine and fine cheeses but we’re going to the zoo and don’t want to buy lunch there and we’re meeting friends in 20 minutes so throw some food in the cooler and run out the door picnics. I’ve run out of bread twice since school ended, where as during the year I maybe go through half a loaf each week since the kids are in school most of the time.
I was having one of these haphazard picnic lunches today with some friends where three out of the nine kids didn’t like sandwiches. They had some great ideas for lunches for kids who don’t like sandwiches, which I am going to try for my kids as well as they are going to be pretty tired of turkey sandwiches (dry - yuck) on wheat by the end of the month:
-cheese and whole grain crackers with fruit and raw veggies
-peanut butter in a tupperware (my friend even had a single serve Jiff peanut butter today that her daughter was eating with a spoon) with apples, bananas, pretzels, or crackers to dip
-pasta salad in a tupperware (hold the mayo)
-a sandwich without the bread - i.e., turkey or ham and cheese roll-ups (today my daughter inhaled about 10 slices of pepperoni from the deli)
-think breakfast for lunch - this week I had no food and we brought bags of dry cereal, yogurt tubes, raisins and sliced strawberries
Happy picnicking!
June 23rd, 2008 at 7:18 am
My kids love pepperoni and mozzarella(or any cheese) rolled in a tortilla. They also love ham and cheese rolled in a tortilla.
You can even put them in the microwave for about 30-40 seconds, and they melt a little…the pep and moz ones taste like the pepperoni rolls I used to get at our pool as a kid.
June 23rd, 2008 at 10:36 am
My kids love Ham and cheese rolls. Just take one piece of ham. And one piece of cheese. My kids LOVE these wormed up for about 20 seconds.
You can use any type of cheese.
June 23rd, 2008 at 6:31 pm
My kids are into sports, which means long hours on the bench for my family. We also like to fish, so packing food they’ll eat used to be a challenge. I pack some pick-up-able fruit and veggies, some crackers with either peanut butter or hummas for “dunkability”, and I roll chopped veggies, cold chicken or tuna in a tortilla or put it all in a pita pocket. We have tried a no bread approach as well, using cucumber ribbons, lettuce wraps, and apple slices (large apples work best). I also love individual condiments for easy cleanup and storage. Picnics are fun when the kids get involved in the prep of the food as well. Chances are, if they made it, they’ll try it.
June 26th, 2008 at 9:43 am
I’m a babysitter of a 4th grader and a 1st grader. The 1st grader is allergic to peanut butter so when the other wants peanut butter sandwiches for picnic lunch, we usually let the 1st grader have a ’special’ lunch of rolled up ham or turkey and whatever cheese she wants.
She does not like the roll-up in the microwave, just plain and it’s super easy. I also think it’s easy to do trail mix in baggies when picnicing. Just use dry cereal, raisins, chocolate chips or m&ms, pretzels and any other kind of dry materials your kids enjoy.!
June 30th, 2008 at 11:57 am
My daughter loves peanut butter on a flour tortilla and heated in the microwave for about 15 seconds
July 3rd, 2008 at 12:50 am
Try smearing peanut butter on a tortilla. Add banana slices along one side and roll it up. My kids liked to sprinkle on a little granola or shredded coconut. Quick and easy and fun for the kids to make. And clean ups a snap!
July 3rd, 2008 at 9:40 am
My kids love a tortilla wrap with shredded chedder cheese. You can just put it in the microwave for 20-30 seconds and BAM! a great tasting snack. And cleaning up is the fastest thing ever!
July 3rd, 2008 at 12:56 pm
My son loves hummus on anything. He also doesn`t like bread but he`ll happilly have a “hummus sandwich”.
We also make lebanese bread with peanut butter or toast the bread on a pan and he spreads mermalade or even just catchup!!
July 3rd, 2008 at 2:14 pm
I LOVE MEAT!!!!!!!!!!!
July 3rd, 2008 at 3:08 pm
My 7 year old does not like most sandwiches, especially anything with mayonnaise, but it’s not a problem. If she doesn’t want a caesar salad or to buy lunch, I pack celery stuffed with peanut butter and topped with mini-marshmallows or peanut butter & fluff on graham crackers. Not only does she love them, but the kids in her class have expressed some jealousy!!
July 4th, 2008 at 9:44 pm
My five year olds aren’t big sandwich eaters, either. Some lunches to go for them have included: leftover tortellini mixed with grape tomatoes, olives and feta; cucumber salad (marinate cucumber slices in 7T vinegar/3T sugar then sprinkle with sesame seeds); raisin bagels and small containers of yogurt cheese; leftover risotto with tomato sauce on spinach (it looks great, they make it and love it; cucumber sushi rolls (with a small container of soy); fruit, rice cakes and small tubs of peanut butter; green salad with a small dressing; fruit salad and rice cakes.
July 5th, 2008 at 11:23 am
I have a Grandson who will not eat anything except toast, a Hot dog plain from the
Microwave.Some puddings, cereal with and without milk. He is a very FUSSY eater. Don’t know what to feed him, he is 4 1/2 years old and weighs 41 lbs. Dr says when he gets hungry he’ll eat.
What can I do besides using Cookie cutters on the Bread to make the interesting.
GrandMa Carol