My son said the most hilarious thing this morning "I would like to file a mom complaint, my school lunches aren't good enough" then he laughed and hugged me.

We have a pretty honest relationship so even though I know he was joking there was a bit of truth in the jest so I'm wondering how to make his lunches more exciting. I refuse to let him eat the school lunches that most of the kids love (it's all highly processed fast food).

If you home school well I guess you're lucky cuz you don't have to worry about this but that isn't an option for me right now so need to work with what's in front of me right now : )

That's cute! How sweet that he laughed and hugged you after. Some kids would pout or be angry.

What are you packing in his lunches now? And how old is he?

He just turned 11 (going on 22) and his lunches are things he really likes but maybe he's just bored right now:

all natural pb on whole grain
pastrami and swiss on whole grain (a favorite of his)
granola bar (we buy 3-4 different brands for variety)
roast beef, turkey pepperoni and cheese wrap
jerky sticks or strips (all types especially the super spicy kind he loves and says all the kids always try to steal from him)
chips or crackers of some kind (this is a special treat he doesn't always get this)
apples and carrots (he prefers to eat most of his fruit and veg at home i.e. kale, chard, spinach, berries, oranges, celery)

Also water or sometimes all natural juice or lemonade. Wow, no wonder he's bored : ) He eats a good breakfast and a big lunch when he gets home at 3 p.m. so what he really wants is fun snacks (mini meals) he can have at snack time and lunch time. He is a bottomless pit and so skinny too.

Have you checked out the sandwiches page here on BellaOnline? The Editor is away for a couple of weeks over Christmas, but I bet she could be a big help!

Sandwiches page
Contact Sandwiches Editor

We have a sandwich site! Cool, thanks for the link.

Hi Monica!

I used to be the Cooking for Kids editor here, and there is a "School Lunch Ideas" thread over there. And, I agree with Raine--the sandwich site rocks (along with all the other food sites which I spend way too much time on, lol)...

When I was the Cooking for Kids editor, some of the Moms shared with me that when their kids got bored with school lunches, they turned it into a game/challenge. The mom, dad and children came up with at least five different lunchtime meals that they had not tried before. It could be having a leftovers from a delicious dinner for a school lunch a day or two later, or having a different type of bread or wrap for the sandwich, along with adding a new type of mustard (honey mustard, for example, instead of regular mustard).

Also, she began having her kids help prepare their own school lunches (in a fun way, not a "You don't like it-fine, you make it" way), and it also got them excited about the grocery store--they did a challenge to try one new fruit and one new vegetable each week. The key was that she let the kids pick it out themselves, which made them feel grown up. When they found ones that they enjoyed, she'd look for new recipes to incorporate those fruits and veggies into school lunches or snacks. She still relied on the basics of course, but this helped he so much during the "bored of school lunches" times.



Good luck!

Thanks for all the ideas. Somebody actually suggested this so I will definitely try that.

He likes helping with dinner and making his own snacks when he's home so making his own lunches might be a good idea too : )

Wow...I've been sick all week, but what a great discussion! I had no idea there was a sandwiches site! Given that I *do* homeschool, lunch boredom is a huge issue for us! What great ideas y'all have. Thank you :-)

Laura,

I'm so sorry you've been sick, and hope you are feeling better!

Happy Holidays!

Not sure how old he is...but my son is 13 and I let him make his own lunches. With veto power of course. But you can stock the fridge with what you want and what he likes and let him put it together. Takes the burden off you and teaches him to be self sufficient!