Hellobee Boards

Ha, ha I like the way you think Our main lunch staples: peeled/segmented cuties, yogurt, a string cheese stick, a tub of applesauce.

Mine is very moody with food, I'd rather he eat SOMETHING than try to force the perfectly balanced organic diet that we see so often.

I found a few good lists on Pinterest for toddler food ideas. If you have refrigeration available, my little guy also loves cottage cheese.

Turkey or chicken deli sliced and torn into pieces
Mandarin oranges
Shredded cheese
Sometimes some sweet English peas
When at home I will tear up some bread
Some sort of pouch. Usually applesauce or fruit purée. He usually eats yogurt for bfast but if he doesn't I'll send that instead of a fruit pouch

Other mealtime hits : chicken salad and bbq pulled pork

I'm concerns about this too because we think we are doing day care in the fall and we'd have to provide lunches. Right now (with the nanny) he eats things that need to be heated like leftovers and frozen turkeydogs/meatballs. Not sure they have a microwave for kids lunches...

Before we switched daycares right around when they turned 1, I had to pack LOs' lunches. Not going to lie, between breakfast, lunch and dinner, it was a lot to prep every night.

My go-to staples for protein were skinless polish sausage cut up, frozen turkey burger patties that I could broil, turkey hot dogs cut up, grilled chicken cut up.

For veggies, I would do sweet potato fries with olive oil and cinnamon, steamed squash, steamed carrots, steamed cauliflower ... for some reason, they don't care for green veggies as much.

I'd also do mac and cheese, veggie pasta noodles, cubed cheese ...

We usually do a pouch (yogurt or oatmeal) leftovers, some cheese, cut fruit or banana, some puffs or something, and frozen peas or veggie burger or something... It's so hard sometimes! I keep a few frozen items on hand that are fast - Dr Praegers veggie burgers and zucchini or sweet potato bites or fishies are a big hit and easy!

Don't be intimidated!! I love doing some fancy bentos sometimes, but mostly it's things that can be put together easily. I do prep bits and pieces for a few days running, such as cut up, lightly steamed veggies. But the usual for my 18mo is:
Protein: sausages, ham, hamburger (cut up)
Grain: we are gf, so gf pasta, rice crackers, rice
Veges: carrot sticks, peas, corn cob or kernel, roast veges
Fruit: berries
I also send a banana, some rice cakes and a pouch, usually a happy baby mama grain or similar.
P is dairy, soy, egg, gluten free... But if I could I'd put in boiled eggs, cheese, etc.
my son the super picky eater gets some cut up veges, but I always put in a nice plain sandwich for him, a banana and a yoghurt pouch. Simple, quick and easy.
I make their lunches the night before and then pack with an ice pack.
And I try my best not to freak if a lot comes home again... That's the hard part I find!!!

@mrs.cookie: brings a good point. Check to see what the food rules are at the new daycare.

My daycare allows absolutely NO eggs or nuts.

I don't have to pack a lunch, but I'd probably put stuff in there that he wouldn't eat at home just to a) see if he would eat it daycare (you never know!) and b) look like a good mom and have daycare think that he is just picky when he is there. Because yeah, all he would eat for me is cheerios, pouches, and white bread. Except he is over cheerios now.