The two-page list of day camp supplies wasn’t daunting, except a week’s worth of peanut-free kid’s sack lunches. Each had to:
- Last through a morning without refrigeration
- Fuel an active child through the afternoon
- Be tempting enough to actually eat
- Not be “smushed”
- Not look “weird” to other kids
- Be safe for peanut allergy campers
Children lunch challenge
Our kids, ages 11, 10 and 6, are participating in sports, outdoors, craft and church camps this summer. They don’t have nut allergies and they’re not picky eaters, but the children lunch challenge had me researching options. The best sack lunch ideas:
Cool it
Invest in a soft-sided lunch tote with a reusable ice pack. It isn’t the same as a refrigerator, but it gets the lunch through the morning without spoiled mayo, dip or cheese.
The new bread
Bagels hold up better than bread. Or build a roll-up with a flour tortilla: spread on SunButter with jam, roll it up, then roll in tinfoil. Or use cream cheese (holds it together better than butter or mayo), with any combination of meat, cheese or veggies.
Shape up
Use little cookie cutters to make your own “lunchables:” meats, cheeses and bread or just add crackers. Hard cheeses hold up better. A fav: Last night’s meatloaf cut into star shapes. I also bought these mini cookie cutters in camp-related shapes like an oar, fish and fire.
Rethink “sandwich”
Try this sandwich from lifestyle and food columnist Sherrie Le Masurier:
Almond butter, banana & sprouts on a bun
This lunch idea may sound a little out there but it really is a great combination of tastes and textures. Spread almond butter (or SunButter®) on a hot dog bun. Wrap up. Send along a small banana and some alfalfa or bean sprouts (both are equally delicious) in a small plastic bag or container. At lunch time, have your child place the banana on the bun and top with sprouts.
4 more summer camp lunch ideas from Sherrie
Take a dip
One of the 6-year-olds favorites was all sticks for lunch: pretzel sticks, carrot sticks, celery sticks, cheese sticks and little bread sticks with SunButter for dipping.
Oodles of noodles
Make a cold pasta salad with their favorite noodles, a bit of SunButter® and their favorite chunks of veggies, cheese, meat and whatever else you mix in.
And possibly the most important thing:
Get a night life
Pack the lunches the night before for happier campers each morning.
We’d love to hear your summer camp lunch tips. What works for you and your children?
