Do You Include a Treat with Your Kids' Lunch?

Often, but not always, and in moderation like you said. A hershey's kiss goes a long way when you're 5.

Other things we put in the kids' lunches were funny erasers, stickers, notes on napkins, and their favorite fruits or other healthy but special items. My DD is almost equally happy about strawberries as she is chocolate.

Not daily, though. Then it loses its specialness.

Absobloodylutely. they are in school too long not to have a little treat.
Usually it is a cereal bar, or a small cookie bag, or small choco bar

I've found that when I do, the healthy stuff doesn't get eaten, but the treat does. That's when I stopped including treats :) I now dole those out at home but not at school.

I had a juice box and a couple cookies in my lunch every day from the time I was in elementary school through high school. I have a very healthy attitude towards food and am in good health and good weight. (5ft, 105lbs) I turned out fine, and I think I have a healthy attitude towards food. I have a treat when I want it, about once a day but I also eat a ton of fruits and veggies. I know its hard to find that balance because of all the obessity, but you also need to teach them portion control when they have something that isn't quite as good for you. I let my kids have treats, because I don't want them to run off to college one day and that is all they eat because it has become such a big deal.

A treat stops being a treat when it's done all the time. If you want to give him a treat, do it once in a while. And it doesn't have to be food. You can draw him a picture or include something funny. Let him know he'll have surprises (rather than treats) in his lunch once in a while (every three days or so, but don't tell him when), and he might like that idea better than juice boxes.

Humus and chips are NOT typical in my home...yuck - my opinion!!

Let HIM help you with his lunch menu - you might be surprised at what he wants!!

My kids get a sandwich or a wrap (tortilla), drink, chips, fruit and a dessert (whether it be a frozen go-gurt, oreos, etc.) i am the firm believer in moderation....and if I withhold something like a drink or a food from my child - they will find a way to get it...so I let them taste and try and make decisions for themselves....you can lead by example and guide him but when you make things too restrictive - they will want the item that much more...

GOOD LUCK!!

Sometimes.
Sometimes his "treat" is celery sticks with a little peanut butter and some raisins on it (ants on a log), sometimes his "treat" is a cookie or we've done the Teddy Grahams. Other times, it's a sticker or cowboy picture, or a little note that says Mom "heart" Joseph and a silly picture I drew. Whatever...lol. I'm not overly restrictive by any means, but I don't think treats always need to be in food form. Sometimes that's cool, but not always. And chocolate milk is nice sometimes. So is apple juice. It's not "bad". We buy a big thing of organic apple juice and then pour it into a smaller bottle that goes in his lunch box. It's not going to hurt him, and it's not an all the time thing. I do think that if a child "never" gets something that they see others get all the time, they could get fixated on it and want it all the more. Let them have it occasionally and see that it's no big deal, and it won't be a big deal. That's my opinion, anyway.

I always pack a dessert. I'm sure they eat it first. Who cares, it's a small kit kat or twix.

Sometimes I stick in a gummy worm or 1 hershey kiss etc or a homemade oatmeal raisin cookie etc. I wouldn't make it the "norm". Choc milk is more than enough "treat" :)
Why no juice? Sorry - I'm honestly just curious. I use refillable bottles and my kids have forever and always only had juice at lunch time - milk for breakfast and dinner and water the rest of the time. They are still ok with watered down apple juice and they are 7 and 9.

My daughter isn't anywhere near age to go to school - but if I was in your position.. I'd stick with the treat after dinner and chocolate milk for school. If he's used to the treat after dinner I'd keep it there. Chocolate milk can have sugar in it, so I think that can be a treat as well. See how that goes & good luck :) I'd just remember to be flexible.. even though my daughter is younger she's teaching me to be flexible :)

I didnt at first, but she has been eating all the fruits and veggies that I pack so sometimes I throw in a treat. Sometimes..

I do the 100 cal packs too

Most schools have gone into a health-kick so you will probably get a list of allowed food/snacks. So other kids won't be showing off the oreos.
My kids don't get treat until after dinner.
For school I always send water. I don't send milk nor do I prepay the school's milkprogram. Milk is temporary filling and plus unless they have a pb and J sandwich then milk would work, but for ham and cheese? yuck.
so water, healthy lunch, and fruit.
On very rare days, like close to holidays, or when something good is happening etc i rewards them with a couple of cookies in ziplock bags.
no need to be restrictive. once in a while send in something, like pudding, a few graham crackers, or an oreo or 2. but you will see as years pass you will get so tired of packing lunches :)

No. We eat lots of treats around here, but kids' attention spans are so short at school, if I send a treat, that's all that gets eaten. (and my kids fill up on choco milk or juice too) Then they are off to recess. And that nutritious turkey sandwich comes home untouched.

I think it is great that you are putting so much thought into this. I wish all parents did!

If I did chocolate milk, I wouldn't do a treat with it. The sugary milk would be his treat.

On occassion, I will add a homemade cookie or other treat to the lunch, especially if the kids help me make them the night before. But, the kids know this is a "treat" and is not the norm. If they get a treat in their lunch, they know there will be no treats after dinner.

I think whatever you decide, do it in moderation and you will raise healthy, happy kids. You sound like a wonderful mama. =)

I do, but not everyday. 2 or 3 days each week there will be a special treat in there. I love the 100 cal packs for this because you can get things that are not too juncky like yogurt pretzels or caramel corn. Just have fun and use a variety.

Most schools do not allow for candy in a lunch box and I am fine with that. Kids can be wild enough without extra junk. It's nice if they don't allow it because then you are not the bad guy saying no ;) In place of juice, you can buy Roarin Waters by Capresun (there is sugar, but it's low…basically flavored water), Mott's Tott's reduced sugar Apple Juice Boxes or G2 (low sugar gateraide-they make small bottles).

I just think back to when I was in school. I got an apple (or some other fruit), a sandwich and a couple of cookies. I always ate the sandwich and cookies and threw the fruit out (what a waste!). So, I will not be packing any treats for my daughter and I never have. I found out the school does ice cream once a week, so I might let her buy ice cream on that day and that day only. We will see! Good luck :)

I wouldn't pack him something you wouldn't give him at home, but that's just me. I don't really see anything wrong with a small thing of Teddy Grahams or the little pack of Lorna Doones, but I wouldn't send in chocolate. Somehow, that just screams "candy" whereas the other could be more of a lunch-time snack.

I do. My son is going into 3rd grade. But I try to pack stuff he likes AND a treat.
Be really careful about the chocolate milk--flavored milk is LOADED in sugar--compare it to some other treats.

It's your call.

I plan on packing a small treat for my children in their lunches (couple of mini oreos or one fudge stick). My kids know that they are to eat the "main course" first and treat always comes last.

I pack a treat on friday's :)

Knowing what I know now, dealing with insulin resistance (pre-pre-diabetes), juice is something none of us should drink (just raw fruit). Milk is loaded with sugar, especially chocolate milk. Send water and ensure every meal, snacks as well, have protein (eggs, cheese, peanut butter, meat).

A healthy lunch only contains 30 carbs (and typical sandwich bread will contain more than that alone - go for Pepperidge Farm Light breads, 18g for a sandwich, or half sandwich for younger child). A piece or handful of fruit is around 15g. You'll see very quickly that a low carb bread plus a piece of fruit is as much sugar as your child should be having.

A very tiny treat - like one Hershey Kiss - I think is fine, and FUN. Otherwise, I never give dessert after lunch normally (or after dinner for that matter) so no more than that. And I have a 20 year old as well as a one year old. Have always followed the same tradition.

on friday I put a little hershey kiss in.

My children do not get dessert with their lunch at school. At home, I allow a cookie. But our school doesn't allow sweets. Snacks are only allowed to be a fruit or veggie. And lunches have to be healthy. We even get "talks" during our class parent meetings about processed foods, and what are good choices! : )

My children's teachers would probably have a stroke if I sent in chocolate! LOL It makes me laugh just to think about it! I could see their faces! Oh, dear me. Anyway, though I don't agree with it, it is the rule, and we abide by it. There could be a lot worse rules than ones meant to keep our children healthy. : )

But, why not ask your teacher what she/he prefers? The teacher may not want any sweets either, and would appreciate your asking.

My mother never packed us treats (I know whine, whine). I am past fifty and I resented it. The thinking was we would get fat I guess. Well, she is almost eighty, tall and slim and I am about eight inches shorter and probably weigh more than her. Not fat, but not like her. The point is I simply felt deprived, it didn't change my body structure or my health and I remember feeling way jealous. So, why not a treat sometimes? Discuss it with him he is ready and I am sure you will get lots of different appetites throughout the years with him. I on the other hand did give my children treats and I hear they sometimes traded them away. So nothing is etched in stone.

i didn't because the preschool that my kids went to didn't give it to them. they made them eat all of their good food. and send the sweet or treat home with them. i gave mine a treat when they got home if they had eaten their lunch. i always gave mine Caprisun water or the flavored water in their lunches also. that way it looks like they are getting what the others have but not overloaded on the sugar.

Nope. They don't need the sugar. Plus, cookies, candy and juice aren't allowed at my kids school so I couldn't even if I wanted.

I pack a lunch for my daugther almost everyday (maybe once or twice a month she buys lunch)...
She takes a sandwich, some sort of fruit, usually grapes or strawberries, cheese stick or cheez its. No treats as then nothing else gets eaten. She is allowed to take a snack (they call it a "working snack"), which this week has been Fig Newtons.

She knows the rules regarding chocolate milk. She can purchase it once a week at school, all the other days she must choose white milk. We are able to monitor via the school website what she purchases. She is excellent in the fact that she follows the rules.

Once a month they can have warm fuzzy party, in which they can bring an "unapproved snack" (candy) and are allowed to have it then. We let her participate in this if she has followed the rules for milk.

Maybe we are over restrictive but I didn't grow up with good eating habits and now am struggling with my weight and portion sizes, with an enormous sweet tooth. I don't want her to grow up with bad eating habits.

I send treats with lunch. but I have noticed that many kids beg my daughter for her lunch (she is 7) and she sometimes complies and gives them to the other kids, so maybe I am one of the only ones. I always remember my mother sending treats in my lunch so it really doesn't seem odd to me to do so. If my daughter buys lunch she will also buy herself a ice cream or sherbert treat.

after reading the rest of these posts I understand why other kids are begging her for parts of her lunch. My daughter will not drink milk but I would rather her drink chocolate milk than juice. She is very slim for her age. Boy, a tiny tiny piece of candy, woop-de-do. I think if parents spend a little too much time on what is in their kids lunches. Let me tell you something- if you don't send it, they will get it off of another kid. pack something they will eat and enjoy.

yes but something small... now the preschool my daughter went to was really on top of things and followed through with the rule "majority of healthy food first THEN treat" this is the general rule they had for all kids eating there. If the preschool had not followed through with that rule I know my daughter would eat the treat first so in that case I would not send on.

My daughter is going into kindergarten, I am not sure of if they enforce this rule but I hope between what I do at home and what she did at preschool will be enough for her to know what the healthy thing to do is. For now I will send the treat along but if I notice her with alot of healthy food coming home in her lunch box the treat will removed till she can respect the rule. Now a treat is not much, a small cookie (like oreo size) or a small bag of gummies (has like ten in it) so really it is not much. If I do remove the treat I will make sure there is some in addtion like a small bag of goldfish crackers or pretzels. On chocolate milk day I do not put a treat in her lunch box.

As long as his drink is in a box like the other kids I don't think he'll even notice they have juice and he doesn't. THEY will probably be more jealous of his chocolate milk!!

I would do a single Hershey's kiss on Fridays (or Mondays!) maybe, as a special "I love you" treat. Teddy Grahams are good but they would be part of lunch I think. You don't want to send him more than he can eat. Make sure you know how long he will have to eat so you don't overload his bag -- because then he will eat the "fun" stuff and not the healthy stuff! A sandwich, fruit and pretzels (plus milk) seems like more than enough without adding cookies. I'd put the Teddy Grahams in instead of the pretzels, or something like that.

I will include a small bag of cookies (like those 100 calorie ones), an applesauce, yogurt covered raisins, or apple slices to dip in small container of yogurt....I mix it up. I don not pack candy ever.

I always pack a small treat. It makes my kids day, just to see what the small treat surprise will be. Just a few gummies, piece or 2 of licorice, or small chocolates, or a small cookie or something I do the 100 calorie packs quite often. I never make it large enough for DD to fill up on. I know she eats it first at school. But honestly, I don't care. It's really small. I don't care to be that controlling. And I can't imagine all the lunch monitors doing that either. I've seen kids bring substanially larger treats, though. A full sized candy bar? Um, no. Maybe a fun size from Halloween. All OK in moderation.

nope, not even in my school age kids' lunches. Treat is fruit to my kids lunch wise.

I pack "a kiss from Mom" every day. (A hershey kiss)