Ideas for Elementary School Lunches

Questions

• Making sure 1st grader gets vegetarian school lunch
• Summer Camp Lunch Ideas of 8YO
• Gluten free lunch ideas for 1st grader

Making sure 1st grader gets vegetarian school lunch

Sept 2012

Hi everyone... Just curious what the school lunch policies are at your schools regarding vegetarian children. I just found out my 5 year old has been getting meat everyday... Needless to say, I was furious and the office staff, nor food services cared!

The office staff said it is the child's responsibility to request a vegetarian lunch option, which I was never told!! None of the paperwork said ''your child must request a vegetarian option''. During back to school night, the principal had every parents attention and never mentioned it. On all of the paperwork I received from the school it never indicate this. I put vegetarian option as her dietary need so I (stupidly) assumed she would receive a vegetarian meal. We are new to oceanview this year and to the school district. Her last school in the UK had a flag come up next to her name when she gave the staff her name at the lunch line. She said her name and it flagged her as vegetarian, so that is what she got.

I just feel as though it is the schools responsibility AND the food services responsibility to TELL PARENTS TO TELL THEIR child that the child needs to ASK for a vegetarian option, they will not automatically be given vegetarian by requesting it on paperwork. I really do not feel that the office staff has the child's best interest in mind. On the first day of school, my daughter was put in her first grade class (as we had requested and was approved for by the district prior to enrollment).

The staff saw her age on the FIRST day of school and removed her from the class, without telling me or calling the district first to verify. They took her out of the class I had just settled her into and put her in the kindergarten class. Would I really not know what grade she should be in?? Because she started school early in the UK at 4 and had finished kindergarten, we put her in 1st.

I am hoping this is just a hurdle we have gone through because I did not communicate to my daughter that she needed to ask and it is not an indication of what things will be like the rest of the year. But I am anxious to hear how this food situation is handled in other schools. I will not be telling my daughter she ate meat, it would devastate her as her pure little body has been veg her whole life!!! mumof5

My experience has been, if you want to control your child's diet at school in any way, it is best to send lunch from home. I suggest you consider that. Karen

Hi, I'm so sorry this happened to you and your daughter. That's terrible and as a vegan mom with two vegetarian children, since birth, I really feel for you. I would be deeply upset. I was really concerned that this would happen to my children especially when they were in preschool or early elementary. They were too young to take responsibility for their food and I feared they would accidentally consume meat given to them by adults. To my knowledge this only happened one time.

We occasionally use soy meats that look something like their meat counterpart. Would my children know that a hot dog at school was a meat hot dog and not a veggie one? That those pot-stickers that look like our veggie version really had pork in them? What about all those school parties? Would anyone be looking out for them to ensure they weren't served meat? Would there even be veggie options available to them? How about at friends' houses? It's a minefield out there! Those years were really stressful to me.

I know this may not be the best option for you, but I decided to skip the cafeteria and instead pack lunch every day. Once you get into the swing of it, it isn't so bad. This way I know my child is getting a veggie lunch and that it will be healthier than the cafeteria food. For school parties, I usually send something extra to make up for the fact that my veggie kid will have less choice.

My kids are 8 & 10 now and I've started to relax. They can look after themselves for the most part. I still make a point of telling all their friends parents so they can help with this too.

Back to your specific situation, I would absolutely write a letter to the district, to the principal, to your child's teacher and to the food service provider. What happened is NOT acceptable. I look at our ethical vegetarianism and veganism in the same vein as a religious belief and feel that it must be respected in the exact same way. It's not a negotiable item and it's not right for people to disregard your wishes. What if this had been a life-threatening allergy? The powers that be need to be more responsible and can not put it all on a young child. Good luck. Vegan Mom

Summer Camp Lunch Ideas for 8YO

June 2009

My 8 year-old has been mostly in a school program where lunch was provided at a small fee. Occasionally, I would pack him a sandwich with turkey ham and spinach. But now I have to do this on a regular basis and want to add variety to his lunch. I need suggestions about what type of food I can pack him other than sandwiches, and distinct from morning snacks. Is any meat (chicken, beef, etc.) cooked and kept in the fridge overnight safe to stay out the next day(in a lunch box, i.e. an insulated bag, etc.) from morning till lunch time (probably for 3 to 4 hours)? I am assuming vegetables would be okay. But, I just need to know what parents, who have to pack lunches every day, do in summer or during school year. Thank you. New to Packing Lunch Regularly

I pack a wide variety of things for my son (who refuses to eat the same thing every day). These include both cold and warm things (warm things are in a thermos or a japanese ''lunch jar'' with two separate containers inside, expensive but worth it for me since I do this all year long -- google ''Ms. Bento''). Cold things include hardboiled eggs, sushi (with an ice pack), tofu slices, turkey in a pita, bean burrito Warm things include leftovers that he liked, soup, tortellini with red sauce, potstickers, little spinach cakes, stirfry with rice. In every lunch, I try to include a source of protein, some carbohydrate (e.g. pasta, bread, muffin, rice), a vegetable, and a fruit. In about 5 years of packing such lunches, I have never had trouble from packing meat. Karen

I have been packing my daughter's lunch every day since she started preschool about 3 years ago. I find it one of the most irritating tasks of my daily life, but here is what I pack: I always give her a fruit, a vegetable, a starch and a protein. I put it in her insulated lunchbox with a frozen cold pack (I use a small gel pack). For fruits I use just about any fruit. For veggies she likes carrots, cucumbers, cooked spinach, cooked green beans, grape tomatoes, cooked broccoli and so on. I give her a small container of hummus to go with her carrots/cucumbers. For starch and protein, I usually give her dinner leftovers because she does not like sandwiches. Rice and grilled chicken, tofu and rice, rice with black beans and cheese, pasta with sauce, pasta with grated cheese, turkey sausage with couscous -- any combination or whatever I made for dinner. I give her a yogurt squeezer for a snack, or maybe a rice cake with margarine or dried fruit or a cheese stick. She gets milk in a klean kanteen (not insulated) or occasionally a juice box. She is in a nut-free classroom, so I don't send peanut butter or nuts, but I will when I can. Sometimes she eats everything I give her, sometimes she eats absolutely nothing. It doesn't matter to me . . . it's there for her if she wants and is hungry enough! She is out of the home from 8 to 6, so lots of time she'll snack on our drive home or while she's waiting for dinner. I find that the cold pack keeps things cold enough. I'm sure other parents are much more cautious with meats, but it has worked fine for us for over 3 years. Good luck with your lunch adventure! There are lots of great websites with lunch ideas, one BPN mom posted her great bento box site last week. Slave to the Lunchbox

Hi...I wanted to put out a word of caution when packing lunch meat in the summer -- Bees love protein and are drawn to it! During summer months, I try to keep lunch free of animal based protein (nut butters, too.) I give LOTS of good snacks -- fresh fruit, dried fruit and nuts (bees don't seem to be as attracted to whole nuts compared to nut butters,) veggies/crackers and hummus or other dip...Then when we get home, I give the chicken, turkey, etc. Make sure there's protein in your breakfast, too...also, pack a moist paper towel or two sealed in a zip top bag -- this way your kids can wipe off any fruit juice that may have squeezed on to their hands and face. Love to picnic!

Gluten free kids lunches

April 2008

My 12 yo son is gluten free as of about 6 months ago. He does not like most of the gluten free breads. I'm out of school lunch ideas. He's so tired of rolled up turkey slices, rice crackers, etc. I can't give him anything that needs to be heated cause there's no access to a microwave at school. Also soupy stuff leaks into his lunchbox and then he won't eat it. He doesn't eat most vegies. Sometimes his lunch comes home untouched. I'm so tired of throwing out untouched food that's been sitting in a lunch box all day. Any ideas? Much appreciated, June

Have you tried the bread at Mariposa Bakeshop in Oakland? (Telegraph at 55th, mariposabaking.com) Mariposa is a gluten- free bakery. Because the bread is fresh, rather than the frozen loaves at Whole Foods or mail order, your son might like it better. You might also try brown rice pasta (Tinkyada is good). If the shells or rotini are stored in tomato sauce (especially if you make it or microwave it in the morning), it should be okay for lunch, if your son doesn't mind it cold. My celiac daughter (now 17) often relies on string cheese, fresh fruit, dried fruit, and organic corn chips when she can't find anything else. Leslie

In terms of heated lunches, you might try a thing called a ''lunch jar'' by Zojirushi (Japanese in origin -- even has kana writing on it!).

It doesn't leak, it keeps things warm, and it allows me to pack things like stir-fries with rice, pasta with sauce (does rice pasta work for your child?), jambalaya with sausage and shrimp, various dinner leftovers, and other such stuff, for my kid who simply won't eat sandwiches, and doesn't like cheese... There are several sizes (I use the petite size but there are two others, one of which is as large as a standard-sized thermos). I simply could not live without this item

I also find that hardboiled eggs, with homemade muffins -- I'm sure you could find gluten-free quick bread recipes -- corn tortillas with stuff rolled in them (a bit fragile but tasty), even cut up hot dogs, work OK for kids Karen

No specific food suggestions, but a few serving tips - ''Soupy stuff'' can be kept quite nicely warm in a stainless steel wide-mouth thermos. It works best if you pre-warm the thermos by pouring some boiling water into it (cover) for about 5 minutes before you put the warm soup in. I got mine at Target a few years ago.

Also - your son may not care as much as you think about warm things being warm. Some things we usually eat warm taste just fine cold/room temperature (think cold pizza and leftover Chinese food). R.K.

I don't deal with the gluten issue, but do pack cold lunches for my daughter, and about 3/4 of what I pack for her is gluten free. I usually pack her 2 pieces of fruit (sometimes carrot sticks instead, but my daighter is also not a huge veggie fan). I usually pack either string cheese or yogurt (Go-gurt types, even though I think they're junky). If I have them on hand, she likes hard-boiled eggs and luncheon meat (we were using up some dry salami left over from a picnic).

What about cold corn-on-the-cob, cut corn, or a corn-based salad? Or sushi? Edamame? Or a grain-based salad using quinoa or millet (think taboulleh, but gluten-free). Chicken or tuna salad. Tortilla chips & guacamole. Carrie

Our staple veggies at lunch are red, orange and yellow peppers (bright, slightly sweet), cucumbers, carrot sticks, and cultured veggies (Cultured brand, can find at Berkeley Tuesday farmers market and at Whole Foods; Three Stone Hearth also offers cultured veggies). I know age 12 can be more difficult than age 4 to get a child to eat something new (assuming cultured veggies are new in your house), but at least at age 12, you can reason with him... Anyway, they add a nice tang to the meal, and of course are loaded with good bacteria which aid digestion.

Occasionally, I make buckwheat-millet pancakes or waffles (recipe from Rebecca Wood--http://www.rwood.com, she has a great cookbook, too) on the weekend and put leftovers of those in her lunch--that's a nice treat.

Best gluten-free bread I've found is by Grindstone Bakery in Sonoma, available at Berkeley Bowl, and, again, Three Stone Hearth. Best wishes, Tracy

We are fifteen months into dealing with gluten free school lunches. My 6 year old daughter also does not care for gluten free bread. However, she does like breadsticks made from Chebe mix (a brazilian product made from tapioca flour). You can roll out the dough into stick form ahead of time, store the sticks in the freezer and bake them in the morning before school so they taste fresh. She likes to dip them in ranch dressing. I also make pizza using this dough and she will eat it at room temperature. I purchase Chebe mix at our local natural foods store but you can get is online as well (or, enter your zip code from the Chebe website to find the nearest store). Some stores carry frozen dough if you don't care to mix it up yourself.

My daugher also likes Trader Joe's gluten free turkey maple sausages - cook them ahead of time then store in the frig, they taste fine at room temperature and better than cold cuts. Sometimes I wrap them in Chebe dough and bake them like a ''pig in a blanket''.

If bread is out, how about cheese with gluten free crackers? (Glutino is our favorite brand of cracker with Laughing Cow cheese wedges). My daughter also makes her own ''nachos'' with corn tortilla chips and shredded or sliced cheese (at room temperature). A thick salsa will stay in a tiny Glad plastic container without leaking (or, place the whole tiny container in a ziploc bag to capture the leak)

We use a small Thermos I bought at Target to send warm gluten free pasta - haven't had any problems with leaks. However, I'm not sure if it would hold enough food for a 12 year old. You could also make a gluten free pasta salad using Italian dressing or some other non-mayonnaise containing dressing that can be eaten at room temp. You can purchase salad dressing in individual packets as minimus.com to avoid leaks.

If your son likes hard boiled eggs, these are easy to send with a little salt and pepper in a ziploc bag.

Good luck, I know how challenging this diet is and I too am at my wits end regarding school lunches. mom of 6 yr old celiac who hates to eat

correction to the link for salad dressing in packets (as well as other items such as gluten free soy sauce). Also be sure to review the ingredients list of all products as not all items at this site are gluten free. The url is: minimus.biz (not minimus.com) mom of 6 year old celiac who hates to eat

I have a GF child, here are some lunch ideas:  string cheese salami rice cakes apples bananas, all other dried or fresh fruits carrot sticks potato chips corn chips corn tortillas 
berkeley one

Also, at Whole Foods, you can ask customer service for a list of gluten-free products, which may give you more ideas. Hope this helps

I wonder what kind of gluten-free bread you have tried. The ones that most health food stores carry around here are pretty awful. There are a few exceptions however. You might try the Whole Foods brand (Bakehouse). All Bakehouse gluten-free products are quite good, but expensive. They are in the frozen food section. The only other brand of decent bread that I know of that you can get around here is the fresh baked bread from Mariposa Bakery in Oakland. I usually bake my own bread. Sometimes I mail order bread. My favorite for on-line orders is Kinickinick bread from Canada. They also make really good gluten-free bagels and donuts. Your son grew up eating wheat bread, so it's going to take him a while to get use to a different flavor. Making sandwiches from gluten-free bread is challenging, especially when it comes right out of the cold fridge. I spritz mine with water and then toast on the lightest setting to soften it up. Then I make sure the sandwich isn't over-stuffed with meat or lettuce. I keep them simple so they hold together more easily.

My duaghter was getting bored with my lunches that I made, because all I ccould think of were sandwiches. Then I discovered the wide-mouth thermos! Having the hot lunch option was a savior. I never experienced our thermos leaking. Maybe the one you have is faulty. My daughter loves homemade soups or canned soups, pasta, mac & cheese, etc. You should find out what your son does like to eat. Try to think outside the lunch menu box and maybe offer him things that you might eat at dinner time that you know he likes. Americans get stuck on sandwiches, which are really not my favortie type of food anyway. Sometimes to cut corners on time and effort I will heat up Amy's frozen gluten-free Mac & cheese entree and put that in the thermos. Or I might put in baked beans, or left over stew or soup from the night before. Veggies are tastey if you offer some yummy dip to dip them into. Anyway, I know it's a challenge. My daughter still doesn't eat everything in her lunch from time to time. And I think you will find that is true for all parents, regardless of whether or not the food is gluten-free. We can get stuck in a rut, and our kids can quickly get bored with their food. What's important is to vary it. Hope that helps. Laurey