Ryan's School Lunches

I'm going to have my very first Kindergartener next week! This means that for the first time ever, I will be packing lunches every day for Ryan. I have to admit....I am so excited! I know this is where some of you more experienced Moms are probably rolling your eyes because you know that packing school lunches will soon become a dreaded chore. But don't tell me that just yet. Let me be excited for now.

I asked for advice on Facebook on what kind of lunchbox to buy, and I got a variety of responses. Back when I was a kid I took my lunch to school in a brown paper bag, filled with little Ziploc baggies. And it worked just fine. But these days there are SO many cool ways to pack a lunch. I ended up buying Ryan a blue Yumbox.

And a matching blue thermos, which he LOVES.

I also purchased a few of these cheaper Easy Lunchboxes, for days when his main lunchbox is dirty.

I also bought a mini thermos to use for transporting hot food. If Ryan doesn't end up using it, Adam said he will use it for his work lunches.

So I'm all set with the necessary gear for Ryan's school lunches. Now for the hard part......what food am I going to pack for him?? There are a million healthy and creative ideas on the internet. I've been browsing through them, and unfortunately most of the ideas are foods Ryan would never eat.

Ryan is a very picky guy. He always has been, and I fear he will be for quite some time. So I sat down with him to brainstorm ideas for what to pack in his lunches. We broke it down by food groups, and here is what we came up with.

As you can see, there isn't a ton of variety on here. He will eat a few fruits and a few snacks, and possibly a few cheesy hot foods like spaghetti or tacos. Oh, and he said he will definitely eat treats in his lunch. But no sandwiches, no cold cheese, no vegetables, etc. I came up with a list of foods "to work on". These are foods that I think Ryan would like if he would actually try them. This list includes a few fruits and veggies, as well as sandwiches and nuts/seeds. Basic things that I really wish he would just try!

We went on a picnic to the park recently and tested out Ryan's lunchbox. I packed him a hotdog with ketchup, string cheese, watermelon, and popcorn. All foods that he has eaten in the past.

 And this is what his lunch looked like when he was done.

 He ate the hotdog.

According to Ryan, the popcorn wasn't buttery enough, the watermelon had a few white seeds in it, and he just doesn't like cheese. (And this was 1pm on a day when he hadn't eaten breakfast. The boy has no appetite!)

I'm curious to see if Ryan's eating habits will change once he starts school. Will the peer pressure of eating with other kids cause him to try new things? I don't necessarily plan on putting lots of new foods in his lunches. (I don't want him to starve!) But my plan is to start with his favorite foods and try to include one thing that is new for him to try each day, such as a carrot stick or some trail mix.

Tell me, what do you pack in your kids' school lunches? I'm open to any ideas!