Hot Lunch Day

I was so excited a couple of weeks ago when the kids brought home a sign-up sheet for Hot Lunch Day, which actually took place yesterday! YEAH! I didn't know they had such a thing, but I knew I was totally going to sign the kids up for it! They brought home order sheets that had to be returned to the school with money. They were getting soup and a biscuit. It had a place to mark down what you wanted and then you totaled it up at the end. I didn't realize you could order more than just one of each item. I had ordered the kids each 1 cup of soup and 1 biscuit, which was $1.50 for each of them. That's what the hot lunches in Bismarck cost, so I was thrilled. I had it written down in big letters on our calendar so I wouldn't forget. I didn't want to accidentally send a lunch when I didn't have to! I did have to send a few other things for their snack and something else to eat with their lunch.
Yesterday when I picked the kids up from school I asked them how hot lunch day went. They told me they had it during their first nutrition break, which is their snack time, which is around 10:30am. WHAT? So, the kids ended up having their snack for lunch, which didn't consist of much more than a piece of Baby Bel cheese and pomagranate arils. I think I also sent a fruit strip, which is a healthier version of the fruit roll-up. Needless to say, they were hungry when they got home and ate a bigger after-school snack than usual. They were told that it didn't matter if they ate the hot lunch for snack or lunch, they wouldn't be any hungrier. I'm not sure that's true, but it wasn't a big deal.
As for sending cold lunches every day, I really thought I was going to hate it. It's actually not too bad. We get up between 7-7:20 each morning and my job is to get the lunches made. I started out just making the kids' lunches, then Scott would make his own. He asked me if I could make his lunches too, so I have been making his as well. Although Scott occasionally gets in trouble and has to make his own lunch. I'm so mean! I wouldn't do that to the kids though.
I was worried initally about making their lunches because I didn't know if I could figure out stuff to send that they wouldn't get tired of having every day. I was also worried because I can't send peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, because of the school's "allergy aware" program. We have been experimenting with some other things, like sun butter. It's supposed to be like peanut butter, but made out of sunflower seeds instead of peanuts, making it an "okay" thing for peanut allergies (of which we don't have!). Emma doesn't care for it, but Gage likes it. I don't care much for it either, but maybe that's because it looks like, and has the consistency of dog diarrhea. Some that I've unfortunately have had the pleasure of cleaning up. GAG! Anyway, Gage doesn't mind it, so I will occasionally send it with him for lunch. The first 2-3 weeks of school the kids were hooked on egg salad sandwiches. I then made some tuna salad sandwiches, with a to-die for recipe from my Carbohydrate Addict's recipe book. The kids really like that, but Gage was scared to have tuna at school, because there is a kid in the school with fish allergies, so he was afraid they would take his sandwich away from him. I assured him it would be okay, although I don't really know if it is. I will still make them on occasion and send them with the kids. If they get in trouble and get it taken away, I will have then learned my lesson. I don't think fish allergies are a contact allergy like peanuts can be? But, I guess I don't really know that for sure. I have also sent some turkey sandwiches. The kids seem to be eating all of their lunches. Either that or they are smart and just throw away what they don't eat at school so I don't know about it. But, I do think they are eating them and not throwing them away. Some of the other things I have been sending with the kids range from cucumber slices, carrots, broccoli. Apples, pomagrante arils, mandarin oranges, banana and pineapple are some of the fruits I have sent. Emma says that one of the lunch monitors has commented several times about her lunches being healthy and apparently she LOVES cucumbers and can smell them when Emma opens up her container of them. I always send a piece of cheese, yogurt and a fruit strip or fruit snacks. I have found some healthier versions of the fruit roll-up and gummy snacks at Costco, so I will send one of those with the kids each day as something "fun" for them. There are alot of kids that bring the fruit roll-ups, pop tarts, etc, which I refuse to buy. So, I will get these things for the kids so they don't feel so slighted.
At least I know they are eating healthier than they did with their hot lunches in Bismarck. This may not be as convenient, but at least I have an excuse for buying different lunch boxes, snack containers, etc.! I have a weakness for those things for some reason! I found a couple of little thermoses that are made for hot things like soup. Tomorrow I think I will try those out and they'll have a surprise of Kraft Dinner (a.k.a. macaroni and cheese in the US!) in their lunch boxes!