This will be my fourth year packing dairy lunches for my kids’ Jewish preschool, and I have to say, I’m excited.
Many Jews traditionally do not mix meat and dairy, which is why so many Jewish facilities only allow meals that are kosher dairy. But if your child is attending a Jewish preschool at a JCC or synagogue and you don’t keep a kosher kitchen, you may be wondering… what am I gonna pack my kid for lunch all year long?
Packing a kosher dairy lunch might sound intimidating, but I promise it doesn’t have to be. If you need some help, here is a guide and some of my favorite dishes, sides and lunch packing philosophies. And hopefully even if you’ve been packing dairy lunches for years, you’ll find some new inspiration below.
Some basics to know about packing a kosher dairy lunch
If you’ve never packed a kosher dairy lunch before, here are some helpful things to know. Of course, it’s always good to check with your local facility about what their specifications are, but these rules tend to apply.
Look for kosher certification. This is especially important for any shared snacks you plan to bring! You can read all about kosher symbols on My Jewish Learning — anything with a Kosher Dairy or Kosher Pareve (food that contains neither meat nor dairy, making it OK to eat with either) symbol should work.
(Kosher) fish is a-OK! You can find a list of kosher fish on My Jewish Learning.
Fruit and vegetables are always a go.
Anything vegan is usually also a go for personal lunches.
Get the right container
I personally think you need a container with at least four compartments: one for fruit, one for veg, one for a side and one for a “main” (be it a sandwich or a cooked dish). Kids (and adults like yours truly) love to not have their foods touching. I included some of my personal favorites in the bottom of this post.
I personally prefer to keep everything in one box (which you should practice opening and closing with your little!) because I know lunch time can get chaotic, but I’ve also added some pouch options if you just want to pack a sandwich and a cheese stick and maybe a sliced apple and call it a day (sounds wonderful to be honest, wish someone would pack that lunch for me).
Food safety is obviously really important, and most preschools can’t refrigerate or heat your kids’ lunches so I highly recommend getting a lunch box that either keeps things cool or a thermos for when your lunch calls for it (again, linking some options below!).
The classic sandwich
The most important thing about school lunch is that it gets eaten. You absolutely do not need to reinvent the wheel for this! If you know your child likes something, and you want to pack it for them every day for the rest of the school year, you have my blessing.
– Sunflower seed butter and jelly sandwiches (if your school allows peanut butter, you can also go with that!)
– Grilled cheese
– Mini bagels with cream cheese
– Hummus in mini pita (or a sandwich)
– Banana and peanut butter rolls (see: alternative nut/seed butters if PB is a no-go)
– Hummus and veggie wrap rolls
– An omelet sandwich (I like mine with veggies and cream cheese)
– Egg salad sandwich
– Cottage cheese sandwich
– Tomato or cucumber sandwiches
– Tuna salad sandwich
– Hashahar chocolate spread in pita
– Vegetarian or salmon burgers (fancy!)
The pasta route
Who doesn’t love pasta! Keep it simple — or complicated — depending on your kid’s preference.
– Mac and cheese (if you want to add extra nutrition here, I highly recommend Gal Gadot’s Goodles, which come in some kosher variations and are genuinely delicious)
– Noodles and butter
– Homemade broccoli mac and cheese
– Bean and pasta salad
– Orzo salad
– Vegetarian ravioli or tortellini with butter or olive oil
– Pesto pasta
– Caprese pasta salad
– Pasta with tomato sauce (at your own peril)
The fish dish
Perhaps not a daycare worker’s favorite, but it is a way to get extra protein into those lunches (and not all of these options are equally fragrant!).
– Tuna salad sandwich
– Tuna pasta/pasta salad
– Salmon patties
– Fish sticks
– Tuna/salmon rice balls (onigiri/omosubi)
– Mini bagels with lox and cream cheese or lox spread
The daycare brunch
You have to instill the love of brunch in your kids early!
– Pancakes or waffles (with a side of scrambled egg and fruit)
– A yogurt parfait with yogurt, fruit and granola (maybe honey and jam drizzled on top?)
– Vegetable and cheese omelet or frittata
– Egg and cheese sandwich
– Challah French toast
The grazing board
My kids love any version of a cheeseboard, so why not send one for lunch?
– The veggies and dip board: pita chips, veggies with a side of Greek yogurt (love it with some olive oil and zaatar), hummus or cottage cheese
– A cheese board with some grapes, cut cheeses and crackers (no nuts!)
The Extra option
I don’t usually cook new things for a lunch box, but I definitely encourage you to if you’re feeling fancy!
– Vegetarian chili
– Latkes grilled cheese (perfect for Hanukkah time!)
– Bean, rice and cheese burritos
– Cheese and bean quesadillas
– Gnocchi
– Soba salad
– Quinoa salad
– Baked potato or sweet potato with sour cream and onions or veggie chili
– Veggie or tofu stir fry
– Veggie kimbap
– Israeli-style corn schnitzel
– Home-made tofu nuggets
The pre-packaged snack
While you don’t want to fill your lunchbox up on these (and depending on how crunchy of a parent you are, you might not want to include them at all), it’s always good to know which snacks will work for the class party and for some extra filling, familiar yumminess.
– Pirate’s Booty
– Cheez-Its
– Chex Mix
– Skinny Pop
– Cliff Bars
– Belvita cookies
– Bobo’s Oat Bars
– MadeGood snacks
– That’s it. Fruit Bars
– PopCorners
It’s all about the sides
Here are the fruits, veggies and other non-pre-packaged sides that you can add to (the ample compartments of) your lunch box.
– Sugar snap peas
– Baby carrots (these are choking hazards, so you might want to do grated carrots instead for younger kids)
– Blueberries (smushed or cut up for kids under 4)
– Grapes (cut for kids under 4)
– Strawberries
– Sliced cucumbers (I rarely pack a lunch without them)
– Sliced apple (again, a choking hazard so cut age-appropriately)
– Orange/tangerines (would do these peeled and sliced for the younger kids, so they have time to eat them!)
– Sliced peach
– Fruit salad (maybe even mixed in with some yogurt!)
– Cubed cheese
– Edamame
– Roasted chickpeas
– Mini banana muffins/sliced banana bread
– Chopped salad (with feta!)
– Yogurt muffins
– Pitted olives
– Pickles of any kind
– Roasted Brussels sprouts
– Riced or roasted cauliflower (with some tahini!)
– Cooked broccoli
– Baked sweet potato
The leftovers
– When all else goes wrong (or maybe, goes right!) — you can always send your kids to school with yesterday’s cheese pizza
Check out our favorite containers and school lunch accessories below:
Bentgo Ice Packs
These Bentgo Ice Packs come in all kind of cute shapes and have held up for quite a few years in my freezer and with my very rough boys.
Bentgo Lunch Pack
These Bentgo bags are also super durable and have space for the ice pack, a lunchbox and an extra snack — they are however, a little too bulky to fit into a normal toddler bag.
Skip Hop Thermos
This thermos went from carrying baby food to hot lunch foods with no trouble at all. The prints are fun and it is super durable.
I'm trying these simple plastic boxes this year because we've found the simplest, lowest frills option often works best for us.
Everusely Steel Lunch Box
This seems like a good affordable option for anyone not wanting to use plastics this year.
Bentgo Chill Lunchbox
I like this lunch box because it comes with a built-in ice pack. As with any plastic Bentgo box, I would just say, clean it well and watch for mold build-up in the soft plastic in the top.
OmieBox Lunch Box
The dream lunch box with a built in thermos. I still have never been able to make myself splurge for it, but maybe one day.
I promised sandwich and snack bags — these are my favorite because you can throw them in with the laundry. I just find that reusable plastic bags never feel quite clean enough.
Uncrustable Sandwich Cutters
You can bring a parent an uncrustable, or you can teach them how to make their own uncrustables! You can used the crusts for a French Toast Casserole that's also perfect for a school lunch!
OXO Grape Cutter
I cut my own grapes like a savage but I do admit that cutting them with this special cutter (also good for cherry tomatoes!) looks like lots of fun.
I am not an aesthetic lunch girlie at all, but sometimes I do dream of being one and putting these in my kids' lunches. In reality I know they will likely lose them all in record time, but feel free to live my dream for me.
