I pack my girls 1/2 a sandwich most days. PBJ, turkey/cheese, tuna salad, chicken salad, egg salad. Into the sandwich-sized Tupperware container, I put the 1/2 sandwich and some type of "treat" such as pretzels (Deirdre's favorite), wheat thins, Fritos (Delaney's favorite), gold fish, etc. On top of that I may add a dried pinapple slice in a soft Baggie or a Hershey kiss or a piece of Halloween candy. Maybe yogurt-covered raisins or golden raisins. Close the Tupperware container. Then comes fruit or veggie - apple sauce, mandarin oranges, jello with fruit, baby carrots, or grape tomatoes. Last comes organic milk (which the school doesn't sell and the milk line takes to much time for my slow eater anyway). On occasion, I put in calcium-fortified OJ box. Sometimes, I throw in a yogurt. Throw in a napkin and an ice pack. That's it 80% of the time. Other days, I pack soup or pasta or other leftovers in a thermos you just take the lid off. I run very hot water in the thermos while nuking the soup/pasta, then fill it almost all the way up so there's not much air and the contents stay hot. Be careful now tight you screw the lid on!!! The first day I sent soup in Delaney's cute Scooby Do thermos, all the lunch ladies tried to open it and they had to call the janitor over to get the lid off. Apparently, it was on so tight it created a vacuum! (And who knows where the janitor's hands were before the lunchroom???) We've also done cheese-and-crackers and celery-peanut-butter in place of the 1/2 sandwich. They love turkey pepperoni, too. They may get a hard-boiled egg. I saw some kids with cold pizza and thought that was a brilliant idea. I let them buy lunch one day a week to have the experience of making their own selections and paying for their purchase. Our school has a keypad where you enter your lunch code to have the $ deducted from your account. Way cool. Kari

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).

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.

I would double check on the egg allergy rules to make sure it really means no baked goods with eggs. Everyone I've ever know who was allergic to eggs was just allergic to them in the flesh but usually not in cooked goods. Even then, I wouldn't think they would be a proximity worry if incorporated and cooked in baked goods. I wonder if the parents actually know the parameters of their child's egg allergy and are misinterpreting what it means. Of course, anything is possible and maybe it's as severe as it sounds. I'm glad someone mentioned cutting grapes and cherry tomatoes. No 2 year old should be given those whole because of the choking hazard. They should still be cut for even older children until their airways are larger and their chewing is more efficient. I think hummus is a great choice and it can be put into sandwiches instead of used as a dip. Same with thinks like tofu - you can make a tasty tofu salad, like tuna salad with well drained tofu. Season it or buy tofu products that are already seasoned. Coconut yogurt might be a good choice...it comes in many flavors. Edamame is healthy and kids love it. I buy the already shelled kind, but my grandson sometimes likes opening the pods and eating the beans. Be careful of things like Lunchables. They are loaded with salt and the smoked meats are not good for anyone to eat with any regularity. Tortillas or flatbread spread with seasoned refried beans, then rolled and cut into pinwheels might work for her. The seed butters are also good choices - sandwiches made with that and some jam or honey are yummy. It's a challenge, that's for sure. Good luck! eta: I see that coconut yogurt is not high protein but has lots of good nutritional elements. Here is a list of high protein vegan yogurts...some have nut milk, but many do not: https://foodsguy.com/high-protein-vegan-yogurt/