My kids are starting to take their lunches instead of buying them. In an effort to save money, they are taking lunch 3 times a week. Any ideas for the "main dish"? They are already tired of sandwiches.
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Hi Lisa, Here is a good one. Heat some water in your microwave or on your stove and plop a hot dog in the water so it heats up as well. Put the water and the hot dog in a thermos. Then, all you have to do is make sure and bring a wrapped bun fixed how you like it. Voila`! A hot hot dog for lunch!
If your kids like pizza they can maybe take some leftover cold pizza. If you "train" them to eat things cold or at room temperature, then you could serve them various things.
I have started taking flour tortilla's, put peanut butter and jelly on it, roll it up and cut it into three pieces. Also peanut butter and crackers or cheese and crackers make a good lunch along with a fruit and carrots and dip. Anything left over can be sent as well as soup or canned products when put in a thermos. I have put left over chili, spaghetti even mashed potatos. (my son loves mashed potatos) Another thing my son likes is a peanut butter a jelly sandwich made with waffles. Salad can even be sent, just make sure the salad dressing is sent in a seperate container. Add some croutons or chow mein noodles a piece of fruit and a peice of left over candy from halloween and your set.
Since when are sandwiches boring? If you only make peanut-butter-and-jelly and bologna-and-cheese, yes, that's boring. However, there are many other lovely ways to make sandwiches.
The home-made method:
You can make many yummy sandwich fillings at home. Of course there are the many salads -- chicken salad, tuna salad, egg salad, ham salad, etc. Depending on what you have on hand, you can use any cooked meat in a salad-type spread. If you mix in vegetables, such as finely diced celery, relish, chopped or sliced olives, grated carrot, etc, you can make it both balanced and tasty. Then, beyond those, there are other nifty fillings, like the pickled beef heart I did lots of one year.
The left-over method:
Dagwood Bumstead of the Blondie cartoons used to make awesome sandwiches. He would raid the fridge in the middle of the night, and put some of everything in there! There are very few limits to what you can put in a sandwich if you just let your imagination run. What is wrong with a spagetti and meatball sandwich? I grew up loving meatloaf sandwiches. An authentic Dagwood sandwich includes baked beans. If it won't spoil before eating, and it won't make too much mess, it can be put in a sandwich. If you are hesitant to assemble creative sandwiches for your children, why not ask them what they would like? Maybe some youthful genious will point out that a de-boned pork chop would make a lovely sandwich, especially with some well-drained kraut, or that the last four fish sticks are just the right size to fill two slices of bread, along with a dollop of ketchup or tartar sauce.
I've already addressed how to make sandwiches anything but boring, but that is not the full extent of my lunch creativity.
There are other main courses that work well for lunch. If you can keep it really cold, I like a nice sushi lunch -- of course, I make my own sushi, which keeps it frugal. If you are less daring, you can have a nice slice of meat loaf, a hard boiled egg (include salt and pepper), a hunk of cheese, peanuts, a tin of sardines, or some other protein-rich food.
Many uninspired lunches contain, along with the sandwich, a bag of chips, a cookie or brownie, or other such junk as you might find in individual packages at your grocery store. If someone else is making the individual portions for you, you are paying too much. If you want to serve those same snack foods, at least portion them yourself, using washable resealable bowls or snack-size zip bags. You'll get more variety too, because you can use shoe-string potatoes, salted or unsalted nuts, various candies, home-baked goodies, and more flavors of pudding or gelatin.
However, I do not consider a lunch of mostly store-packs or homemade variations an original or particularly satisfying meal. I like to have a real meal, and include things like fresh fruit, salads, side dishes, and so on. Mac-and-cheese is a very portable side-dish, and it can be enlivened by including any added vegetable you like. Ever eat cold mac-and-cheese with hot salsa? Who needs a microwave! Pasta salads are very apt for lunches, and can be so beautiful with colorful veggies that one's co-workers or co-scholars become envious.
It is almost traditional to include pickles and other relish tray goodies in bag lunches. Carrot sticks, stuffed celery, olives, radish roses, can be included if you package them suitably.
If you use enough imagination and ingenuity, bag lunches can be more exciting than the expensive (and usually unhealthy) alternatives from the cafeteria and fast food joints. Who would prefer a greasy burger over a home-made imitation crab meat sandwich? Who would rather eat a fried slab of fish or chicken with boring "special sauce" instead of a nicely sliced turkey with honey-dijon spread on rye or a crusty whole-wheat keiser roll? Who would prefer creamed mystery-meat on toast to a smooth delectable deviled egg or real baked beans that didn't come from a can? Homemade is not only cheaper, but often much tastier and more elegant. Fine dining is not mass-produced!
I've never liked sandwiches, and when I was in school, my mom made me soup. Cup of soup was my favorite, and she'd make it before I went to school and put it in one of those thermos' made for hot stuff and when lunch time came, it was still hot. She also made spaghettio's, and one can would make two meals.
CHILI RICE!!!!!:) ADD CHEESE,ONIONS,EVEN JALAPENOS OR BUTTER!
save your leftovers from those great dinners you make--freeze even in single servings--easy and tasty
cold enchiladas are awesome--anything cheesy is great cold
another tip--mom used to have us put lunch together on sunday night for the week:
(no mayo)
sandwich--ham,mustard, cheese
juice box
other freezable snack
freeze for week
throw in chips before school, packet of mayo
drink is nice and cold at lunchtime
or, just freeze the juiceboxes! they keep everything else cold too
make your own Lunchables--see store for ideas
pop top foods--tuna,pasta,vienna sausage,refried beans
ramen makes fun "chips" season if you want with the packet
Ok. How about some ham and cheese wraps. Just take a slice of ham and put some cheese in the middle. Roll it up and there you go! If your child likes fish how about some tuna and crackers. And kids like to much on things. So maybe some baby carrots, cubed cheese, small baby pickles and celerey. Give them small different dips like ranch, honey mustard and cream cheese. Hope this helps!
Invest in a sandwich maker. Yes, those once infomercial now available at Walmart for ten bucks Hamilton Brand (or other) sandwich maker. We've made stuffed sandwiches with everything from traditional bologna and cheese, to "pizza" pockets, to stuffing them with hamburger meat and sliced cheese and more. It's a great way to get rid of leftovers too! :)
Boathoff has a great idea about hot dogs in a thermos! I never would have thought of that and can't wait to try it!
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