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melanie
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| Posted: Feb 08 2010 at 1:29pm | IP Logged
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My family is driving me nuts-o.
Lunch has always been a source of contention around here. I want it simple and quick, frankly I'd be happy to serve up sandwiches every day, but they all get "bored", including my dh who is often home for lunch. After getting tired of the complaining, I had the two oldest kids make up another lunch menu, and they did...it was ok for a while, but now everyone, including dh, is griping again. And I'm not very thrilled with the present menu either because, while it is simple, it uses too many foods that are junkier than I'd like for weekly consumption. It occured to me today that the problem is more boredom than anything, and that maybe I should make a weekly lunch menu that changes with the seasons. I'd like to start this in April for spring, and I'm fishing for ideas. Any quick, spring-y recipes, or just regular lunchtime staples to share?
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Melanie
homeschooling Maria (13yo), Kain (10yo), Jack (5yo), Tess (2yo), and our newest blessing, Henry Robert, born 4/23!
slightlycrunchycatholic.blogspot.com
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JodieLyn
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| Posted: Feb 08 2010 at 1:45pm | IP Logged
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Well for quick.. consider things that can be made ahead.. like the other day.. dh and the older kids were out in the cold.. when they came home I grabbed a bag of soup out of the freezer and we had yummy soup with grilled cheese for lunch.
for spring I think I would concentrate on fresh/picnic-y foods that aren't necessarily summer fare. My thought was stuff that includes fresh lettuce. Salads in pitas maybe or just sandwiches with fresh ingredients.
And as far as sandwiches getting boring.. change up the bread the toppings the type of lettuce.. for instance shredded iceberg lettuce would be much different than a leaf of romaine.. and sprouts might give you that fresh crunch without using lettuce at all. Different types of cheese.. you can make the same sandwich and just use cheddar cheese on one and pepper jack on one and they'll taste a good bit different. Breads change up as well.. use dinner rolls for mini sandwiches, walnut bread, sourdough bread, 5 grain bread, croissants, pitas.. again.. you could put the same things on different breads and get very different sandwiches.
And consider things like shredded carrot or sliced cucumbers or mix chopped green onion into your mayo before putting it on the sandwich..
a sprinkle of pepper on roast beef.. or horseradish instead of mustard..
grill some chicken up to slice for sandwiches.. bbq, honeymustard, cajun, roemary and lemon pepper...
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Jodie, wife to Dave
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LeeAnn
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| Posted: Feb 08 2010 at 3:51pm | IP Logged
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(Aargh. Somehow I lost my entire post!)
In the past I've allowed my kids to be too picky and complain. Now I don't. I tell them it's OK to be bored with their food. It's there to nourish them and it's good if it's reasonably tasty, but it's not entertainment. My kitchen is not a restaurant and I am not a short-order cook.
I am working much more lately to help the kids realize how fortunate they are to simply have enough food to eat every day. The stories and photos that came from the Haiti earthquake helped them with that. My goal is for them to eat what is set in front of them without complaining and without expecting a "treat" or novelty from their meals.
My kids typically eat two things for lunch: either sandwiches (rotation of PB&J, PB&honey or turkey-cheese) or leftovers from dinner. That's it.
I set the menu. As the kids get older and can prepare meals for the family then it is a good time to collaborate with them on the menu. You can set a challenge for your older children to create a menu that meets the family's budget, nutritional needs, time constraints, etc.
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Becky Parker
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| Posted: Feb 09 2010 at 6:42am | IP Logged
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I could use some ideas here too Melanie. I did start packing my kids lunches in the morning. They enjoyed having a lunch box like their big brother who goes to highschool (actually, he doesn't carry a lunch box, he uses a brown bag but you know what I mean!) They are getting really bored with PB&J though. It's interesting, their big brother is fine with the same thing everyday, but I think that's because he doesn't have much choice. My kids have been a bit spoiled with hot lunches every day. That was actually one of the things that I considered a benefit of homeschooling, but now it's become stressful. So, I guess I'm not much help. I appreciate what LeeAnn is saying above and I think, for Lent, we might continue our lunch boxes and not complain if we have to eat PB&J every day. It will be our Lenten sacrifice.
Of course, now that I re-read your original post I realize your husband is home for lunch and that makes it a bit more difficult. My DH takes leftovers to work with him everyday. That might be an option, but then, I know alot of men don't care for leftovers.
You could ask him for his help. I know when we were struggling with dinner menus and I asked my DH, in earnest, he really came up with some helpful ideas. He just considered the kitchen "my domain" so he didn't want to say anything until I brought it up.
Just a thought.
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melanie
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| Posted: Feb 09 2010 at 7:00am | IP Logged
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Yes, it's my husband,,, 
The boys/littles would be fine with something simple, even prefer it. My oldest doesn't like sandwiches much and has become quite the whiner about (everything!) lunch, so she's part of the issue, but I'm fine telling her to suck it up.  But my husband,,,We do use leftovers, he takes them to work. He's gone 3-4 days a week usually. That usually uses up my leftover supply.
I feel the same way about the fact that these are SPOILED people! I've told them, "Do you know how much of the world lives on little more than a couple of bowls a rice a day?! And they go hungry enough that they are truly happy to have such simple food every day!" My dh has ongoing food issues. He grew up in a pretty well off family that ate out for practically every meal and his mom does not cook. He is not familiar or fond of thrown together dinners and boxes of mac and cheese for lunch. I work hard to avoid the thrown together dinners, but lunch has been a headache!
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Melanie
homeschooling Maria (13yo), Kain (10yo), Jack (5yo), Tess (2yo), and our newest blessing, Henry Robert, born 4/23!
slightlycrunchycatholic.blogspot.com
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Teachin'Mine2
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| Posted: Feb 09 2010 at 8:27am | IP Logged
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We like hot lunches and make that our main meal instead of dinner - when we're all together. What might help is to prepare things the night before. Even the older ones can help with peeling and chopping carrots and celery or whatever to make a soup the next day. Then it's just a matter of throwing it all in a pot before lunch. As an example - start out by sauteing an onion or two - chopped the night before - and then add broth, or water and bouillon and the carrots and celery. When the veggies are half cooked, add some rice or noodles and you can also add veggie meatballs, or pre-cooked regular meatballs.
Rice and beans can be done the same way. Start with the sauteed onion, add the water or broth, a bag each of dry lentils and barley (washed) - let that boil and then put on low and cover. Leave it alone for an hour or so, and then add the chopped carrots and celery, some spices - cover and continue to simmer until done. Simple, cheap and awesome!
Another meal we enjoy - tacos. Just sautee an onion, add the chopped meat - we use vegetarian recipe crumbles - add some tomato sauce and either chili, or salsa sauce or a packet of taco seasoning. Have lettuce, shredded cheese, and whatever else you want to add on the counter, and then let everyone build their own tacos. Less prep work, and it's fun!
Other things that are simple are any pasta based dishes. Macaroni and cheese is easy enough that you don't have to use the Kraft version. Also pasta with tomato sauce - jarred sauce is quick and easy. These would probably take no more time than making sandwiches for everyone, and even if it's just two or three times a week, it will help break up the monotony of sandwiches every day.
But I do understand what you mean about how little so many have.
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Angel
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| Posted: Feb 09 2010 at 3:59pm | IP Logged
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Gosh, I think we have totally the opposite problem. The kids eat the same thing every week and I get bored fixing it.  I usually eat leftovers because they are persnickety about them sometimes... or there isn't enough left over to feed everybody... but I *really, really* enjoy those meals that everyone will eat and that will make enough to feed everyone... stuff like lasagna or baked spaghetti or a big ham or homemade mac and cheese. We try to subsist on local meat, so I don't *usually* buy deli meat... although on occassion I will get desperate and ask my dh to buy some all-natural hot dogs or frozen pizzas.
Our current lunch rotation is something like the following:
cheese toast with fruit
cheese or PBJ sandwiches with fruit (my ds has a mild peanut allergy)
cheese quesadillas with fruit
nachos with fruit
plain, buttered noodles (with cheese)with fruit
Do you see a pattern?  I just start thinking, shouldn't they have more variety in their diets??? And after a while, my kids *do* seem to get bored even with things they have always liked (such as cheese quesadillas). So I'm looking around for new ideas for lunch, too -- quick stuff, with some other protein than cheese.
One thing the kids do like for lunch is a snack tray: fruit, carrot sticks, various kinds of cheese (again), crackers. But since my little boys have begun demanding an enormous second breakfast, I was thinking of putting some of these trays together beforehand so I could bring them out as mid-morning snacks. But I think this would also work for lunch, and the presentation might make them more interesting. Plus you could vary the kinds of protein (cheese or meat), fruits, and veggies.
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*Lindsey*
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| Posted: Feb 09 2010 at 4:25pm | IP Logged
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Angela-have you tried sunbutter for sandwiches since you can't do the pb? My DS has a peanut allergy and that's what he eats.
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Lindsey
Mama to DS (11), DD(9), twin dds(7), DD (5), DS (4), DS (3), and 5 angels in heaven.
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drmommy
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| Posted: Feb 10 2010 at 8:02am | IP Logged
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Angel, those are some of our meals!
We have pb&j, pb&bananas, turkey and tomato, tunacado (tuna with grated carrots tomato and avocado), stuffed pitas with bacon, tomatoe, lettuce and feta cheese, Dubliner or Havarti cheese and crackers, soup, chili, raviolis (quick on the stove), cheese quesadillas, tacos, bean and cheese burritos (with Taco Bell sauce!), or grilled turkey melts.
We serve with fruit and/or vegies. I say we, because the children help, and on the days I work, they can make all of the above (I have older children 17, 12, 10; the 7 year old comes with me to work).
I have a very good husband who does the grocery shopping, so that helps me out a lot.
God bless. Great ideas.
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onthelane
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| Posted: Feb 16 2010 at 3:40pm | IP Logged
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The topic of meal preparation is one that has come up in more conversations (race/religion/income/region not withstanding) than I would have ever believed when single. Basically, it is almost always the mother's job to sort it out -- even when the kids or spouse help out.
We try to keep our lunches simple - it's enough for me to get a decent supper on the table. Lunch in fall and winter includes more soups (canned, ramen, and sometimes leftovers)- summer/spring more (simple) salads. And we do a lot of fruit slices w/ a tsp. of pb (no bread). Pears, apples, strawberries, peaches, whatever is in season. Also, once, the kids got a lunch tray from Starbuck's when we were stuck. They oohed and aaahed. I kept the trays and the menu - and to this day, they think that it is a treat to have a Starbuck's lunch --- 2 small wedges of cheese, 3 crackers, 12 grapes, 3 apple slices and 1/2 hb egg.
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4Real Forums : Our Lady's Loom, Larder, and Laundry
Topic: seasonal lunch menus
