Show us your lunchbox!

[LimeSlice]

Let the food cool on the bench, then lay it in a single layer on a tray or board and pop it in the freezer. Once it is frozen, you can pick the pieces up and put them in a container or bag together and they will not be all stuck together. You can pull one out at a time.

[HotI]

that makes sense. ta!

[Rouge]

That's it! It just means that nothing sticks together. You can do this with anything. It's a really good trick.

[Astrid]

I am lazy, one all cooled I just chuck in a bag or container. Most of the time they don't stick together too much, depends on what it is really.

[Ca Plane Pour Moi]

Nut-free schools? OK, DS has that but I don't believe it is followed. They let DS in. I'd have lived in a home-school majority area if they made my primary school nut-free all those years ago.

Liebling's lunches this week (that I've made - DH does them when he's around and I'm ill/he's doing the school run usually):
Ham sandwich, apple, cake, water
Ham and cucumber sandwich, raisins, apple, water
2 small samosas, carrot and cucumber sticks, hummous, yoghurt, water

Liebling eats two/three bowls of cereal and some toast before school, fruit at school, then has a cooked snack (eg beans on toast, pancakes...) at about 4.30 then a cooked dinner at 6. He likes getting to pick his lunches, even if he doesn't eat them all, and really likes it if I put in cold pizza or superhero cakes (really tiny cakes with superhero masks on them done with icing).

[Beach Mama]

I told DH about freezing and he reakons things won't defrost in time??? Was talking about some yummy zucchini muffins I made last night and want to make up another batch for her to freeze? Anyone have this happen with any food they freeze?

[LimeSlice]

Never had an issue. If it is cold weather I will pull things out the night before and leave the lunchbox to defrost on the bench overnight, or in the fridge if it is warmer, but I have never had any issues. The size portions of food we are talking about though are really not big, so it doesn't take long.

[Jellyfish]

You could take things out the night before if youre worried. I do that because kindy keeps lunches in a fridge.

[Astrid]

It can depend on when they are eating it. DD does not have lunch till 1pm, so that is a long day for a sandwich to sit in a lunch box even with an ice pack. Certainly for lunch items, I prefer them frozen.

[Cally]

I've certainly never had an issue with things defrosting, but I am conscious of weather. Middle of winter, put in the fridge the night before - 35 degrees, get out of freezer as you're walking out the door. Depends as well on size - are you doing mini muffins or a full size one (eg one batch makes 12 - one tin). Full size will take 3 times as long to defrost.

[Beach Mama]

Thanks all! I'm inclined to trial it - made full sized muffins and lunch is at 1 so I reakon it would be fine. You have all Inspired me to make some tummy healthy stuff for my Poppets.

[sangie]

Tan I trialled it last week and a full sized muffin taken out of the freezer at 8.30am was fully defrosted by lunch time. But it was a warm day. I think on cooler days I'll take it out the night before for her.

[veus]

Today's 'lunch box', corn cobs, sliced apples, rice bread with avocado,small sausage roll, blueberries, crackers + avocado dip. Corn, blueberries, apple & sausage roll gone.

[LimeSlice]

Today: Rice, teriyaki chicken pieces, corn, carrots, banana, mango cupcake and a piece of strass because she randomly asked for one! LOL

[Lenny]

or superhero cakes (really tiny cakes with superhero masks on them done with icing).

SSssshhhhhhh!!!! My kids might move to your house. They have passports.

[Beach Mama]

Thanks Lis!!!!

[Gigi]

i am so impressed, with what all your children eat, fantastic range of food.

Think i have got lucky, no Lunchbox inspections, or Shaming in my kid's school.

We did receive a letter explaining some stuff e.g avoid un-necessary wrappers, avoid supermarket bars and pre=packaged stuff, avoid treat food (sugary treats), no liquid apart from water in their bottles. Bilby tells me her bestie brings LCM bars, so i can tell the school is not strict, they might suggest what to put in the lunch, but no consequences if you don't. The kids all watch to see what each other has in their lunchbox, whoever has the treat food, the rest say "no fair, brown bear". e.g the kid with the LCM bar, or an iced cupcake (contraband!!!!).

I try to adhere to their suggestions, as much as i can with a child who eats very few things. E.g i use cheese slices, instead of block cheese. I'm sure i rely more than i should, on crackers (yes, even rice crackers). I put one piece of fruit (they have fruit time at 9.30 every day). Sometimes i give her traffic lights (cut up sticks of capsicum, celery, carrot, snowpeas), they never get eaten, but i try (sigh).

My version of the "naked" food (e.g no gladwrap) is to put her stuff in re-usable boxes. But now the school is not cutting up their fruit (at Gr. 1 fruit time), i am trying out, wrapping the cut up pear (for example) in alfoil, to see if that helps with the browning of the fruit. to lessen it. I know she would totally refuse to eat the pear, if i did the usual lemon juice trick. So, not totally "naked" food this year.

[Astrid]

You can cut fruit and hold it together with a rubber band to help stop the browning. It works with apples, so it might work with pears, even though they may be too a bit to soft and have the band damage them.
Other wise I do find cut fruit stays pretty good in a air tight container, especially if you keep some of the cut pieces together.