Charlie eats lunch at school at 11:30am. So by the time we pick him up around 5:30, he is starving (because he only eats very little of his lunch). He gets a small snack at 2 and he has the option of eating a school lunch at his after school program, but he never does.
So I need to pack him a second lunch that he can eat in the late afternoon that requires no refrigeration. Any ideas? I'd prefer something heartier than just a snack...
honeydew / 7687 posts
peanut butter on crackers or bread? that is my go-to meal when i know i won't have a fridge!
honeydew / 7488 posts
A cheese stick, grapes, banana, sun butter and crackers, carrot sticks? This link had some interesting tips. http://www.columbusparent.com/content/stories/2011/02/23/ntk-the-go-to-guide-school-lunches.html
pomegranate / 3003 posts
Are you able to get an insulated lunch box, or place an icepack inside? If so, that might open up some options.
Otherwise, perhaps some fresh fruit (apples, oranges, pear), raisins, applesauce, trail mix, or crackers. You could always bake some corn muffins and bulk them up with ham and cheddar.
admin / watermelon / 14210 posts
@scg00387: @sunny: all nuts are banned at school, and he doesn't like peanut butter anyway.
@deerylou: we have an insulated lunchbox, but it definitely won't last 8 hours... none on the market do unless he takes a huge cooler (which I used to send and they asked me not to!)
GOLD / wonderful coffee bean / 18478 posts
Does he like sunflower butter? You could sub that for peanut butter?
admin / watermelon / 14210 posts
@Andrea: i've never given that to him, but generally he doesn't like sandwiches of any kind.
honeydew / 7488 posts
@Mrs. Bee: could you freeze a yogurt for him and it would probably be ok by hour 8 since yogurt can be at room temp for a few hours...
blogger / pineapple / 12381 posts
We do yogurt/granola balls, goldfish, banana, apples, cream cheese and jelly sandwiches, sunbutter and jelly sandwiches, cheese sticks, raisins, graham crackers (can provide some spread for them), snap pea crisps. Sometimes I make mini quiches and freeze them. You pop them out of the freezer in the morning and they are the perfect temperature in the afternoon.
admin / watermelon / 14210 posts
@T-Mom: @Mrs. Jacks: but isn't defrosting food at room temperature bad? you're supposed to throw food out after it's been at room temp for 2 hours.
i mean i never used an ice pack growing up and ate all kinds of foods that should have been refrigerated and never once got sick...
honeydew / 7488 posts
@Mrs. Bee: well.. I'm no expert. But I send my kids' food to school without an ice pack every day. It was packed the night before and it's super cold. They eat it within 3 hr.. I guess I would technically be considered unsafe but I treat my own lunch the same way at work.. So defrosting a yogurt like this would be ok by my standards... I also heard that yogurt holds up pretty well at room temp due to its bacterial properties...
admin / watermelon / 14210 posts
@T-Mom: i just researched it and yogurt is good for up to 8 hours! charlie loooooves yogurt, so that's great! i'll have to have his teacher hide his "second lunch" though otherwise he will eat it for his first lunch!
blogger / pineapple / 12381 posts
@Mrs. Bee: I'm food hygiene conscious for the most part, but for some reason a slow thaw of dough, cooked egg and cheese doesn't bother me too much... maybe it should?
admin / watermelon / 14210 posts
@Mrs. Jacks: there was a huge egg salmonella outbreak last year, so eggs do concern me!
for now i have yogurt and jam sandwiches (which he might eat?), so that's a start!
@808love: tuna needs to be refrigerated? but rice balls are a good idea!
honeydew / 7488 posts
@Mrs. Bee: what about dried snacks like a beef jerky.. Dried fruits, etc
admin / watermelon / 14210 posts
@T-Mom: i definitely do dried/freeze-dried fruit, but am looking for meal ideas. charlie does not eat much at lunch -- the bare minimum to not be starving, so he really needs a complete second meal.
i miss daycare when they used to make sure he ate most of his meal! at public school his lunch comes back 75% full usually.
honeydew / 7488 posts
@Mrs. Bee: that's challenging. Maybe his eating at school will improve with time...good luck!
apricot / 274 posts
How about Kim-bap? You can make a great veggie one with shiitake mushrooms.
admin / watermelon / 14210 posts
@T-Mom: his eating hasn't improved in the past 3 years so I'm not hopeful!
@BunnyDragon: he's not a big fan. 
i'm gonna try to get him to eat it!
the only things he eats consistently are yogurt, cheese, olives, and anything that's snack-like. everything else, even foods he likes, he only eats half the time at best.
pomelo / 5866 posts
You're right about the tuna. I guess it's not going to be good without a cooler. Rice balls would be filling though.
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