Quick lunches for toddlers

Jason's Papa wrote: Hi all - i need some ideas here. My son is 20 months and recently moved into the toddler room at his day care, and they no longer have enough time to microwave things for 3-5 minutes because of all of the kids needing to eat at the same time. They can nuke things for 2 minutes max.

Now usually my wife and i try to send dinner leftovers in for his lunch, but he's a pretty finicky eater, and sometimes he snubs what we have for dinner. So obviously we don't want to send that with him for his lunch the next day.

Any ideas for some quick, healthy lunches?? So far he's snubbed turkey sandwiches, and he's never had much interest in PB&J. I found some pre-packaged kid's meals that only require about a minute of heating time, but he pretty much snubbed those.

Any suggestions and ideas would be greatly appreciated! Thx!

mummy2girls replied: lunchables,
cheese, crakers, ham
egg salad
veggies and dips
noodles with butter/parm cheese sprinkled

Boo&BugsMom replied: Yogurt and cheese are considered a meat alternative so you can use yogurts, string cheese, cheese and crackers, etc. If he snubs something, keep trying over and over. Kids normally have to be introduced to something at least 10 times before they even try it. Keep trying things! You can also try disecting the sandwiches for him...meaning, cut up bread pieces and cut up turkey in seperate containers to see if he'll eat them seperately.

Jason's Papa replied: Thank you for the input Jenna's mom and Tanner's mom - I'm starting to understand that my wife might have some unreasonable expectations when it comes to lunches. I mean i know she really, really wants Jason to eat healthy and have a variety of foods, but i think when it comes to lunch during day care, i think we might have to lower those expectations just a bit and have him get something in his stomach, and use dinner time to introduce new foods and things like that...

Boo&BugsMom replied: Just a general guideline is to make sure there is a meat/meat alternative, 2 different fruits/veggies, and grain.

Hillbilly Housewife replied: Ok I don't even nuke my OWN food for 2 minutes, it's too hot. I have 4 kids for lunch usually, all under 4... and I put 2 bowls in the microwave at once, for about 30 seconds and the food is usually hot enough. My kids have healthy appetites... usually my girls have seconds. The kids I watch, well, it's fantastic if they eat a second bite.

Whole wheat crackers with cheese, some apple slices or applesauce, some bread with some kind of spread on it, cut in strips... hard boiled eggs, sliced green, red and orange peppers, cucumber slices, chex cereal, goldfish crackers, raisins (my 18 month old loves them, but doesn't digest them...they go right through, whole), grapes, mandarin slices, rolled lunch meats, muffins (I usually make carrot, banana, oatmeal, and bran.) Bananas are great too.

Finger foods will surely be a hit. I think as long as he has a good breakfast and a good dinner... it really doens't matter what he eats as a daycare lunch.

Boo&BugsMom replied:
I was going to mention something like this. Do they mean only 2 minutes total or 2 minutes per child? If they have time to nuk something for him for 2 minutes then your options should be pretty wide open. I can understand not wanting things to take too long though. I've been in daycare (home and center-based) for 8 years now and when you have so many kids bringing in their own lunches it can be difficult to manage. That is why I ended up incorporating a hot lunch program in the center I use to run. It was SO much easier, the kids got the same things, and meals were well balanced. Have they considered something like that?

Jason's Papa replied:
Lots of good ideas in there, THx!

Calimama replied: You've gotten a lot of good ideas!!

Sliced fruit/veggies
Bagels
Cheese
Yogurt
Wraps... like whole wheat tortilla's with meat and cheese wrapped up and sliced.
Cheerios
Lunchables (if you want a healthier version you can make your own with organic cheese, meat and wheat crackers)
Cold pasta (whole wheat noodles and light Italian dressing)
Dried fruit.. some places sell them like fruit snacks
Celery and peanut butter
Grilled cheese made the night before... (I'm a stickler for not using butter and not frying food so I would just take wheat bread and put some cheese and throw it in the oven)

Jason's Papa replied:
He used to eat those frozen kid's lunches that took like 4 minutes or so in the microwave. Similar to a Healthy Choice or Lean Cuisine lunch.

This day care seems to be much more informal, and they do not provide any food. That can be good, and it can be bad.

Calimama replied:
We'll be looking for one that doesn't serve food. For us it's good because I'm such a stickler for health foods. I'd probably drive them nuts.

Jason's Papa replied:
My wife is the same way. If i suggest an assortment of finger foods for Jason, she'll probably look at me like i have 3 heads.

Boo&BugsMom replied:
I hear ya. It's nice to be able to send food you know your kid will eat, but it can be a hassle for parents and teachers. There is always a con, either way.

Bellasmommy, The thing I like about federal food programs is that it's monitored with guidelines, so the meals are well balanced and healthy. So, if you ever have to choose a center that provides food, just make sure they are on a federal food program. That way you know their meals are being monitored through their guidelines.

Calimama replied:
Wow, I didn't know that!! Thanks for telling me.

CantWait replied: Lots of good ideas have been given. I just wanted to say that don't lower the expectations of what to give him. Kids in daycare tend to eat more because of the other kids around them. It's quite different eating with a group of other kids, and eating with Adults. Welcome to PC btw.

Jason's Papa replied:
Thanks! I generally lurk and read and try to pick up a few tips, every once in a whole i'll pose a question of my own. It's a great forum w/ great people who really seem interested in helping!

PrairieMom replied: my little guy loves crackers, string cheese, and fruit cups, or apple sauce cups.


ETA:

I totally forgot! Its been so long since my son was in that phase. Everything tastes much better if it is cut into a fun shape. I used to take small cookie cutters to cheese and lunch meat and make him meat and cheese stars, or hearts or what ever. He wouldn't go near lunch meat, but meat stars were delicious!

Miranda1127 replied: sorry i have no suggestions just wanted to say hi to another eagles fan .

my little eagles

redplaydoh replied: My kids snubbed sandwiches too until I used a large cookie cutter "cut" the sandwiches into shapes. Their favorite shapes are a duck, heart, and butterfly. When they're done like this they gobble them up.