Annie, I actually don't have a problem with Sebastian choosing to socialize rather then eat, well not with Sebastian anyway. I feel that part of why he is going to school is for the social part. I hate the way the schools devalue eating and socialization. The other problem is the cafeteria, actually it is a cafe-gym-atorium and it is loud and awful. All the kids prefer it when they have lunch in their classroom, at least according to my informal poll. lol, I have often had much with them in the cafeteria and once in the classroom. They were much better at eating while socializing in the classroom. The problem is lunch is when the teachers get a break. I would like teachers to eat with them and have their break during recess. My felling about food is make sure to feel good about everything you serve so it does not matter what they make a meal of. I told a friend of mine when we had 1 year olds, serve them good food and don't pay attention to what is on the floor or still on the tray. So long as you served it it counts. I don't even make my kids take a bite. I tried that once and the gaging etc was not worth it. Plus he had built up that he would not like it. I have told them if it is on their plate and they don't want it, don't talk about it. If they say something is disgusting I will require a bite, ignore it and I am fine. I just hate to have my food insulted ;-) Also they will need these manners for other peoples homes. My kids can have problems in the house of some peers as they are used to a certain level of food. They will not eat frozen pizza, super market rotisserie chicken ... We have friends who eat frozen pizza, when we go over to their house for pizza we bring dough, sauce etc. -Robin

Shaun, there are several things on that list that The Picky One would eat and The Little Gourmet would go nuts for - thanks for the ideas! Terri - I will also be making your Pizza Rolls they look fantastic and I am going to make it even easier on myself and pick up a ready made pizza dough at our local pizza shop. Here is another list from a few years ago where I have found inspiration. It is similar to Grainlady's link, but there are a few differences. 14 Fresh Brown Bag Lunch Ideas Pasta Lover's Lunch Salad. Pack a cold pasta salad and a plastic fork, and your pasta lover will love you, too! Make your salad with lean meat or low-fat cheese (so it has some protein), lots of vegetables to boost fiber and nutrition, and use a whole-grain blend pasta, like Barilla Plus. Then just drizzle some light vinaigrette over the top and toss. Pita Pocket Sandwich. Pack your whole-grain pita pocket with chicken Caesar salad, or any other lean meat or cheese filler mixed with vegetables and dark green lettuce. The Fruit and Cheese Plate Special. Make crispy cracker sandwiches with whole-wheat crackers, slices of assorted cheese, and lean meats. Don't forget the fruit, which goes nicely with the cheese and adds fiber and nutrition. Peanut Butter Fun Pack. Pack 1/8 cup of natural-style peanut butter, along with a plastic knife or spoon, wheat crackers, and celery sticks, and you have a peanut butter fun pack! Bagel With Cream Cheese, Please. Bagels are a wonderful foundation for hardy sandwiches that stand up to being in a backpack or locker all morning. You can toast a bagel in the morning and simply spread some light cream cheese in the middle. Or make a bagel sandwich with, say, a little light cream cheese, some turkey, and cranberry sauce, then top it off with alfalfa sprouts or Romaine lettuce. Carry a Cobb Salad. Plastic containers can hold the makings of a delicious salad lunch. Fill it with chopped green lettuce, chopped hard-boiled egg, light cheese, and/or lean ham. You can buy packets of light dressing, or just use extra packets of light salad dressing left over from your last trip to the fast-food chain. It's a Wrap! Wraps are a nice change of pace from the usual sandwich. Use one of the new higher-fiber tortillas, like the multigrain flour tortillas available in most supermarkets. Then fill 'er up with chicken Caesar salad or assorted lean meats, cheese, tomato, sliced onion, shredded Romaine lettuce, and light dressing. Just roll it up and wrap in foil. Noodle Soup Cups. Many schools offer a hot water dispenser so kids can add hot water to packaged noodle soup cups. Some brands are higher in sodium and fat, and lower in fiber than others. Check out the options in stores like Whole Foods or Trader Joe's. Veggie Sushi. Not all kids will go for this one, but there are some out there who really like seaweed-wrapped sushi rolls. You can now buy pre-made sushi at many supermarkets, too. Choosing the veggie-filled sushi means there's no chance the sushi will get a little "fishy" while it's in your kid's backpack. Toss Some Taco Salad. If taco salad is a favorite, you can pack the meat mixture tossed with the shredded cheese, tomatoes, and chopped Romaine lettuce in a plastic container. At lunchtime, your child can add crunchy, reduced-fat tortilla chips and a little light dressing. Fried Rice Can Be Fun. When made with eggs or chopped lean ham and lots of veggies, cold fried rice can be a satisfying noontime treat. Make your own, or plan on leftovers the night before if you're ordering from a restaurant. Talk About Taquitos. I started doing this last year, and it seems to have stuck with my girls. I pop some Bean and Cheese frozen Taquitos from Whole Foods into my toaster oven in the morning, then let them cool. Then, I wrap them in foil and make sure they stay cool by packing a frozen juice box or small water bottle. By noon, they are cold, fun finger food. BBQ Chicken Sandwich. Your child can assemble a yummy BBQ grilled chicken sandwich fresh at lunchtime. Just pack a grilled, boneless, skinless chicken breast (you can make it in your indoor grill the night before) with some lettuce and sliced tomato in one baggie, and a whole-wheat bun in another. Add a packet of BBQ sauce to the lunch bag, and it's good to go. Meal Muffins. Certain types of muffins work as a lunch entr. If you bake them over the weekend and keep them in the freezer, you just have to pull one or two out in the morning. By lunch, they are nicely chilled and ready to eat. Try ham and cheese muffins, Mexican Cornbread muffins, or quiche muffins (quiche filling, baked with or without crust in a muffin pan).

You can certainly pack lunches cheaper than the school. Besides, you keep control of what's actually in the food your children are eating. Go to www.laptoplunches.com for a great lunch box system that is good for the environment and your budget in the long run. I have four kids so throwing away 20 ziploc sandwich bags and countless snack size bags is just senseless. They also have pics of how folks use the system and some great recipe ideas too. I'm even doing cloth napkins this year! My mother, who loves to sew and has a serger, volunteered to make the kids napkins for their lunch boxes (themed of course). They haven't arrived yet, but I'm so excited! OK, here are some of the recipe's that are in heavy rotation at my house. I cut recipes out and put in a binder in plastic sleeves so the kids can make these themselves. The plastic sleeves help keep the recipe and pictures clean. The binder is in our "lunch box station" of the kitchen where everything they need to pack lunches is located in one spot. It helps me know what we're low on and I have a piece of paper posted inside the cabinet that says... 1. Sandwich, 2. Crunchy (pretzels, celery, carrots, etc.), drink, 3. wet snack (fruit, yogurt, cottage cheese, etc.), 4. dry snack (mini-muffin, peanuts, etc.), 5. dessert, 6. Napkin, 7. Utensil (if needed). Do you have at least seven things in your lunch? Waffle Apple sandwich: Two whole grain frozen waffles, 2% american cheese, low sodium ham, 1 sliced green apple. Pinwheel Bites: 1 slice 100% whole wheat bread (we use sugar free) with crust removed, 1 Tbs low fat mayo, 2 slices turkey breast, 1 slice 2% cheddar cheese. Flaten bread with rolling pin or drinking glass. Spread bread with mayo. Top with turkey and cheese; roll up tightly. Cut crosswise into 4 pinwheels. Stack and wrap tightly and wrap in plastic wrap if needed. Turkey Tortilla Wrap: 1 whole wheat tortilla (warm if needed to make more pliable), 1 Tbs light cream cheese, 2 Tbs salsa, 3 slices turkey breast, 2 Tbs shredded cheddar, 2 lettuce leaves. Spread tortilla with cream chesses spread and salsa. Top with turkey, cheese and lettuce. Roll up tightly. Cut in half and wrap in plastic wrap if needed. All-American Hero: 1/4 c shredded lettuce, 1 Tbs newmans own organic ranch dressing, 1 whole wheat hot dog bun, 1 slice turkey bologna, 1 slice 2% cheese of y our choice cut in half. Toss lettuce with dressing, fill bun with bologna, cheese, sliced tomatoes and lettuce mixture. Wrap in plastic if necessary. Pizza-dilla: 1 whole wheat tortilla, 1/4 c shredded mozzarella cheese, 1 Tbs pizza sauce, 1 Tbs each chopped tomatoes and green peppers. Top tortilla with sauce and remaining ingredients; fold in half. Wrap in plastic wrap if necessary. Microwave on high for 15 seconds or until cheese begins to melt and wrap in foil. Bologna Wiggles: 1 slice turkey bologna cut into strips, 1 2% american cheese cut into strips, 1 Tbs ranch or mayo, 1 100% whole wheat hot dog bun, partially split. Toss bologna and 2% cheese with dressing or mayo; serve in bun. Turkey BBQ Fold: 1 slice whole wheat bread, 1 tsp light mayo or low fat ranch, 1 tsp bbq sauce, 1 slice 2% American cheese, 3 slices turkey breast, 3 slices cucumber. Spread bread with dressing or mayo and bbq sauce; fil with remaining ingredients. Fold in half. We typically don't do traditional chips with lunch (cheetos, fritos, doritos), but opt for Sunchips or Pretzels made with wheat flour instead (Synders is a good choice). Look for "Cheddar Bunnies" and other products by Aunt Annie in the organic isle of your grocery instead of Gold Fish crackers which have trans fats and/or hydrogenated oils...I can't remember which. We keep the following on had for lunches... grapes strawberries blueberries carrots pears apples (red and green) whole wheat tortillas cucumbers popcorn mini carrots green and red peppers cheddar cheese sticks Lastly, check out Jessica Seinfield's book entitled, Deceptively Delicious for some good snack/lunch ideas for your kiddies. I make cookies and mini-muffins (banana chocolate chip, zucchini, and carrot) once each month for lunches. For cookies, I make the dough and freeze in little balls so all I have to do is pop them in the oven. For muffins, I make the muffins and then freeze them so that we just pull a batch out for the week on Sunday night. It sounds time consuming, but the kids help and it's healthier for them so it's worth it. I use 1/2 wheat flour + 1/2 all-purpose flour (all wheat would put the kids over the edge), LOL. I add about 2 Tbs ground flax seed meal + Fiber-Sure to the cookies AND the muffins and the kids have never ever complained. I feel great that they are no longer taking Oreo's, Dorito's, or granola bars and other processed foods with all of the chemicals, trans fats, hydrogenated oils and high fructose corn syrup (and other unknown junk that you can't even pronounce). The older I get the more I realize that convenience items are not only filling the landfills (you can't recycle juice boxes or mini chip bags) but filling our bodies with toxins. Little changes can make all the difference in the world. Start small... I hope this helps someone! Heidi P. S. I like to send turkey hot dogs as an occasional treat too. The thermos is a fantastic idea. My son just loves it when I send in hot dogs. You can also send in chicken nuggets the same way. P. P. S. Also check out www.wastefreelunches.com. They actually give the numbers on how much $$ you can save each year by omitting convenience items and baggies, etc.

Surely they have a break before lunch? He needs food during that break. I'd be starving too if I couldn't eat anything between breakfast and lunch. I agree with Sylvia, pack him something for the break time AND for lunch. (Stuff at canteens can be appalling rubbish. Don't know what it's like over there but Jamie Oliver tried to move mountains, improving the rubbish dished up in British school canteens. Unfortunately, the fast food industry is involved and so he didn't have a hope. What was worse (almost) is that he didn't get much support from parents. I think you son is very lucky to be given good food by his mum. And he probably does eat it. The trouble with going so long between 'feeds' is that the body does a bit of a crazed gobbling act where we can't really enjoy our food due to such hunger. Appetite is great, but being too hungry isn't (in my opinion). Hope all goes well.