We’re two months into the school year and I’ve discovered the secret to getting tweens to eat their lunch — pack as few items as possible! Really pack their nutrition into their foods (or teach them to make their own lunches!) This post for any kid eating lunch or Type 1 Diabetics, like my 12 year old. He’s in sixth grade and besides running to the nurse to take his insulin, he has almost no time to eat when he gets back upstairs. At this point, he’s taking injections, but we are moving to an insulin pump soon. I can’t pack a big lunch, but I have to pack a main, a snack or two, and a milk. Counting carbs for him is actually pretty easy – I try to shoot for 66 carbs per meal. Yogurts and containers of milk are pretty easy for him to enjoy quickly (and a great way to get protein with carbs in) so I try to include at least one of those every day. As much as I would love to tell you to get some veggies in your lunches, if it’s not in his sandwich or wrap, he’s not going to eat it. But I always include vegetables at home and he takes vitamins. With my son’s recent Type 1 Diabetes diagnosis, I have enough to worry about, I can’t stress about his lunches having every single food group! So I include carbs, fats, and protein (and make one of his choices a fruit every day). Fruits have carbs, so an apple, clementine, or berries is a good choice — bananas are very high in carbs, so I tend not to include them. I will give him 1/2 a banana sometimes, but usually only at home. Easy Lunch Ideas for Tweens (with Carb Counts for Type 1 Diabetic Kids)
Here are some of our recent lunches.
Lunch #1:
Uncured salami, Sabra Hummus mini container (9 carbs), romaine lettuce (1), Joseph’s Flax, Oat Bran Lavash (17 carbs for a huge piece), Chobani Tube (6 carbs), Clementine (9 carbs), milk (13). The total is 64 carbs.
Lunch #2:
Maia Pomegranate Yogurt (12 carbs), roasted turkey, Sabra Hummus mini container (9 carbs), clementines (9 carbs), wheat bread (20 carbs), Choc Zero square (4 carbs) and Fairlife Super Kids Chocolate Milk (13 carbs). The total is 67 Carbs.
Lunch #3:
Uncured Salami, Sabra Hummus mini container (9 carbs), wheat bread (28 carbs – different bread than used in last lunch), Goldfish crackers (20 carbs for 51), and Motts Unsweetened Applesauce (10 carbs). The total is 67 Carbs.
Lunch #4:
Roasted turkey, guacamole (5 carb container), whole grain white bread (20 carbs), oreo minis (20 carbs), 1/2 cup blueberries (11 carbs), milk (13 carbs). The total is 69 carbs.
Lunch #5:
Turkey, uncured salami, romaine lettus, with hummus container (9 carbs) on 1/2 Joseph’s Flax, Oat Bran Lavash (9 carbs), 1/2 cup blueberries (11 carbs), 2 Pepperidge Farm Milano Cookies (17 carbs), milk (13 carbs). The total is 61 carbs.
Lunch #6:
Siggi’s Yogurt (12 carbs), Sugar -Free Jello (0 carbs), Fairlife Super Kids Chocolate Milk (13 carbs), Peanut Butter and Jelly (44 carbs). The Total is 69 carbs.
Equipment used:
Easy Lunchboxes: https://amzn.to/2WvgSpJ
Glass meal prep containers: https://amzn.to/3BhbPb2
Stainless Steel Lunchbox: While this is on the pricier side, it will last for a really long time https://amzn.to/3zlFqjb
Check out our other Tween Lunch Ideas with carb counting posts:
https://www.themamamaven.com/6-lunch-ideas-for-tweens-with-carb-counts-for-type-1-diabetic-kids/
Can’t say thank you enough for these, I too have a TD1 son who’s in 5th grade. And getting him to eat something healthy lately at lunch is becoming increasingly difficult. Ironic, that it’s 1 am and I’m seeing this because of blood sugar issues.
Hi Christy,
Sorry you’re up at 1AM (unfortunately I know that too well). Glad this helped and I hope you get a good night’s sleep tonight.
How are you and your son doing these days?
My boyfriend is a type one diabetic, and was diagnosed at age 10 – he is now 35, and these days he is really having a hard managing his sugars – so we’ve decided to start learning more about everything together. These lunch ideas all look fantastic! Hope you’re all keeping well 🙂
Hey Jocelyn,
Is going low carb or keto an option for some foods? Can he see a nutritionist who specializes in Type 1 Diabetes? It must be hard having dealt with this for 25 years. Does he have a CGM?
Thanks for the great lunch ideas!
When you list the hummus or guacamole, you are putting that on the sandwich bread or wrap correct?
Yes!
Wow! I pack similar lunches for my daughter. I need to look for that Miai yogurt. I am always looking for foods rich in probiotics.
Thank you for these ideas. I’m really really struggling with packing lunches for my T1D teen. He’s always hungry and I know he’s going to get sick of the same old thing. I will try some of your suggestions this week.
Anytime Jeannette — happy to talk you through it anytime. It took me a while.