My two extremely picky kids love seaweed! I now buy it in bulk. Great alternative to chips.

Also, my now teen son always liked (usu leftover) pasta, cold and tossed with olive oil and balsamic vinegar with crumbled bacon or prosciutto on top. Packed all I need a Tupperware bowl and included a real silverware fork.

DS also enjoys jerky.

DD discovered she likes dehydrated bananas! I was buying these for her, but then bought my own dehydrator. Easy! I dehydrate just about all kinds of fruits and make my own granola bars or trail mix. Always include these in lunches.

Neither kid has ever bought a school lunch.

Lunches have come so far! It's nice to see the variety and ethnic specialties here.

Have you seen this?
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/voices-have-you-ever-had-lunch-box-moment-n566411

I had this growing up second gen Asian in Moco, where I was teased mercilessly & told it looked like vomit, etc. Kids can be such jerks.

I'm scarred & tend to pack the sandwich-fruit-chip combo, Saving the ethnic food for dinners. But I may try some of these ideas - thx for sharing!

Mac and cheese in a thermos.
Shallow fried toquitos.

Anonymous wrote:Scrambled egg rolled up in a tortilla. That's my newest fave for DD.

I do this too...except I use a plain parantha instead of a tortilla.

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).

Pork and rice
Shrimp
Chicken noodle soup
Ravioli
Pho
Crackers and cheese and ham
Spaghetti
Edamame and fruit + yogurt
Beans + fruit and yogurt
Not a bento box but small containers of things: hard boiled egg, lunch meat, crackers, shredded cheese, raisins, apple, etc

Tomorrow one kid is getting pork and another is getting ravioli. Both will have fruit and carrots.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:School lunch. Easy.

Seriously. I don't see how many of these other options are healthier. Lunchables? Cereal bars? Come on.

We don't do lunchables or cereal bars, but my child WILL NOT touch the school lunch. It's disgusting. Go try it one day. They have to make the lunch for as cheap as possible. It may meet nutritional standards, but it's not high quality and most kids don't really eat it. I thought everyone knew that.

My kids won't buy school lunches because they wait so long in line to get it that they barely have time to eat it and socialize with their friends.

Caramelized persimmons with prosciutto -- it's easy.

Take 12 thin Fuyu persimmon slices,
3 tablespoons sugar, preferably turbinado,
12 prosciutto slices

Lay persimmon slices on a baking sheet; sprinkle with sugar. Caramelize with a kitchen torch (or broil). Drape each with a slice of prosciutto.

Done. 5 minutes.

Lunchables.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:School lunch. Easy.

Seriously. I don't see how many of these other options are healthier. Lunchables? Cereal bars? Come on.

We don't do lunchables or cereal bars, but my child WILL NOT touch the school lunch. It's disgusting. Go try it one day. They have to make the lunch for as cheap as possible. It may meet nutritional standards, but it's not high quality and most kids don't really eat it. I thought everyone knew that.

Anonymous wrote:School lunch. Easy.

Seriously. I don't see how many of these other options are healthier. Lunchables? Cereal bars? Come on.

Burrito
French toast or pancakes, hard boiled egg, breakfast sausage
Pasta, mini meatballs, butter/garlic

Anonymous wrote:Sigh. I remember eating the same thing everyday for lunch growing up: PBJ Sandwich, apple, chips or cookies.

Yup me too. It was the above or lunchmeat sandwich and the same. I normally got chips and a dessert. But that was it. Sandwich, fruit, chips, dessert. Every single time. If I wanted variety I could buy lunch. Which I did sometimes, especially when my mother got tired of making my lunch.

Pizza, nuggets, hot dogs, etc: are these all eaten cold?