Kids Lunch

"What do you pack for your kid for lunch?"


It is one topic that gets a lot of parents listening and/or talking. From making something that kids will eat, to packing it, to getting the amount right, to keeping it warm, lunch poses the ultimate challenge. 


Here are my constraints:


My younger one goes to a school where they have a nice, leisurely, 1 hour lunch. Everyone gets a plate and silver (which they load into the dishwasher at the end of lunch). There is a microwave to warm up food, and a pretty good hot lunch on three days of the week.


My older one goes to a school where they have only 20 minutes at the table before the next group arrives. Hot lunch queues are too long to fit into that time slot, and everyone packs lunch. There is no microwave to warm food, and no plates or silver.


In addition, both kids have foods one likes and the other does not. As if this was not enough, they both do not like to eat the same food as last night. So, I have to keep leftovers for a day or two and recycle at a different time, or change their form.


My saviors are:

1. Laptop Bento lunch box. There is a place to keep the silver, you don't need a plate, and it has containers with and without lids for different foods, dips, etc.
2. Thermos food jar: I am still figuring out the right one, as the one I have does not keep the food warm, and even leaks at times. However, I am convinced that this is needed for those who cannot warm up food. I tried packing only cold foods for a while and found that it is extremely restrictive.
3. Change your leftovers: If your kids don't like to eat the same food for consecutive meals, instead of waiting a day or two to pack leftovers, change its form. For example convert left over daal into a soup. Make appams with dosa dough. Put left over subji into a sandwich or a wrap. By changing the bread and the way you serve, you can make it look like something else.
4. If the kids get left overs back, reduce the amount or change the food. Giving kids a hard time is not going to make them eat it. It is going to make them throw it in the trash without me knowing.
5. Use store bought cheese, soups, stocks, breads, etc (after checking ingredients) - but assemble the food yourself, so you can change its form. 
6. No matter what every expert says, plan the lunch at night - but pack it in the morning. You will need to heat the food again anyway.

Do your kids love a lunch that you pack? Have you found a way to pack the lunch at night? Have you found a great lunch box? If so, share it here.