The Lunch Box

Now that Bear eats lunch away from home three days each week, I've been putting more effort into packing lunches that a) I think are interesting and nutritious and b) I'm guessing he'll eat.

The first part of this is to not ask him what he wants. At 9:30 or 10 in the morning, he really isn't hungry for anything -- he just ate breakfast. So, at 4, it's hard for him to imagine what he might like to eat two hours into the future. 

Instead, I just pick three or four things I think might appeal to him. I just have to realize that when he brings half of it home, it's OK. (At least it's OK as long as I remember to unpack it and don't end up with cheese or eggs that have been neglected when I pack the next days lunch.) Some of his lunch items this week have been a carrot and daikon radish mix, yellow and red peppers, hummus, cucumbers, cheese cubes, and salad.

I've also decided that I'm going to occasionally sneak some things in that he's never tried before. Maybe at school, he'll give them a try. I won't go overboard, but it's worth a try. Earlier this week he got some whole grain chips and he said he loved them. Today he's getting freeze-dried raspberries. I'm not very hopefully about those, but since they're packaged in an Easter egg, maybe ...

Oh, yes, the Easter eggs! Thanks to this post on weelicious.com, I decided to pack today's lunch, the last before Easter, in plastic eggs. I know, I know, the plastic can't be good. But, considering, I generally stay away from plastic for packing lunches, I figure one day isn't going to hurt.

Here's what his lunch box looks like:

I can't wait for him to see it. I wish I could include a mini-camera so I could spy on him. 

Inside the purple egg is shredded chicken, one of his favorite foods. The other eggs have red pepper, carrots and bunny grahams as a treat. Oh, and the dried raspberries. Enjoy, buddy!