I don't remember anything about my elementary and middle/junior high lunches. What I remember the most are the high school lunches. We had this pizza that was so generic but tasty and kind of filling. It was served with these skinny French fries that were good, too. The thing I most hated to see being served at school lunch was that nasty scoop of fruit cocktail! It was the worst!

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What makes for a great school lunch for kids? Many parents are searching for school lunch menus to get an idea of what to make for their kids in the Yakima School District (myschoolmenus.com), Kent School District (here), Pullman University (here), and all over Washington state. Many are searching Google and Pinterest for school lunch ideas. I've even jumped down the TikTok rabbit hole looking for a few quick and tasty meal ideas to make for my child's school lunch.

I found this funny TikTok from @pam_a_cake about the different types of kids who make their own lunches for school. See which one you are!

We have been blessed to have schools providing free lunch for Yakima School District students since I can remember. It worked out great for my wallet but not so great for my daughter's appetite. Willow is very picky about what she eats and while I knew this when it came to making her dinners at home, I had presumed she was eating her breakfasts and lunches at school, but she was always coming home so hungry at the end of the school day. For years, I had chalked it up to growth spurts but apparently, I was completely wrong.

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This past summer, Willow confided in me that she never liked the foods they were serving at school for breakfast and lunch so she had been literally skipping these most important meals in her day. This explained a lot of her outbursts in class and disruptive behavior--the child was hungry! Now that I know all of these factors, this year, I am making sure that each and every day she has what she actually wants to eat for breakfast and lunch. How much do you want to bet that her behavior in school will improve 100%? Just watch.

WHAT TO DO IF YOUR CHILD HATES SCHOOL BREAKFASTS AND/OR LUNCHES

If your kid is a finicky eater and hates eating the lunches provided by their school, here's the easiest solution: Ask your kid what they want to eat for lunch and let them use their Pandemic EBT card to purchase the foods! You still have your child's pandemic food card, right? Then put it to great use without having to dip into your pockets, that's what the money is there for after all!

I asked Willow what she wanted for lunch and this is what she wrote down:

Willow School Lunch Idea
Reesha via Instagram
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"6 mini-cucumber sandwiches with baby carrots and pudding and a apple." - Willow

I haven't made a Tik Tok video for it yet, but here is your first inspired lunch that I made for Willow's school lunch for today. She was excited about it!

1. From missreeshacosby
Cucumber sandwiches (no crust) + turkey & mayo sandwich
"Rocky road" trail mix
Baby carrots
Watermelon chunks
Broccoli bites
Chips
Fruit juice

I just looked at the Yakima School District food menu to see what they are serving today:
Hamburger
Ham & Cheese sandwich
Crinkle cut fries
Broccoli bites
Fresh apple
1 % Milk/Chocolate Milk

Looks like I've got a win-win on my hands! Willow loved her school lunch and I know that she will eat it. I am certain that it will tide her over until she gets home from school. I just hope she doesn't share all of her lunch with her friends because she is the kind of sweet child who would do that.

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Let's keep the menu ideas flowing with these other Tik Tok-inspired School Lunch recipes will excite your kids!

2. From food_meal_ideas00
String Cheese, Baby Carrots, Cake, and Grapes in a Bento Box

3. From schoollunches575
Strawberry Greek Yogurt, Diced String Cheese, Ritz Crackers, Turkey Slices, and Slices of Kiwi

4. From sulheejessica
Breakfast for Lunch: Mini Pancakes, Bacon, Kiwi Slices, Blackberries, Goldfish Crackers

5. From cookingbomb
Asian School Lunch Snacks including seaweed (nori), Magic chili and Peanuts, Xia Man Tou cookies, Tofu snacks, Mochi,

Here's some great spooky School Lunch dessert ideas for Halloween

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