School lunch
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| Tue, 08-23-2005 - 2:47pm |
I was just wondering what everyone here does for school lunches. This is a huge issue for Nathan because he prefer warm meals. He won't eat sandwiches. I'm basically worried about his main lunch item. I'm going to be packing his lunch, because he won't eat what they serve at school. He'll eat the chicken patty from the sandwiches, so the plan is to let him do that (only purchase the one item) and then I'll let him bring other food too. He'll eat pringles, applesauce, cookies, fruit snacks, and drinks are not a problem as long as it's not white milk! LOL
But I'm not sure he's going to like eating the chicken patty everyday. I'd like to vary it sometimes. I'm still waiting to hear from his teacher and the spec ed teacher, but I don't think that "microwaving" is going to be an option. They didn't warm up to that idea last year when I mentioned it.
Michelle

hmm, that's a tough one! Weston didn't go to full day K, so we didn't have to deal w/ lunches for him until 1st grade. By then his lunch menu items had moved beyond the grilled cheese and apple for lunch everyday (thank goodness). We have tried using foil to wrap warm things in and then a towel. Sometimes things stay warm enough. is this plausible? Amelia has used her theromos w/ ok results as well.
Hope you can figure something out!
Betsy
michelle,
i have this little square thing that came inside a lunch box that will keep ice cream frozen or warm food warm. maybe if you looked around, you might find something to keep things safely warm until it was lunchtime. or, depending how close the school is, would they let you drop stuff off for him--albeit daily would be a PITA!!
thinking of ya, ttys, valerie
Here's some of the things we do. I don't know if it will help.
First, the kids get a menu from school every month. It is also available online. I post it and every night they check what is on the menu for the next day. Then they can choose if they want me to pack or if they want to buy. This has been great because for some reason if it is offered at school and they see other kids eating it, they are more likely to try it. School lunches have really increased thier repetoire of foods. At ours they can pick what they want on the tray but it is the same price regardless so if they just want the chicken and fruit then fine.
Next, I got creative and realized they didn't have to have a "meal" at lunch time. What they needed was good nutrition. Mike for years didn't eat lunch at school regardless of what it was. Probably not until middle or end of 2nd grade. He didn't eat anything at school, snacks included, until 1st grade when he was there all day. So I snuck in the nutrition in high potency ways. Mike loves power bars of all sorts. Particularly the chocolate kind. So in 1st grade I would pack one with his lunch and one in his snack place (he likes them separate). At any rate I would pack at least 2 a day and usually at least one would be eaten in school and the other on the way home. I would pack other snacks that were high in nutrition as possible but were definitely preferred. I had a better chance of him eating those than a meal there. Even if he only ate the power bar at least I knew that was enough to get him through the day.
Then I would give a really good breakfast and practically a meal for a snack after school. Typically something high in protein. That would be a good time to give the warm meal.
Last, I love the idea of finding one of those lunch boxes or heat packs to keep the food warm. I have heard of those too. If you heat it up before he goes I bet most insulated lunch boxes would work pretty well. Or some sort of container that holds heat in.
Good luck.
Renee
Oh rats! I had forgotten about having to deal with lunch. David isn't as picky as he once was, but it's really hard to find something acceptable that packs well. He usually gets a Yoplait yogurt (remember spoon!), but the lid sometimes gets punctured, and then he won't touch it. Whole wheat crackers are a good choice, if your kid will eat them. Last year we spent a fortune on Carr's whole wheat crackers, which David loved and they didn't contain hydrogenated oils like a lot of crackers. Unfortunately, our local stores have stopped stocking them. I'd love to just pop and orange in his lunch box or something, but he can't open them himself, and he won't eat chopped up fruit that has been hanging around in a box all day.
Lunch time is pretty awful. They pack the kids into the multi-purpose room, and it's so crowded and loud. When I was a kid, school lunches were cooked on the premises, and you got something like macaroni and cheese and fried chicken. Now, they get hot dogs that have been cooked across town who-knows when and microwaved in a plastic bag. He has bought lunch once in two years. It makes me kind of angry because, while there is all this talk about how important nutrition is, somehow no one is willing to pay a bit more taxes to get a proper cafeteria and real food for our school kids. Ooops, sorry. There I go again.
Every day, after lunch, David gets restless and acts up, and usually needs to be excluded from the regular class activities. When I pick him up from school, he's starving. He says there isn't enough time to eat. The school people say it's because he goofs around, which I'm sure is true. But, hello! He's an Asperger's kid in packed into a room of talking children and funny smells. There are a few volunteers to roam around, and they can help with opening packages, but David is much too nervous around "strangers" and unable to get their attention for that. I've learned to show up to school with a bag of grapes or crackers, so he can eat them in the car.
Well, I promised he could use the computer, so I'd better go. Good luck!
Evelyn
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Edited 2/19/2008 9:18 pm ET by littleroses
You guys mention alot of valid points. I often forget we are really lucky in the lunch department in our town. There was a big push for healthier lunches a few years ago. Soda, chips, candy are no longer allowed on schools or in vending machines. Lunches, though still could use some improvement IMO, are much better than the norm. There is a fruit or veggies with each meal. Whole grains are the norm with things like burgers served on whole wheat buns. Salad is an option at every lunch. Breakfast is typically something like yogurt, organic cereal or bagels. Though they often have pancakes as well. Like I said there is still room for improvement.
I prefer packing too. Though they are healthier than most schools there is still more sugar and trans fats than I like to serve.
I find it also helpful to pack an extra snack in the backpack they can have on the way home. That transition was always tough for Mike and if he had a snack then by the time we got home he was a much more pleasant being.
Renee
Thanks for all of your responses!
I did do a practice run on the "wrapping in foil"....didn't work! But the insulated spiderman lunchbox I bought him, actually has 2 sections. The bottom half can be unzipped and used separately, it even has it's own handle! So I could use one for cold items and the other for warm.
I have ice packs that I have used for Tyler's lunches (when he wants a sack lunch). But I haven't seen any that can be warmed up....I'll have to look. (the ones I have say not to warm in the microwave!)
Our schools have good lunches, Tyler loves lunchtime!! LOL But Nathan is very difficult, and demanding at times!! LOL I have thought about bringing him lunch everyday.....or sometimes. Tyler says that kids actually have parents that do this!!! We don't live that far from the school, so I guess occasionally it wouldn't hurt. But I really don't want to start another "routine" for him.....if you know what I mean!!! LOL
Thanks again!
Michelle