creative lunch ideas for kindergartners

The boys starting school last week has decreased my stress level immensely in all areas except for one. That area is Rhett’s lunch. Calling him a picky eater is an understatement.   He has declared entire food groups inedible.   Food groups that other 5 year olds embrace. And it is often random.   What he gobbled up the day before suddenly is blacklisted. *sigh* At home, I feel like I can take a stand and do the motherly you-will-go-hungry-if-you-don’t-eat thing.   On days he goes to school, I feel like his teacher needs him well-fed and shouldn’t have to deal with the complicated maze that is Rhett’s food issues. For the last few months he has lived on peanut butter on a spoon and peanut butter balls. Notice a trend? Peanut butter on a spoon is just that.   Peanut butter on a spoon.   We are fancy here. Proving how fancy we are here, peanut butter balls is an elaborate combination of peanut butter, honey and powdered milk (if I have any). I was super smart the first day of school and sent Rhett with a little container of peanut butter balls and a spoon.   I had checked previously to make sure there were no classmates with peanut allergies at orientation and were relieved to find out that unlike other years, Kindergarten was free of nut allergies. When Rhett returned home, I opened his lunch box and found the entire contents of his lunch except for a package of goldfish. I don’t like peanut butter balls anymore. Great.   I have no plan B. The next few days I tried all sorts of variations of the two foods he likes without any luck beyond carbo-loading with goldfish. I don’t like crackers anymore. You HAVE to like crackers because you don’t like bread. No.   I don’t like crackers OR bread. Alrighty! This morning I had a lunch packing breakdown. What to pack? What to pack? Arghhhhh! As I made Rhett’s morning oatmeal, it struck me… I am going to send you oatmeal for lunch in this thermos.   It will keep it warm. OK.   Can I pick out my dessert? Sure! Today my son ate his entire lunch.   A hearty serving of oatmeal and a left-over Christmas candy cane.