Lunch at Home

A sweet friend of mine from junior high asked me what I feed my kiddos for lunch. While we do get Chick Fil A or McDonalds occasionally, we eat at home much more. Andrew has always been a very good eater. Now that he is almost 3, we are able to negotiate his intake a little better than when he was younger. I try to put a meat, a fruit, a veggie and a carb on his plate. Some days he eats alot. Some days he barely takes two bites. Lila is much pickier. I never know what she will actually eat. But I try to fix them one plate - take it or leave it. I give them fruit snacks or some other sweet if they eat a good meal. I try to hold off on snacks so they don't get the idea that if they don't eat what mommy fixes, they can just have snacks to fill their tummies.

The key for me is to have things available in the fridge that are quick and easy to serve. Anything that actually needs to be cooked(*), I do so in the evenings or plan time in the morning so that I am not scrambling when everyone is tired and ready to eat. I would love for you to share some of your kids' favorite (easy) lunch ideas!

Meat
Turkey hot dogs

Fully cooked ham cubes
Mini (or not) corndogs
Sandwiches cut w/ cookie cutters
Chicken Nuggets
Chicken Fries
Mini cheeseburgers
Meatballs
Leftovers*

Sides

Canned fruit - mandarin oranges, peaches, pears
Fresh fruit - blueberries, bananas, peeled apples, grapes, strawberries
Apple Sauce
Yogurt

Broccoli w/ cheese (microwave)
Canned green beans (a little softer than the frozen variety)

Matchstick carrots w/ ranch

Corn (Kernel or on the cob)

Baby peas (steam in bag)

Lima beans (frozen)*
Steamed carrots*
Baked sweet potatoes*

Mac & Cheese*
Pasta Roni*
Cheetos

Pretzels

Snacks

Cheese crackers w/ peanut butter

Yogurt raisins

Fruit snacks
Flavored rice cakes
Reduced fat Vanilla Wafers