What to pack for a preschooler?

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I think we need to remember one thing here - this thread is about a pre-school aged child. There are some things you just don't give a child this age when they basically have to sometimes feed themselves. I'm sure that you, Lady DeWinters, will take all that into consideration. ;) They have little hands and I seriously doubt can hold a sandwich together that is full of what an adult would have on their sandwich.

Here are feeding/portioning guidelines for Preschoolers (ages 4-6). I have them for toddlers (1-3) and preadolescents (7-10) if anyone's interested.

Milk of dairy--4, 3/4 c servings

Meat, fish, beans, poultry, or eggs--2 servings (1-2 oz meat, 1 egg, 2 TB peanut butter, 1/2 c beans

Vegetables, fruit, or juice--5 servings (1/4-1/2 c or 1/2 c juice)

Grains--4-6 servings (1 slice bread; 1/2 c cereal, rice, pasta or potato)
 
Not sure if anyone posted this on here, but I get some Granola Bites for my daughter's lunch. They come in cinnamon, chocolate and peanut butter flavors and are only 90 calories. You might also try secker (sp) pears which are small and sweet for a little one. Mini sandwiches made with whole wheat bread, fresh peanut butter and a low sugar jelly would be a good lunch item. My 4 year old eats carrot sticks and cut up fresh fruit throughout the day.
 
this has been a good read, thanks for posting it lady d. :)

my wife and i have decided to send our son to a school where the policy is all children eat the same meals and snacks all day. that way, there's no competition or jealousy.

just soylent green for everyone. :shock:

he starts next monday. i'm soooooo nervous. the oreos i was holding for him are all crumbled. :(
 
this has been a good read, thanks for posting it lady d. :)

my wife and i have decided to send our son to a school where the policy is all children eat the same meals and snacks all day. that way, there's no competition or jealousy.

just soylent green for everyone. :shock:

he starts next monday. i'm soooooo nervous. the oreos i was holding for him are all crumbled. :(
I'll be thinking about ya'll BT. Sending your little one off to school is really traumatic. Here's a tip, though: wait to have the good, stiff drink til after you pick him up otherwise they will never let you be a room parent or class chaperone.;)
 
lol, f-m.

no, no drinks that morning. i'll be getting home from work just in time to go along for the ride, and take a few pictures. my little guy can't wait to go, so i hope he understands that we'll be leaving him there for the day.
a nail biting, nerve wracking, stomach wrenching day. for us, that is.

i'm sure he'll be fine.
 
They have little hands and I seriously doubt can hold a sandwich together that is full of what an adult would have on their sandwich.

That's why they make knives. When your done spreading the mayo, mustard, or whatever, set the knife aside, and after the sandwich is assembled, cut it in half, or even quarters if necessary. Most kids prefer diagonal as opposed to parallel. I became quite adept at inserting a cut sandwich into a baggie wihout it falling apart.

I know my kid was the exception when it came to packing a lunch. The people at the pre-school couldn't even believe how much he could put away. If someone forgot their lunch, they'd ask around if anyone had anything they weren't going to eat. His answer was always "NO!"
 
Recently wrote out the list

My dd attends Kindy. Her school is a private school that has a mandatory lunch program, but because we have her on an all-natural (nothing preserved) diet, she is exempted from it and I pack her a snack and lunch every day. To save myself a lot head-scratching in the late evening/early morning, I wrote out a list of foods that I know she will eat and eat fast enough to (usually) finish in the time allotted. I've been using these foods since she was 3, but just this year actually wrote it all down. Here is *her* list... perhaps you can get some ideas from it. She eats only whole grains and, as best as I can help it, no HFCS. Keep in mind, everything, including any sandwiches, are cut into as near to bite-sized as I can get. ;)

pb or nut butter & fruit spread, honey, or fruit
all-natural turkey with lettuce and cheese in a ww pita, wrap or bread
taco meat, beans, lettuce, and cheese wrap
lox and cream cheese wrap
tas kebap (a Turkish stew dd likes)
börek (a Turkish appetizer with cheese)
homemade chicken nuggets
homemade köfte (made with lamb)
rice (sometimes with cooked peas)
bulgur pilaf
couscous
homemade whole wheat mac and 4 cheese casserole
pea soup with pita croutons
potato soup
chicken soup
sliced pickles
olives & feta cheese salad with pita triangles
carrots
cauliflower
cucumber
broccoli
hummus and pita triangles
Caesar salad (kit... she assembles it herself)
Annie's organic snack crackers
all-natural granola bars
whole wheat pretzels
organic yogurt tubes
plain greek yogurt & fresh fruit
flavored all-natural yogurt or activia
cottage cheese
cheese & crackers
apples
grapes
oranges
cantaloupe
watermelon
pomegranate
pears
peaches
kiwi
strawberries
pineapple

Drink is water in her Sigg bottle or a UHT organic milk.
 
Lady D,

Does the school allow for lunches/snacks that need to be heated? My kids preschool was very good about that so we were able to send in all sorts of "real" food. Their primary school is cold lunch only which makes it a whole lot more difficult for good lunches. Also, is there refrigeration at the school to keep the lunches cold?

Michael
 
Lady D,

Does the school allow for lunches/snacks that need to be heated? My kids preschool was very good about that so we were able to send in all sorts of "real" food. Their primary school is cold lunch only which makes it a whole lot more difficult for good lunches. Also, is there refrigeration at the school to keep the lunches cold?

Michael


Hi Michael,

No, the school does not allow food to be heated. I guess they don't want to deal with the mess. I think they're only allowed like 10 minutes for their snacks so the snacks have to be quicky, easily eaten and no mess. They did mention no peanuts and no juice.

I've packed my little one chicken meat wrapped in a tortilla wrap but she complained it was too 'yucky' and did not eat. She did loved the cheese spread with crackers.

Thank you all once again for the good tips. I'm printing out these new ideas to try out! ;)
 
At our preschool, we were given a list of manufacturers, and we must send in food prepared by them and no other. We can't send in home-cooked snacks, and they have a no-nut rule. I am totally for this! I myself am allergic to soy and peanuts, I developed the allergy as an adult. I understand only too well how dangerous allergies are, and preschoolers are too young to be able to know they should avoid certain foods. It's up to adults to take care of them.
 
Oh my goodness, it's a small preschool, nothing nearly so sinister as a payoff. The list is a dozen or more name brands. I know some brands of food have ingredients not listed, so I think these particular brands have just been proven safer. I once bought a jar of almond butter made by a small, little known company, and it had peanut butter in it. (not listed in the ingredients) That would be the reason for the preschool providing a list of manufacturers.
 
At our preschool, we were given a list of manufacturers, and we must send in food prepared by them and no other.

Which means that you have to send in processed food. No wonder the US has a childhood obesity epidemic. The local organic farmer isn't on the list, so apples from his orchard aren't acceptable? My goodness, how we have devolved!

If that were the case for dd's school, she's be out of there before she could blink.
 
Well, it's only for 2 1/2 hours, two mornings a week, he gets plenty of fruit at home. I have hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) and I really need some kind of protein snack between meals, not just fruit. I've noticed with my kids they go a little crazy if their own blood sugar starts to drop without a bit of protein, too. A few crackers are great for a preschooler midmorning with some juice. Because of my own soy allergies I buy a lot of healthy foods at home instead of processed foods. I'm not too worried about that. I also have two teenagers, I've learned I can't keep them in a bubble forever. :cool:
 
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Which means that you have to send in processed food. No wonder the US has a childhood obesity epidemic. The local organic farmer isn't on the list, so apples from his orchard aren't acceptable? My goodness, how we have devolved!

If that were the case for dd's school, she's be out of there before she could blink.

I'm with you, Sister. I would be singing from the rafters if anyone deigned to give me a list of pre-packaged, pre-processed food I could have sent in with my kids. While I completely disagree with the no nut policy, at least I can understand the machinations behind that policy. The idea that something 'store bought' could be healthier than home made is preposterous.
 
I never said the preschool had stated that store bought was healthier than home made now, did I? As so outspokenly stated, that is preposterous. The food that parents send to school is shared by ALL the children; it is not eaten by their child only. They have to do that so parents don't accidentally send in something made with nuts. I can't tell you how many idiots there are in this world that cook something "healthy", they swear it has no nuts, yet they've added something like chocolate chips that do indeed contain peanuts. Preschoolers will often share their food with the child sitting next to them, so this just eliminates the chance that a child will be given something prepared with nuts. And it helps if they are all sharing the same food so that one child doesn't want what Johnny has, etc.
 
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I never said the preschool had stated that store bought was healthier than home made now, did I? As so outspokenly stated, that is preposterous. The food that parents send to school is shared by ALL the children; it is not eaten by their child only. They have to do that so parents don't accidentally send in something made with nuts. I can't tell you how many idiots there are in this world that cook something "healthy", they swear it has no nuts, yet they've added something like chocolate chips that do indeed contain peanuts. Preschoolers will often share their food with the child sitting next to them, so this just eliminates the chance that a child will be given something prepared with nuts. And it helps if they are all sharing the same food so that one child doesn't want what Johnny has, etc.

Actually, I think that’s a pretty good idea. It’s certainly the safest bet when it comes to dangerous food allergies. People without food allergies give very little thought to ingredients and can easily slip in something fatal to a relatively harmless recipe.

You know what really bugs me though, it’s the whole “processed food” thing. I really wish there was another term for it. Unless you’re eating raw veggies and fruits, ALL food is processed. That t-bone steak doesn’t grow on a tree that way.....the cow was butchered and processed. That cheese didn’t develop on it’s own....there is a process involved. That fresh organic broccoli sitting on the counter didn’t turn into broccoli cheese soup on it’s own.....the ingredients were processed to make it so.

Yeah, I know the gripe is all the “additives” that are used in “junk food”. The biggest problem is high sodium content that is used for preservation......but all you have to do is pick low sodium alternatives. They make those. And then there is the concern over trans fatty acids.....but you can pick items where that is reduced or eliminated. How about high sugar content.....there are sugar free alternatives.

There’s nothing wrong with “processed food” in moderation. Everything on this planet should be enjoyed in moderation. I can’t think of one thing that can be enjoyed in excess without penalty.

I’d think it far better that little Johnny gets to share his buddy's baked Lays potato crisps instead of homemade fat-ridden pork cracklin’. Not that I have anything against pork cracklin’ mind you :angel:.......but it should be obvious that of the two choices, the baked Lays chips are the better option....even though they are “processed”.

My ketchup, mayo, and mustard are all processed, and they go great with that processed cheese slice on my whole grain bun with that grilled organic beef patty. I mean seriously, even when most scream that processed foods are bad, they completely over look that it is a regular part of the diet, even though you think you are avoiding it by using whole grain this or organic that. Until I figure out how to make my own ketchup, I guess I’m stuck in the “processed food” rut.......and I don’t’ think I’ll ever go through the trouble of figuring that one out! ;)

Moderation. That’s the key.
 
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keltin said:
Until I figure out how to make my own ketchup, I guess I’m stuck in the “processed food” rut.......and I don’t’ think I’ll ever go through the trouble of figuring that one out! ;)


Send me a case of SouthPaw beer, and I'll send ya a century old Catsup recipe that will blow your Organic beef patty right off your Mulit/Whole grain bun!!!:LOL:
 

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