This week’s Saturday Sidebar Question comes from World Moms Blog writer Jennifer Prestholdt.  She asked our writers,

“What do you typically feed your kid(s) for lunch?”

Check out what some of our World Moms had to say…

Mama B. of Saudi Arabia writes:
“We recently decided to go all healthy with their school lunches and meals in general. Go whole wheat all the way. For the kids it was a bit of a rude awakening, and we found out trying new things in their lunch before trying them at home left the kids hungry and their lunch untouched (like cheese and apple on whole wheat toast).

So now we go for healthy stuff they like: peanut butter and jam on whole wheat toast, sweet corn, cucumbers, apple slices, pomegranate, cheese and lettuce sandwiches, and smoked salmon and cream cheese.  My daughter loves vine leaves (lebanese style) so we give her that. My son loves a fruit called Mangosteen, so we give him that – when we can find it LOL!

And to drink either…milk or water. Never juice.  Looking forward to getting more ideas from here!”

Jennifer Burden of New Jersey, USA writes:
“I am the healthiest lunchbox packer…but my kid won’t eat her lunch!! A lunchbox staple that she WILL eat is hummus in little individual containers. And Mama B’s answer just reminded me that I need to get creative with fruits again!”

Maggie Ellison of South Carolina, USA writes:
“I pack my son’s school lunch each day & it includes…

  • PB&J or cheese on whole wheat bread
  • Fruit (apples, grapes, strawberries & bananas are his favorites)
  • Veggies (raw carrots and broccoli are his favorites. Working on more veggies)
  • Snacks on cheese, crackers and fruit
  • Drinks – juice & water

My daughter is home with me so she eats…

  • leftovers from dinner or turkey, ham, cheese, and/or chicken on whole wheat bread.
  • Fruit (apples, grapes, bananas, strawberries are her favs, too)
  • Veggies (loves corn & we’re working on carrots and other veggies)
  • Snacks on crackers, cheese and fruit during day
  • Drinks – water & juice

I do make mac & cheese, noodles and other warm lunches.  Overall, they eat healthy, but I would like more veggies in their diet, so we work on it. I have sandwich cutters (Star wars ship, dolphins, dinosaurs) which makes their food more fun! Sometimes I set their food up on their plate so it looks like a happy face. Also, they love to have food on a stick!! We bake sometimes and have put cookies on a stick, but they also like fruit and cheese on a stick, too.  🙂   It makes eating fun! :)”

Hamakkomommy of Japan writes:
“My son eats lunch at school. They serve a wide variety of dishes including typical Japanese food like grilled fish and miso soup as well as pasta, curry, salad, just about anything you can think of, as well as a few items that may not come to mind (fried whale meat, for instance.) The school lunches include lots of veggies and a variety of whole grains, and barring a few radiation-contamination incidents, are very healthy. The kids have whole milk with their lunch.

My daughter takes her lunch to preschool two days a week. The children are required to take a bento-style lunch box. Usually I pack it with a protein, three kinds of veggies, and a carb. A typical lunchbox might include a small piece of grilled salmon, steamed broccoli, a mini-tomato, simmered hijiki seaweed, a small piece of cheese, and a rice ball. Sometimes she takes a roll or peanut butter sandwich cut up to fit inside the lunch box instead of a rice ball. The school serves the children warm barley tea with lunch.

When we are at home we usually eat leftovers, or something really easy. Today we had scrambled eggs, steamed veggies leftover from last night, and rice left over from breakfast. We go out once a week or so. My daughter doesn’t like juice, so she drinks milk at lunch time.

My husband hates eating out, so on Saturdays I usually pack a huge bento for the whole family. On Sunday, I try to make a curry or stew that I can freeze and use again during the week.

I feel like I’m in the kitchen all day every day….”

Maman Aya of New York, USA writes:
“I send a warmed up lunch, in thermoses, to school with my son. He loves soup, so he’ll have soup and a chopped up salad at least once or twice a week. Sometimes I’ll send in leftovers, like pasta or chicken. I always include 2 things at a minimum, so today he had some chicken vegetable soup and some spinach raviolis and an apple. As a treat, instead of a fruit, I might throw in some homemade apple sauce, or some carrots/peppers/celery.

My daughter is lucky, since her grandmother watches her during the week when I am at work. My mother cooks something fresh for her lunch everyday, such as chicken with vegetables and rice, or a pasta primavera. On days that I am with her and working, she still gets a hot lunch, but it is usually made up of leftovers, and a fresh chopped salad (both of my kids love salad – for which I am grateful).

(and like Hamkkomommy on days when I am not working, I feel like I am in the kitchen all day long, going from preparing/serving/cleaning up from one meal to the next!) :)”

Courtney Cappallo of Massachusetts, USA writes:
“I try to mix things up… but typically my girls have hummus and celery sticks, apple slices, chicken tortellini with butter, and/or leftovers. I wish there was a “magic” (and easy) lunch dish that they loved… sure would make my life easier. Neither of my girls like peanut butter and jelly or mac & cheese or grilled cheese sandwiches, or lunch meat… I guess I should be happy because they aren’t the healthiest of choices but they sure would be an easy lunch to make! ha!!”

Tara B. of Washington State, USA writes:
“My kindergartener takes a packed lunch to school that includes PB& J on whole wheat bread, fresh fruit (apples or bananas) or veggies (carrot or celery sticks), and then cheese or yogurt to round things out. I do include a little treat (small cookie), but he thus far has been very responsible about only eating that if he gets through his healthy food first. Let’s hope that lasts! His school also serves hot lunch, and Thursdays are pizza day, which he opts for sometimes. We also pack him a morning snack, usually fruit and nuts or a granola bar.”

Dr. Lanham of Arizona, USA writes:
“I normally give my teen dried bananas and crackers.”

ThirdEyeMom of Minnesota, USA writes:
“I am somewhat lucky in that my son is an excellent eater and likes the exact same thing every day for his school lunch: An apple, a ham and cheese sandwich with lettuce and whole wheat bread, and a small cookie. In an ideal world, I would love it if he ate more of a variety of foods for lunch but he eats extremely well and a ton of variety for dinner. Our school has only 15 minutes to eat lunch! It is way too short so any more food than what I pack is wasted. The hot lunches in the Minneapolis Public Schools are greatly improving. The US is making a big effort to fight childhood obesity and promote healthy, affordable lunch options. It just would add extra time for my son to wait in line to get the lunch! But perhaps he will try it next year!”

What about you…what do(es) your child(ren) typically eat for lunch?  

And do you have a question you would like to pose to our WMB writers?  If so, email us at wmbsidebareditor@gmail.com to see what they have to say.

Don’t forget to come back tomorrow to look at where our World Moms will take you next week!

– World Moms Blog

Photo credit to Eva Fannon http://www.flickr.com/photos/evafannon/5501276283/in/set-72157626213112144/.  This photo has a creative commons attribute license.

World Moms Blog

World Moms Blog is an award winning website which writes from over 30 countries on the topics of motherhood, culture, human rights and social good. Over 70 international contributors share their stories from around the globe, bonded by the common thread of motherhood and wanting a better world for their children. World Moms Blog was listed by Forbes Woman as one of the "Best 100 Websites for Women 2012 & 2013" and also called a "must read" by the NY Times Motherlode in 2013. Our Senior Editor in India, Purnima Ramakrishnan, was awarded the BlogHer International Activist Award in 2013.

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