Field Trip Lunch Ideas

for field trips I take my kids to the deli and they get to order a special sandwich and get a bag of chips. Then I usually pack them an apple or an orange whichever they would prefer and they get to pick a candy bar. I consider field trips to be a special occasion and they think getting a deli sanwich is a treat......so that is what works for us.

My daughter is allergic to peanuts and we buy Sunbutter Sunflower seed butter It looks, smells and just about tastes like peanut butter. Parents I know who are convinced their kids will eat nothing but peanut butter were floored when I served their child a sandwich with sunflower seed butter and their kid ate it! If you do do the sunbutter, I would write a note to the teacher letting them know it is NOT peanut butter.

Another option could be one of those tuna lunch packs that are shelf stable, if he eats tuna salad. I think it has the tuna salad & crackers.

I hope these ideas help!

I just made my son's lunch for a field trip yesterday, and made some turkey rollups, with tortillas. You can put anything on them, he likes a little cream cheese and lots of lettuce, and I wrapped it up in tin foil. Put it in a paper sack or a walmart sack with his name on it, and tie it up!! You can send a water bottle with 1/2 the water frozen then fill it up and send a crystal light dry packet with him and some fruit!!

Why not a meat/cheese sandwich, or wrap? Is it because you normally put an ice pack in his lunch? My kids have had hundreds of turkey & mayo (or ham & mustard, etc.) sandwiches over the years and I never used an ice pack. If that IS your concern you can always freeze some water in a small ziploc, then put that ziploc in slightly bigger one to prevent leaks. Then he can just throw it away after lunch :)

Partially freeze the juice box, applesauce, yogurt etc to help keep everything cool. My kids LOVE partially frozen watermelon especially on a hot day! I freeze stuff overnight and then take out as soon as I wake up so it has 2 hrs to sit on the counter and then go in to the lunch box. Keep in mind that frozen and cold things sweat, so you might want to put these things in a gallon size baggie and then into a brown bag.

Can you freeze a juice box and use that as an ice pack? This would allow you to pack cold stuff if you child didn't want a different kind of PB. I like the roll up idea. If you packed it in a brown paper bag and then a plastic bag I think it should hold up nicely.

I freeze the drink and my daughter takes chicken nuggets. I use Schwans variety. Then she takes apple sauce and some sort of cheese like baby bell or string cheese.

Maybe you can make a pizza the night before and send him with a couple pieces of that? It should last until lunch time if you refrigerate it over night. Maybe do some tacos or burritos?

There are many different types of "peanut" butter. Trader Joes as an abundent amount. There is also an apple butter, my kids and hubby love it.

My favorite thing that can be eaten at "room temp" is a tortilla with melted cheese/tomatoes/avacado (or whatever he'll eat) wrapped in foil. You can freeze a juice box to double as a drink and an ice pack.

Frozen gogurt is good too, because it should be cold gogurt by the time he's ready to eat his lunch.

I buy the lunchables lunches for all school trips, they are completely disposable I send them in a insulated lunch bag that folds up and fits in their pockets. That is the only time they get to eat stuff like that and it is easier than trying to make a lunch.

Here is my suggestion that works great for us. Any type of sandwich will be fine as long as you freeze the drink and then put the sandwich on top of drink and it will keep it could and fresh by the time they eat. I'm also assuming they are going to have the lunches in a box or cooler due to the hot temps and it should be fine. I pack my kids lunches for trips and they have came home complaining the drink was still a little frozen. Hope this helps.

What about those cheese on cheese crackers in a package? My daughter takes the peanut butter ones to school all the time but they make cheese ones too. Add in a fruit cup and a bag of chips or some yogurt covered cranberries a drink and there ya go.

And freeze whatever you send in as the drink. If you send a small bottle of water, semi-freeze it. (You don't want his drink to NOT thaw enough for him to be able to drink it, lol). Or a juice box/caprisun pouch-- freeze them. They will help insulate whatever else needs to stay chilled. As for the ziplock- be sure to use a freezer bag one. Much less likely to leak.

Apples or bananas also travel very well without needing to be chilled. :)

Grapes, cheese stick(s), sandwich or pepperoni sticks, milk, box, juice box or bottled water. :) Those things are all fine at normal temps.

I didn't read the other responses, so this may have already been mentioned. Sunbutter us just like peanut butter, but it's completely nut-free. That's what my son eats at his nut-free preschool; they recommended it. Pack a Sunbutter and jelly sandwich. You may have to go to a grocery store that sells natural foods to find it. I get mine at Whole Foods.

A sandwich.. turkey or ham.. carrots, cellery, An apple or orange, some pretzels and a drink.. You can use a roll, tortilla or pita bread if you want to do something different.

Jelly sandwich
can of Vienna sausages

We have this issue all the time, too. I usually give my son a banana or apple, some pretzels or goldfish, a bagelful (those stuffed bagels) straight from the freezer and a frozen juice box. I put the bagelful and juice box in a paper towel then in a ziplock to keep them together to stay cold longer. It has worked everytime and seems to be filling for him. Good luck!

Well here in Hawaii Spam Musubi is rather popular...

http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2008/04/tutorial-how-t...

I made some for my daughter for her field trip to the zoo using Easter eggs as the molds and then filling the easter eggs with fresh fruit and veggies and putting them in an empty 6 egg container... I got the idea from this site:

http://justbento.com/bento-no-4-portable-disposable-picni...

I also gave her a water (poured out half then froze it sideways and refilled in the morning... our school allows you to carry a water all day though so this way it stays cool)

We just did this! I bought a Chik Fil A cool wrap, some chips and a Capri Sun. Maybe a candy. Put some ice cubes in a Ziplock bag (maybe two bags, put it all in a brown bag, then in a plastic bag. All can be pitched.