Hello everyone.

As I’ve shared in previous posts, school lunches have been challenging for me. For one thing, I have great eaters that become picky eaters when school comes around. Often times, my lunchboxes come home untouched. I’m not too concerned with my kids not eating lunch…after all, I don’t think they’ll starve to death. But it does annoy me that I put time and effort into making them lunch only for them to reject it. I also feel kind of guilty thinking they are staring down some other kid’s lunch thinking…I want that, why does my mom give me this!

Last week I spoke to the kids all week about lunch, (mainly my older one but my little one chimes in every once in a while). Every time we ate something, I would ask them “is this something you’d like to eat for lunch at school?”  I got No’s on almost all soups and meals involving veggies. It has boiled down to pasta and sandwiches. I bought a cute book at pottery barn kids a while ago with lunch ideas and pictures. I’ve been showing the book to the boys and asking them to show me pics of the foods they’re interested in for lunch.  It may seem silly that I’m giving my almost 3 and 5 year olds so much of a say in this process, but I feel its somewhat similar to cooking with the kids. I have found that the more involved they are in the process the more inclined they are in trying new things and eating well.

On Sunday we did a grocery list and they made specific requests like mandarin oranges, and raisins…and then Orly said he wanted a chocolate in his lunchbox and I said okay…and when he realized I was cool with it, he raised the stakes and said…no mommy, I don’t want a chocolate…I want a lollipop.

I took that opportunity to make a little pact with him… I said “Ok Orly, I’ll put some fun stuff in your lunchbox such as a lollipop, but you have to promise to eat the other foods I put in your lunchbox also…do we have a deal?” He agreed.  I got him these lollipops because I like the ingredients as an alternative to regular lollipops and my kids like them.

So here’s the report:

I did a mini trial run. Over the weekend I made a couple of different sandwiches/wraps that I wanted to see if they’d like.

Specifically I did:

AVOCADO/PEAR SANDWICH

So easy.

• 1 slice of ezekiel bread
• spread avocado
• place slices of pear on top

Interesting note: I thought it was so good, but Orly didn’t like it. It occurred to me to put the avocado and pear on top of an ancient grain cracker. He didn’t want to try it but I made him and he really liked it. So I guess he just didn’t like the combo on bread…he preferred it on a cracker. Yay for lunch!

HUMMUS WRAP

• 1 small ezekiel tortilla
• spread avocado on tortilla
• spread hummus on tortilla
• chop red, yellow and orange peppers into small pieces
• raisins

I was pleasantly surprised that the boys liked this wrap. I was not expecting them to like it at all!!!!  Now let’s see if it comes home from school eaten or untouched.

TUNA SANDWICH

• tuna
• mayonnaise
• dijon mustard
• slices of apple
• raisins
• chopped celery
• squeezed lemon

I mixed it all together to make a nice tuna salad and then I put it inside a butter lettuce leaf and then inside a mini pita pocket. I forgot, however, to take a picture of it!!!!! I will definitely post a pic the next time I make it.

The pita pocket actually made the boys’ first actual lunch at school!!! They really liked it.

Note: Orlando made homemade mayonnaise. We had a couple of trial runs because he was using peanut oil as a healthier alternative and it just didn’t work out. Then he made a batch with olive oil that was edible but not fantastic…when we perfect it we’ll post the recipe!

I put a side of mandarin oranges and as promised…their lollipop! It was a success!!!

What are you all putting in your kids’ lunchboxes??? We need lots of ideas!