Nut-free lunchbox ideas

**Jessiebean** · May 28th, 2012, 09:16 AM

Chickpea patties, pita bread filled with spinach, olives, capsicum, cucumber, hummus, focaccia with roasted veggies, tuna and rice, grain salad (grains, capers, sultanas), homemade veggie chips. The list goes on. There are SO many lunch options without nuts, even without meat and dairy, it's just a matter of getting creative.

...and finding things that actually get eaten- our eldest is given 10 minutes to eat so anything like noodles or sushi or pita stuffed with salad is off the list- he doesn't have time to eat it with his five year old hand eye co-ordination! TBH he even finds cheese sliced up on a sandwich a challenge when eating on the run which is why scrolls work well for him.

**Phteven** · May 28th, 2012, 09:32 AM

Just on the subject of variety...... I know that all children are different but mine actually seem to thrive on monotony. I suspect that variety is more important to adult than children. Every day for 2 years I have asked DS2 what he wants on his sandwich and every day without fail he says hommus. Once he astonished me by asking for philly cheese and honey but then 2 minutes later he said that he'd changed his mind and he wanted hommus. About once a week he asks if he can have peanut butter even though he knows the answer is no. DS1 mixes it up by which I mean that he usually asks for the same thing for 3 weeks and then he changes to something new and asks for that for 3 weeks. I try for a bit of variety in the snack department but I'm pretty sure that they would be ok if they got the dame snacks and fruit every day.

**Jessiebean** · May 28th, 2012, 10:15 AM

Wow I envy you actuallly, our boys are real divas when it come to variety, both of them cope poorly with being given the same food more than 2 days in a row, the three year old doesn't like anything 3 times in a week. It's pretty funny actually to seem them throwing their weight around about their food (sometimes) but can be very exhausting too. They really liked bran muffins for a while ... I might try to make them with more wheatgerm adn less bran (too much fibre for tiny guys!)

**LimeSlice** · May 28th, 2012, 11:11 AM

Chickpea patties, pita bread filled with spinach, olives, capsicum, cucumber, hummus, focaccia with roasted veggies, tuna and rice, grain salad (grains, capers, sultanas), homemade veggie chips. The list goes on. There are SO many lunch options without nuts, even without meat and dairy, it's just a matter of getting creative.

There are several restrictions to that though - like them being able to eat it unassisted, time constraints of how long the school gives them to eat lunch (if they don't finish it in time, they can't go out and play), their normal likes/dislikes, how long it takes to prepare these things at home, how long they keep vs cost (especially if it is something only C is eating). Needing to be creative is one thing, having time to find out the hard way what works and what doesn't, whilst being a full-time studying, part-time working, single mum of 2 kids, is the hard part.

Really loving all these suggestions! Thanks

And those links are really helpful, too.

Onyx - this is another issue - changing her mindset about it. Her lunch is most days a variation of peanut butter (with celery and cheese; honey and banana; carrot and cheese; onion; vegemite lettuce and cheese....yes, all though WITH peanut butter, she is wacky! lol) But that is what she likes, she *likes* eating PB everyday and enjoys it. So the monotony is there, I vent my variety frustrations on her snacks usually (lol) but it is going to require changing her mindset. That's why I'm asking early, going to start trying things out on her and see what she actually likes and doesn't like before school starts. FX!

**PumpkinZulu** · May 28th, 2012, 12:00 PM

Oh okay, fair enough

Really didn't think my suggestions were too out there. That's the sort of stuff my mum made fr us, she worked full time and was a single parent of two. Point is, you should be fine, just need to kick the PB habit during school hours by the looks of it

**Pholi** · May 28th, 2012, 12:01 PM

Interesting thread...

I can't answer for kids lunches (I don't have any) but my biggest food discovery on the last 5 years or so has been homemade hummus and hummus-style bean dips. I have been eating more of these since pregnant, because I'm reducing the amount of tuna I eat, and avoiding deli meats and soft cheeses, which were my lunch staples along with bread/wrap/crispbread, salad veg and fruit.

Hummus, like the bean dips, actually freezes really well, so I make a large amount (2-3 tins worth of beans or chickpeas) and freeze it in small containers or icecube trays, and just defrost what I want for the day. It even defrosts well in the microwave! They also last the best part of a week in the fridge, but I'm being extra cautious because of my pregnancy atm. They can both be made to different textures, with more or less blending, and different thicknesses, too. I add very little oil, if at all, and more water/whatever other liquid I put in them, which increases the health factor unless you subscribe to the 'more olive oil is better for you' school if thought, in which case, I'm cutting out a few extra calories.

There's no sugar, unlike most muffin and many slice recipes.

And I flavour them differently depending on my mood at the time - lemon and garlic, lime and ginger, cumin and coriander, cajun, roasted red pepper, green onion, sundried tomato, olive... I've even tried using steamed veg to add to it - carrot, cauli, parsnip - the stronger flavoured veg made for a more distinctive spread, but they all need some kind of spice or herb with it (think soup flavours - cumin with the carrot, parsnip and curry, cauli and parmesan were all good combos).

These are pretty cost efficient, time efficient if you make a larger amount and freeze, healthy, can be used as a spread in wraps or sandwiches, alone or with other ingredients, or as a dip with crackers or crudites.

Have I sold these to anyone yet? Can you tell I'm a big fan?

I also have had a yoghurt maker for the last year or so, and have discovered how easy and cheap it is to make cream cheese at home. This also lasts well in the fridge (though doesn't freeze very well) and supports a myriad of different flavourings/toppings, as demonstrated by the dips shelf at the supermarket. I often use a thin layer on a sandwich instead of butter, or in a thicker layer as a main ingredient of a sanger or wrap.

***Efjay*** · January 27th, 2013, 04:49 PM

subbing to come back to as Kindy is also nut free due to a child with allergy in his class.

**shellbell3** · January 27th, 2013, 06:38 PM

Rice paper rolls have been a hit at DD school, and they don't even have to be filled with the usual stuff, we've made ham and lettuce ones, whatever you have lying around.

Quinoa veggie patties, taste yummy cold, DD loves them, easy to make.

veggie muffins

**Novella** · January 27th, 2013, 08:41 PM

My children love 'everything on a plate' we have divided Tupperware containers and I put a selection of diced foods on it. Favourites include ham,kabana, chicken, fritz(Devon for those not in SA)/boiled egg, cheese, cucumber, grapes, carrot, strawberries, dried fruit, crackers. Guess its our version of a bento box.

DD1 lives taking tuna and crackers, couscous and coleslaw. Cold zucchini slice and pasta salad is something else I'm going to trial.

Yoghurt is always a loved snack, Banana bread, rice crackers, tinned fruit, tinned fruit with custard, Muesli bars, fruit tubs, Anzac biscuits

I'm going to trial sending crackers and toppings that they can put together themselves, they are doing it at home so entices I'm just not sure about the time factor but I think it will be fun for them.

DD1 is a peanut butter fiend so we have discussed not having it at Kindy and she is fine with the idea now and has started having other sandwich fillings

My current frustration is children can have yoghurt but not custard. A number of yogurts have much more sugar/fat/colouring and preservatives than my custard! Sorry end rant.