Preschool lunch ideas - vegetarian and no nuts

[Anonymous]

My 4 year old DS goes to preschool from 9-4, and the school has a vegetarian-lunch policy. Dairy and eggs are okay, but just no meats..

But there's a kid in his class this year who is apparently allergic to "all nuts".

We have historically done a really good job of sending him with a nutritious meal that he fully eats: usually a sandwich (by way of example, sugar-free PB&J, cream cheese and avocado - simple but not terrible), red pepper sticks, a handful of cashews and a small cookie. I really loved sending him with cashews and the peanut butter because of the protein (we're mostly veg at home - so always looking for good protein).

Now, the cashews and PB&J are out.

I don't want to send him with soy nut butter every day, because soy is not great in big quantities. Fruit is okay, but I also don't want to just swap out the protein for fruit. I look around at other kids in his class, and I'm amazed that most are being sent with carb-heavy stuff like pasta salad with a kids yogurt on the side. There is so much carbs/sugar in that, that I might as well just send him with a slice of cake for lunch!

Other requirement is that it doesn't involve any real prep work. I don't mind taking 3 minutes every morning to make a sandwich and slice some red pepper while he eats breakfast. But I have no interest in spending 30 minutes on sunday boiling a pot of boiled eggs for the week.

Can you all give me ideas for low-labor vegetarian, well-rounded, nut-free lunches?? Sandwich (or other mains) ideas and protein ideas in particular. Thanks!!

[Anonymous]

First, stop judging other people. How do you even know what their kids are getting in their lunches?

[Anonymous]

your school sounds annoying.

[Anonymous]

Sunflower butter instead of soy butter, beans (my son will eat garbanzo beans cold/plain), hard boiled eggs and egg salad (not sure why boiling eggs once a week is such a deal breaker, but you can always buy the preboiled ones at the store, or buy premade egg salad), tofurkey sandwich, lowfat cheese, hummus with things to dip in it, bean dip with things to dip in it

[Anonymous]

you could also make a frittata/egg casserole. My kid happily eats that plain.

[Anonymous]

Cheese and crackers. Hummos and pita. Veggies and dip like ranch dressing or blue cheese. PS, don't like the way you criticised other kid's lunches. To each his own.

[Anonymous]

Truthfully, if you think boiling eggs once a week is too labor intensive, it's going to be tough. (Especially if you are convinced sending pasta salad is like sending cake, you're going to have to suck it up and cook a bit.)

But there are some obvious easy additions.

-- Hummus on pita with sliced cucumbers.
-- Chickpeas in a little container.
-- Baked beans in a little container.
-- Cubes of cheese in a baggy.
-- Cottage cheese in a container with a spoon.
-- Greek yogurt and honey.
-- Carrots and ranch.
-- Leftover dinner (rice stir fried with veggies)
-- Cubed tofu if he like it.

Etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:First, stop judging other people. How do you even know what their kids are getting in their lunches?

Because they have casual "come join us for lunch" lunches with the parents once a month. Usually 3 or 4 parents come for a class of 16 so I see what others are eating.

[Anonymous]

Can they warm up the lunch? ON the weekend I will make a big batch of something on the stove or crockpot.

I send:
lentils and rice
chickpeas and quinoa
black beans and rice
pasta and veggie meatballs

[Anonymous]

Not sure why you are boiling eggs for 30 minutes. I boil mine for 10 and it's the easiest thing to have on hand. But in any case, you've already gotten some good suggestions--if your kid isn't too picky about food from other cultures, I would also suggest: rice and beans and plantains, dal and flatbread, hummus, pita and cucumber salad.

And I wouldn't write off the pasta as carb heavy and nutrition lite-there's plenty of pre-made raviolis stuffed with kale and spinach at the supermarket these days, and I actually use pasta sauce to sneak in blended vegetables.

[Anonymous]

How about wraps with hummus? We're not vegetarian, but my daughter loves the black bean burgers we get from costco. She's also a fan of the 'pizza burgers' they sell at trader joes. They taste pretty good even at room temperature.

To replace the cashews, I'd go with sunflower or pumpkin seeds (check the guidelines to make sure it's safe for a 4 yo).

[Anonymous]

I just started sending my daughter (4) to school with lunch everyday. I just pack her punch as I am plating dinner the night before. If you are having meat at dinner, maybe you can just take it out and add beans instead? I have a kid sized bento box, and in the large compartment I put a kids sized portion of whatever we are having for dinner. In the other compartments, I'll usually do one compartment fruit, and another veggies, and another crackers, and maybe a dip like hummus or sun butter. Easy-peasy. We also are trying out the OAMM, the vegetarian version for dinner. I made two weeks worth of dinner in a matter of a couple hours last weekend, its been awesome so far.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just started sending my daughter (4) to school with lunch everyday. I just pack her punch as I am plating dinner the night before. If you are having meat at dinner, maybe you can just take it out and add beans instead? I have a kid sized bento box, and in the large compartment I put a kids sized portion of whatever we are having for dinner. In the other compartments, I'll usually do one compartment fruit, and another veggies, and another crackers, and maybe a dip like hummus or sun butter. Easy-peasy. We also are trying out the OAMM, the vegetarian version for dinner. I made two weeks worth of dinner in a matter of a couple hours last weekend, its been awesome so far.

* Lunch, not punch!

[Anonymous]

also, depending on what your child is willing to eat, here are some ideas:

http://www.thekitchn.com/20-lunches-ideas-you-can-make-the-night-before-recipes-from-the-kitchn-186016

[Anonymous]

OP, you could spend 30 minutes on Sunday boiling a dozen eggs, put them back in the carton, and put it in the fridge. It's not that work- or time-intensive, since the only "work" you will be doing is filling a pot with water, putting eggs into it, then taking it off the burner and running cold water on the eggs. Plus it saves time later.

Also, the pasta salad your child's classmates get has probably the same amount of carbs that your child's sandwich has, so quit being judgy about that. I get the "kid's yogurt" issue, but frankly, sending a kid with pasta salad and yogurt is not the same as sending them with a piece of cake.

This morning, I sent my mostly vegetarian child to school with a grilled cheese sandwich (which will get cold but she does not care), baby carrots, graham crackers and a plum. Yesterday, I sent her with leftover pasta, red pepper slices, apple sauce, and a box of milk.