Life without sandwiches

Mommeeeeeeee!

Mon, Apr 19 2010, 11:56 am

What do you do if your kid just doesn't like bread? Or bagels, or rolls, or pita or whatever? What if you need to go out for an extended period and need to pack food for your toddler, who won't eat a sandwich?
What do you take along that
-stays fresh for a few hours
-doesn't make a huge mess if they're going to have to eat it in the stroller or carseat?
-can be eaten independently by the toddler if they're eating in their carseat while you're driving
-is reasonably filling so they won't need a snack every 1/2 hour
-is a nutritious, balanced, complete meal?
bonus points if it also doesn't take much time or effort to prepare

What

?????????? Help

ra_mom

Mon, Apr 19 2010, 12:02 pm

yogurt, rice cakes
cubes of turkey roll, crackers
cheerios in a bag, banana
rice in a small container (if you're child likes lukewarm food like mine does)

carry the food in a small insulated bag. you'll only need a small soft icepack in there if you'll be out for a really long time or it's a really hot day.

doodlesmom

Mon, Apr 19 2010, 12:55 pm

Breaded chicken cutlet can be eaten room temperature, is filling, the kid can eat it without cutlery, just wrapped in a napkin and biting, I hope it fills all criteria.

rivka6

Tue, Apr 20 2010, 10:13 am

cheese cubes, tofu cubes, peanut butter in celery sticks (we put raisins on it and called it ants on a log growing up), hardboiled eggs (ice pack, not peeled, good for a few hours if it isnt august) sliced meat in a lettuce roll

greeneyes

Tue, Apr 20 2010, 10:36 am

fish sticks
veggie burgers (I buy the Trader Joe's chickenless chicken nuggets that my daughter likes)
little containers are great: fill with melon, grapes, pasta, corn, cheese cubes, deli cubes etc.

Mommeeeeeeee!

Tue, Apr 20 2010, 11:15 am

oh, I forgot to mention that the food needs to be toddler-friendly and not a choking hazard. I think most of these would be ok, except for maybe the celery stick idea.
There are a lot of good ideas here. I think I'm going to print out a list of them and hang it near the fridge so I'll have it handy the next time I need to pack a lunch. Smile

SivanMom

Tue, Apr 20 2010, 11:30 am

Both my kids don't eat sandwiches and we make several 10 hour trips to Toronto each year. A staple is yogurt with a straw. My kids love this and eat it all the time. The first time you give it with a straw, sip it till the yogurt is close to the top, just so they know what to do.
We also do meat patties or chicken cutlets, or I have the deli cut a thicker piece of turkey so they have a better grip on it than the regular thin slices.
We do lots of fruit slices.

Mommastuff

Tue, Apr 20 2010, 12:39 pm

Mommeeeeeeee! wrote:

my toddler eats 'ants on a log' and loves it. I first de-vein the celery before putting on the PB so its easier to chew

Mommeeeeeeee!

Tue, Apr 20 2010, 1:22 pm

Mommastuff wrote:

Mommeeeeeeee! wrote:

my toddler eats 'ants on a log' and loves it. I first de-vein the celery before putting on the PB so its easier to chew

I would be too nervous. He doesn't have that many teeth. Besides which, it's a moot point for me anyway since he doesn't like pb.