Ask Sadie

Q. My son started 1st grade in a public elementary school. He is vegetarian (dairy/eggs also), but the school's hot lunch seems like it has meat every day. I find it difficult to send him lunch every day. How and who can appeal to if I need veggie choices in the hot lunch menu, also healthy choices. Every hot lunch menu just has chicken nuggets, hot dogs, hamburgers, meat wraps, meatballs etc., and it’s all just one big subsidized menu for each day.
A. Well, there is a lot of information out there to start a campaign to improve your school’s hot lunch program and this month is a great month to do it. October 13th - 17th is National School Lunch Week. First of all, all hot lunch programs have to offer a vegetarian option each day. Inquire and state that you need one and they should accommodate you. The down side is it might just mean cheese pizza everyday…the standard vegetarian option in school hot lunch programs. Check out the History of the School Lunch and Improving your School Lunch Program sections on the site for additional information.

Q. My 3 year old son will not eat veggies I have tried cooked and raw with dip any ideas how to sneak them in?
A. I am not a big believer in the sneaking veggies in tactics in general. I do believe in being creative. You have to just keep trying. Read To Sneak or Not to Sneak.

Q. I need some ideas for my 3 1/2 year old to take for school lunch. He does not like sandwiches or creamy foods like mashed potatoes, pudding or yogurt.
A. Try cold baked chicken fingers, mini meatballs, pasta and rice salads and my favorite for little ones, the ploughman’s lunch…it’s like a homemade ‘lunchable”

Q. Do you have a link for adding to blogs?
A. You can add comments to existing blogs. You can also send in your blogs or articles for approval at content@ilunchbox.com. I welcome all topics that match the genera of the site

Q. Is there a place I can talk to other moms to share ideas?
A. We are working on this function. For now you can comment on blogs, send in your ideas for further blogs and suggestions on articles. If you have something you want to share, write and article or recipes and submit them to the site.

Q. My 28 month old son is a picky eater? He only wants to get pasta and rice dishes.. I do try to put veggies and meat with these dishes; however he will pick it out and only eat what he likes. How do I get him to try new foods?
A. You already answered your own question. Just keep trying. Read these:

Q. How about an article on containers? The plastic container keep leaking soup. I can’t find a kid’s thermos at Wal-mart. I want to send milk but what to put it in? And I feel like I'm spending too much time cleaning all these containers.
A. I hear you. I feel the same way too. However it is better than constantly adding to the trash pile. You can purchase many great items online to help. Here are some links to my favorites. Article coming soon.

Q. My son goes to a Jewish day school, and lunches have to be dairy and Kosher; so no meat, no chicken, no shrimp. And no heating up. Any ideas of veggie, fruit, or milk-based lunch foods?
A. So a couple of things I wish I did know, like does your son like salads and vegetables? Is he allowed nuts and peanut butter? Fruits and vegetables are always considered Kosher (check for bugs, bugs are not Kosher). The simplest items would be vegetable and cheese wraps or sandwiches; pasta or grain salads with lentels or beans; hummus; falafal; soups and vegetable stews or chili's in a thermos; a Ploughman's lunch of cheese, veggies/fruit nuts and bread; and egg salad sandwiches or wraps. I have reached out to some other sources and hope to have even more advice and ideas for you soon. In the meantime, check out the article on vegetarian kids and the section on salads for some ideas.
Here is the response from a Rabbi at Kosher Quest I asked: "send dairy products that are kosher certified, i.e. cheese, milk etc. but only when bearing a kosher symbol. Pareve products, which are not dairy or meat, such as juice, fruit and vegetables, pasta, are fine with any meal." The site Kosher Quest had some valuable information, and a Rabbi that will answer your questions--Good Luck!

Q. My son, 15 months old, loves iced tea so I make him decaf iced tea. Which is better to use as a sweetner, sugar or equal?
A. Personally I would use honey, but check with your pediatrician on giving your child honey. Some doctors say it is okay at 1 year and others at 2 years. If honey is a "no go" use sugar, however there are some great all natural sweeteners on the market as an alternative to both sugar and artificial sweetenters. The Natural Side of Sweeteners

Q. Is there a place to create a profile?
A. At this time there is not a place to create a profile. However there are some great mom sites that I too am a member and participate in group discussions: hybrid mom, momlogic, workit mom, and great schools. More on this subject soon.

Q. How do I submit ideas?
A. There are a couple of links on the site where you can submit recipes and tips and any great idea. Also a place to send in stories on how you or someone you know improved your school lunch or snack program. At the top of each page there is a red button “Submit a Recipe”; there is the "Ask Sadie", and on the bottom of the home page there are two areas. As well as the "Contact Us" section. I review all emails and if you include a return email address I will respond, otherwise look for the answers and inclusions in the upcomming newsletters. If you have something to say, advise on or suggest, email me.

Q. Where can I talk to other moms?
A. There is nowhere on the site to talk directly to moms, yet. You can leave comments to blogs that will inspire further comments from other moms. We will be adding this feature soon.

Q. Who is Sadie?
A. Well I am. Myself along with the advice of other wise moms, teachers, pediatricians, nutritionist, chefs, a few grandparents and dads too. When someone asks Sadie a question, I research and consult with a slew of people before presenting my answers.

Q. My two year old won’t sit during dinner?
A. This is an age old problem with toddlers. They like to graze and have the attention span of a gnat. You serve everyone dinner and finally sit down only to have your child announce she’s finished with dinner. Here is what we do. Serve the youngest person when you yourself are ready to sit down…sort of a running start. Engage your child in dinner table conversation, I know sounds crazy with a two year old, but try these things: Can you find me something crunchy on your plate? Let’s hear the crunch.; What is orange on your plate? Can you eat two bites of something orange? And so on. If your child is more vocal, ask her about her day, her friends, her toys, etc. She might just stay a little longer at the table if she is enjoying herself there. Patience is something you build on. Every night try to get her to stay just a bit longer, maybe five minutes or so. Soon it won’t be an issue. But really, so that you are not always frustrated at dinner time, plan a night or two when you feed her first and set her up with a movie or put her to bed then enjoy a relaxing dinner with your husband.

Q. My son does not like sandwiches, and does not have a microwave available in the lunch room, do you have any recommendations for items to keep burritos and pizza hot for lunch.
A. This has been hard to find an answer to. The burrito is easy. If you are making them yourself, roll them to a size that will fit into a wide mouth food jar or thermos. Heat them very hot first, wrapped in parchment paper and put into a hot insulated food jar or thermos. For pizza, you may have to cut the pizza into strips and be creative or roll the pizza into a calzone and do as I suggest with the burrito. I will keep looking for a good product for you…check back. In the meantime there are other options, chili, soups, stews, pastas as well as the meals in a cup items that only need hot water like the ones from Spice Hunter.

Q. Do you know of any “Green” Lunchboxes?
A. Yes. EcoBags has a great line of eco-friendly bags both insulated and not. Right now, all iLunchBox readers are getting 15% off their purchases. Use code iLunchBox08 at check out. Offer good until October 15th.

Q. What kind of drinks can you put in your lunch box that will not leak in your lunch box?
A. Mostly I find that the juice boxes, disposable water bottles and cans of juices don’t leak. Occasionally then will produce condensation that can dampen the lunchbox. Some reusable water bottles can lose their seal over time especially if they are run through the dishwasher. Try the LivPure water bottle from Fit-n-Fresh and Rubbermaid HipSip Sports Tech Water Bottle. Also try a new lunchbox, one with a separate compartment for drinks there are tons on the market look at Pottery Barn Kids, LL Bean, Landsend and Target for great selections.

Q. I am looking for ideas for my vegetarian child.
A. In the recipe section under Salads of All Sorts there are many recipes that are vegetarian, those that have chicken in them are just as nutritious without the chicken. I am working on a piece about lunch ideas for vegetarian children. All you parents out there with great vegetarian recipes your kids love, please send them in to Submit a Recipe.