Lunch has been a battle for Teagan. It is not about being fussy and not liking food, rather, it is a time issue. It seems that she just can't finish her food in the super duper absolutely short time they are given to eat their food; thirty minutes is just not enough!
After quite contemplation and web search ideas, I came up with a plan. Essentially the same lunch as previous but a bit more incentive provided and rules outlined. As a side, I was not too impressed with many of the packed lunch boxes displayed via USA based blogs: the boxes seemed to contain plenty of processed meat, cheese and other items that I am not so keen on. Hence, we have agreed that Teagan likes the current food, she just wants more pasta!
The rules are: eat the main item (sandwich or pie etc) at least either the fruit or vegetable serve before eating the "sweet" serve. If it is eaten for both days prior then the choosing day is earned in full, if not then she either gets half of her item choices or none. The same goes for pasta day, she only gets it if she eats the pie day according to the rules.
Success? Mostly. We had one slip up where she skipped her Monday fruit and vegetable serve due to not having enough time, accordingly she didn't get all of her choice items for the Tuesday. But for the other four days she has eaten everything within the time allocation. It seems she is not mucking around as much!!
Note: the box displayed is ONLY for lunch. The children eat their lunch at 11.00am (school starts at 7.20am). At 9.30am they get to eat a morning snack that I pack separately and is merely a variation in miniature of the lunch (mini sandwich and piece of broccoli, or cheese and fruit etc)
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| The menu: Tuesday is "you choose day". |
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| The new lunch bag: Dad has inherited her old one: this way her lunch stays upright as she carries it over her shoulder. This way she can have her silly sandwiches and other bits and pieces and they "don't get broken". |
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| Sunday: Meat sandwich day (wholemeal bread with roast beef leftovers rolled inside) with a small banana muffin (thanks to a very old recipe), small cut banana with the ends wiped in lemon juice to stop them browning and of course the trusty steamed broccoli. |
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| Monday: Tuna sandwich day |
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| Mayonaise: 1 egg yolk to 120 ml of sunflower oil plus salt and mustard |
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| Brioche: the easy way |
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| Rice bubble slice (NZ honey, butter, sugar and ricies) instead of muesli bars (cut quite small) |
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| Tuna sandwich: brioche with homemade mayonaise, lettuce and tuna |
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| Tuesday: you choose day so she chose pumpkin soup and a sandwich!! |
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| Wednesday: pie day (bacon and egg). The pastry is homemade using butter - no palm kernel oil anywhere near it, we are saving the orangutangs by saving their jungle! |
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| Thursday: the highlight day with pasta YUM a dish of cold pasta with some small beef meatballs, rice bubble slice and steamed broccoli (a favourite) |
