I have to warn you though, Freeduck - once you spend christmas in
Europe you always will go back for more....
aawwwww, while looking for lunch boxes I found this Ducky ones - for
the little Duckies
DUCKIES
And here is a great solution to keep lunchboxes cool
FRUIT CHILLER
You must be able to buy those lock and seal containers here in North America somewhere. I've got one I bought while we were camping in Quebec a few years back. It was one of those bonus deals -- buy the container full of margarine and get a reusable container. It's got to be at least 5 years old and still works great.
Oh, I've seen the lock ones in the stores here. It's the really cool fruit containers I'm interested in.
So, CJane's fruit boxes got me searching on line for something similar that I could purchase here. I came across these very cool lunch boxes that I may just spring for.
http://www.pearlriver.com/v2/FramesCat.asp?iGroup=333
From my own experience, I think if you start giving them too many containers to keep up with they are just gonna get flustered.
Maybe that was just my youngin's, but keeping it simple kept them from panicing and trying to grab/ re-pack everything when it was time to line up. Course, it was rare for them to actually have time to finish a meal. They really ran them through like cattle.
In picking up a few quick things yesterday to have on hand for cubs, I noticed they have really expanded the fully cooked rice selections. Mine love the blackened chicken and rice, but it may be too spicy for little ones. Just peel off the top to open the package. You might check that section of the store for grain and protein products.
That makes sense. (I like those cool chinese stackable ones for me, though. Looks perfect for left overs.)
Yeeeeeeeees, my daughter immediately said "I want those Chinese take-out
boxes!!" They're neat, aren't they?
Freeduck, if your sister can't get the fruit containers for you, I can
order them and have my Mom send it - she's preparing another package
for my daughter's birthday anyway.
mismi40 wrote:What is Vegemite? It looks rather like chocolate but sounds like something to do with vegetables,,,which sounds not so good.
Found something.....
A Vegemite sandwich to an Australian kid is the equivalent of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich to an American kid - but the taste is QUITE different!
Vegemite is one of several yeast extract spreads sold in Australia. It is made from leftover brewers' yeast extract (a by-product of beer manufacture) and various vegetable and spice additives. It is very dark reddish-brown, almost black, in color, and one of the richest sources known of Vitamin B. It's thick like peanut butter, it's very salty, and it tastes like - well let's just say that it is an acquired taste!
Australian children are brought up on Vegemite from the time they're babies. It is said that Australians are known to travel all over the world with at least one small jar of Vegemite in their luggage, for fear that they will not be able to find it.
I guess I should try it before I make a determination huh?
Nasty vile stuff! (as I've said a number of times) The description of what it says that stuff is made of is exactly how you would picture it would taste. Ever try to swallow vitamin and it stays too long on your tongue - just imagine that taste, but something even worse - that's vegemite.
CalamityJane wrote:Yeeeeeeeees, my daughter immediately said "I want those Chinese take-out
boxes!!" They're neat, aren't they?
Freeduck, if your sister can't get the fruit containers for you, I can
order them and have my Mom send it - she's preparing another package
for my daughter's birthday anyway.
Aw, thanks for the offer CJane. That's really nice of you. I think my sister will come through, though, so no worries.
About the boxes, I can't decide between the colorful melamine ones and the stainless steel. Stainless doesn't go in the microwave, so I'm leaning colorful. But something about the style is appealing -- kind of reminds me of old fashioned book straps.
Yeah, I am toying with the idea too, FreeDuck. They look so practical
and cute on top of it. The colored ones are more practical as you said - microwavable - and nicer looking too. Did you see the bamboo boxes?
They would be so neat as bread box.
Oh look FreeDuck, they have something similar here in the US. It even
has an ice pack on top. How great is that?
http://www.theconsumerlink.com/fitnfresh/detail/TCL+262FF/11
Complex lunch Issue.
I am really happy to have founfd this thread butI have not read an issue as complex as this one.
My 7yo son wont eat cold food. We were fortunate to have him in a small private montessori where thy actually cooked and served hot meals. Last year was first exposure to Public school and we did Cafeteria, I worked like crazy at my Job. Last year I notice some focus and attentin issues and am wondering if there is a connection. This year I am going to even avoid Juice because that's sugar extracted from fruit basically. I odered two Bento boxes with insulated covers and thermos online because My 3yo is also starting Pre K program.
I am not quite sure how I will tackle the issue in the morningsa because first I am not sure if hot foods will stay hot with insulated bags. Second is the issue of soem evidence about plastics when heated in microwave emitting estrogen like substances. ( have to read more but sounds scary)
Thirdly the 7yo and 3yo (who was raised by a loving nanny and eats healthy, cheeses, grape tomatos, celery, cucumbers, soups ) Don't match in their eating styles.
So I am thinking if I make hot lunches and put them in these Bento boxes with insulation for how long they will stay warm. Most posts were about keeping things cold and I am trying to keep food warm, Any thoughts?
PS my son can't have his food items touching each other, wont eat nuggets cold, wont eat PB and J and usually does not like soup unless it is poured out fresh from the stove. I often wonder if there was a contest on taste bud sensitivity he will win, One day I put few grains of chinese salt AJINOMOTO in soup and he said Mom why does my soup taste Poisony ? I have no idea what I am going to do Monday yes !! their school starts this monday. Bento boxes have not arrived yet.
Hello LMK,
there are thermos-containers out there who will keep food hot for
a very long time, look at the stackable ones, FreeDuck had found
(click on the link). With the stackable ones you can separate the
food items to your son's liking.
Milk or chocolate milk are definitely better than juice, even water
is better.
Chances are, your son will adopt an easier eating habit after he's
been in school for a while. Until then I'd probably avoid school
lunches. Perhaps, little by little you could introduce him to a greater
variety of food to make things easier in the long run.
I saw a plastic sandwich container the other day at the Disney store. I thought it was a little high in price $5.50, but it had an easy to open latch and I believe it also had a little ice pack.
Hey y'all, I've been out of town for the past week, lots of good stuff here thanks!
I love that last one with the ice pack.
To whomever asked about keeping things warm, I got an insulated lunch bag at the Gap -- it looks quite practical and insulation = keeping food at whatever temperature it was when it went in the bag. Of course everything in the bag needs to be the same temp. I plan to use thermoses when the weather gets cooler for soups, stews, etc.
Those plastic containers are made of Melamine, the same family as the contaminant in pet food lately. I checked wiki, there's a long post about the chemical. Basically, the post says the plastic is fine, but I'd stick with the stainless myself.
Yeah, I read that too. I guess it's only a problem if it leaches into your food (lots of dishes are made of melamine -- especially kids dishes) but I'm not confident that it couldn't. I like the stainless steal -- the food would just have to go in hot and hopefully stay that way until time for lunch. There was one that had plastic containers that go inside the stainless steel lunch box. I didn't see what kind of plastic that was.
At least if you had removable plastic liners, you could have the choice to use or not to use. Any plastic is ok to house some foods (non-acidic or cold, for example)
