What to serve for lunch for a play date

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is why Americans are obese. PB&J? Mac and cheese? With some measly sliced cucumbers that the kid will probably ignore.

My 4yo eats hearty vegetable soup, grilled chicken and veggie sandwiches or quesadillas, or salad for lunch. Salad is *not* just for parents

I'm sorry you suffer from obesity in your family and don't have a healthy relationship with food.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is why Americans are obese. PB&J? Mac and cheese? With some measly sliced cucumbers that the kid will probably ignore.

My 4yo eats hearty vegetable soup, grilled chicken and veggie sandwiches or quesadillas, or salad for lunch. Salad is *not* just for parents

oh come on. Google will tell you that most nutritionists and doctors agree that a PB&J sandwich is actually a well balanced and healthy option for a kid. And mine also loves cucumber slices.

[Anonymous]

We have kids over for lunch constantly because we live in a social neighborhood. Carrots, cucumbers, celery, oranges, watermelon as free range snacks. Neighbor kids don't get expensive berries or "nice" seasonal produce (those are MY farmer's market peaches, people!) unless they're about to go bad and need to be eaten quickly. Cheese sticks (I keep a variety around because different kids like different kinds - babybel, string cheese, cheddar cheese sticks), PBJ (we also keep sunbutter and almond butter because a neighbor has a peanut allergy), toaster chicken tenders or mini pizzas, or hotdogs if it's dinner time. That's not how I feel my own family usually, but playdate food is quick, easy, filling, cheap, and picky eater friendly.

If parents are staying, I'd do a charcuterie platter. Can work for kids and adults, and everyone can find what they like.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is why Americans are obese. PB&J? Mac and cheese? With some measly sliced cucumbers that the kid will probably ignore.

My 4yo eats hearty vegetable soup, grilled chicken and veggie sandwiches or quesadillas, or salad for lunch. Salad is *not* just for parents

oh come on. Google will tell you that most nutritionists and doctors agree that a PB&J sandwich is actually a well balanced and healthy option for a kid. And mine also loves cucumber slices.

+1. We get natural peanut butter (peanuts and salt only), fruit spread with real fruit and sugar, and whole grain bread like Dave's killer bread. As long as you don't use globs of jam, it's perfectly healthy for kids, even with a bit of added sugar. Though my house also has popsicles in the summer, so maybe I'm just more flexible on sugar than some. I much prefer a PBJ than handful after handful of goldfish crackers or cheezits.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is why Americans are obese. PB&J? Mac and cheese? With some measly sliced cucumbers that the kid will probably ignore.

My 4yo eats hearty vegetable soup, grilled chicken and veggie sandwiches or quesadillas, or salad for lunch. Salad is *not* just for parents

oh come on. Google will tell you that most nutritionists and doctors agree that a PB&J sandwich is actually a well balanced and healthy option for a kid. And mine also loves cucumber slices.

+1. We get natural peanut butter (peanuts and salt only), fruit spread with real fruit and sugar, and whole grain bread like Dave's killer bread. As long as you don't use globs of jam, it's perfectly healthy for kids, even with a bit of added sugar. Though my house also has popsicles in the summer, so maybe I'm just more flexible on sugar than some. I much prefer a PBJ than handful after handful of goldfish crackers or cheezits.

A lot of kids don't like jelly or only like a specific kind (at under 6). I would stick with plain natural peanut butter and a good whole wheat or oatmeal bread. Perfectly nutritious with a side of fruit, vegetables, and glass of milk.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is why Americans are obese. PB&J? Mac and cheese? With some measly sliced cucumbers that the kid will probably ignore.

My 4yo eats hearty vegetable soup, grilled chicken and veggie sandwiches or quesadillas, or salad for lunch. Salad is *not* just for parents

I'm sorry you suffer from obesity in your family and don't have a healthy relationship with food.

Dp here. We are a thin and active family. We are already naturally skinny plus my kids play a lot of sports. My kids want more than salad for lunch.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is why Americans are obese. PB&J? Mac and cheese? With some measly sliced cucumbers that the kid will probably ignore.

My 4yo eats hearty vegetable soup, grilled chicken and veggie sandwiches or quesadillas, or salad for lunch. Salad is *not* just for parents

oh come on. Google will tell you that most nutritionists and doctors agree that a PB&J sandwich is actually a well balanced and healthy option for a kid. And mine also loves cucumber slices.

+1

Peanuts are great, nutrition-wise, and you can easily find PB with just peanuts and salt, no sugar or oil. And my kid loves cucumbers (and carrots, and celery, and cherry tomatoes, and broccoli, and cauliflower, and sweet peppers, and avocados, and cabbage, and peas, and a bunch of other veggies).