Need lunch ideas for teen…

[Anonymous]

DD insisted on a turkey sandwich almost every day last year. We want to move away from lunch meat. She doesn’t want pasta etc that can be eaten with a fork. So far, she has agreed to a rotisserie chicken sandwich/wrap but not other ideas. If we don’t think of others, I know we will end up doing turkey again.

Do you all have any ideas? No food restrictions and it should be easy (ideally not require precooking).

[Anonymous]

Roast/cook a small turkey (or just turkey breast) at home. Use it in sandwich.

You do not need to get deli meat.

Also, you can ground turkey in your food processor and make burgers out of it to use in sandwich.

[Anonymous]

Seriously - cooking a turkey breast for sandwiches is incredibly easy. Unwrap it, out it in a pan, cook for whatever time required based on the weight and then let it cool and slice it. Freeze into week sized portions. Doesn’t have to have a burnished skin or extra flavourings since you can add condiments.

[Anonymous]

Find a list like this online and have them check off things they're willing to eat- its a good start for brainstorming.

https://www.5dollardinners.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/school-lunchbox-ideas-list.pdf

[Anonymous]

Can she learn to cook her own turkey breast?

[Anonymous]

All turkey breast is not Applegate lunch meat.
We get in house roasted at WF, low sodium.
DH eats it daily for lunch and has for years and years.
Roasting a breast is cheaper I sm sure if you have the time.

[Anonymous]

I pack some snacks with the lunch (yogurt/string cheese, cut fruit, pirate's booty/goldfish, cookies/rice krispy treat, carrots/cucumber sticks with ranch dressing)

Grilled peanut butter sandwich with banana filling. (using sandwich maker)
Pizza
Hot Dog
Chicken nuggets
Spiced rava Idlis
Chicken Biryani (In a food thermos)
Grilled cheese sandwich
Stuffed paranthas (potatoes or cauliflower)
Toasted spinach and cheese ravioli
Spaghetti and meatballs (in a food thermos)
French toast (sweet)
"French toast" (salty)
Veggi quesadilla
Veggi upma
Veggi Lo-mein
Grilled potatoes stuffed sandwich
Grilled paneer sandwich
Caluiflower sabji with puri
Egg sandwich
Ham and bologana sandwich
BLT sandwich
Egg, spinach, cheese quiche
Paneer burger, veggi burger
Cornbread and chunky chicken chowder.
peas & potato pilaf with makhani daal (daal in thermos)
Spinach and onion pancakes
Ramen noodles in thermos. (my kid loves it so its an occasional treat).

[Anonymous]

Yogurt/fruit/granola
String cheese/pepperoni/crackers
Almond butter/apple slices

[Anonymous]

My teen takes a salad almost every day now. We got a container made for salad--so the greens go in the bottom and the top compartment has a container for dressing and other areas for anything else to add. I usually make some kind of pasta salad or grain salad on the weekend as a side to make it a little more substantial. Depending on the type of salad, she adds chickpeas, rotisserie chicken, other veggies, croutons, etc.

Hummus with veggies and/or pita or pretzel chips is another option. You can do a hummus and veggie wrap too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Roast/cook a small turkey (or just turkey breast) at home. Use it in sandwich.

You do not need to get deli meat.

Also, you can ground turkey in your food processor and make burgers out of it to use in sandwich.

This does not taste remotely the same as deli meat. It’s obv healthier for you, but if someone likes and is accustomed to turkey deli meat, this isn’t an equal alternative.

[Anonymous]

Will she eat PB&J or PB and banana?

Mine likes steak wraps (thinly sliced flank steak with whatever veggies they like in wrap), chicken and rice burritos, chicken and cheese quesadillas. I’ve even grilled cheese and wrapped in tin foil and it’s eaten happily.

Why is she opposed to anything that needs a fork? That would really open up many many more options. Dinner leftovers in a thermos, pasta salads, green salads, soups..