Whats for Lunch?

You could find a bunch of foods they like then make a weekly menu with lunch on it. Then when you go to the store your shopping list would have those items on it. This will help you feel like you don't have anything to prepare for them. Stocking up on the staples like soups or other items you like would also be time consuming and help you in the long run to be better prepared. I stink at this and have learned....we keep tons of Spaghetti O's and cans of Mini Ravioli's in the pantry.

I also did simple stuff like mac and cheese, hot dogs (we use Hebrew National, they don't make me sick for days), grilled cheese and chicken noodle soup, fish sticks and a pretty veggie to contrast the beige sticks.

PB&J is not a bad food, it's full of protein.

Here's one of my main resources for all kinds of things.

http://familyfun.go.com/magazine/

Here's the link to recipes

http://familyfun.go.com/recipes/

And here's a link to lunch ideas for kids

http://familyfun.go.com/recipes/lunch-ideas/

I've been giving my kids the same lunch for years. So when my youngest was 3 I know that I was serving them all the same stuff. Lunch usually consists of 100% whole wheat bread with natural pb and organic jelly. I'm thinking that since I'm using organic and natural stuff I don't feel as guilty serving it 75% of the time. I always serve a cut fruit and veggie to go with it. Cucumbers are a big hit, red peppers, carrots and then a fruit such as apple or grapes. I give a mozz cheese stick. A snack like pirates booty or veggie chips and for a drink, water. That's what they have all summer long too. It's quick and easy and they like it. Now if I've made something for dinner the night before that was a hit, I will give them leftovers of that, and if I know it's a real winner, I will make extras just for the sole purpose of serving it for lunch one or two more days during the week.
My kids also really like lunch meat. I don't like the nitrates in lunch meat. So, I buy the all natural organic lunch meat and we will do turkey and cheese roll ups. But due to the high cost, I don't do it too often.
I also really like the list below by Laurie...she has a lot of good suggestions.

Leftovers... Grilled cheese... Soup... You can do a build you own pizza (Your 3 year old would probably have fun doing that!)... Um... I'm out of ideas too!

Soups
Quesadillas
grilled cheese sandwich
fruit and cheese plate
leftovers
Cereal
lunch meat rolled up
tacos
pasta with sauce on the side
nachos
pretzels and peanut butter
BBQ chicken legs (we grill a lot and i keep extra in the freezer)
Grilled hamburgers (turkey)
salads

My kids (one is picky) love macaroni and cheese, soup (chicken noodle and tomato are their favorites but they like others too) and bread with butter, grilled cheese, quesadillas, turkey sandwiches, pepperoni with crackers and fruit/veggies, spaghetti o's or homemade spaghetti, tuna fish on crackers or as a sandwich, yogurt, hamburgers, chicken strips, fish sticks.

- Dinner Leftovers (I always cook for 10-20. Means that if guests show up it's AWESOME, and if not... I've got stuff to freeze for when I'm feeling lazy or busy, and stuff for breakfast or lunch). I did this in preschool as a RULE, because it meant that I absolutely knew that he'd love what was for lunch, instead of hoping he might eat.

- Sammies. Glorious, wonderful, PERFECT food (all food groups) with endless variety. From turkey w/ mayo on white... to italian roast beef with garlic mayo, spinach, basil, roasted red pepper, red onions, swiss, on a baguette in the panini press. Grilled cheese (plain fresh mozz to pepperjack to pear and bleu cheese) to philly cheesesteak. Cuban sammies to PB&J. Grinders to egg salad. And, best of all, minutes to make.

- The Old Standby (soup and sammies)

- Chicken nuggets and tater tots

- Hot dogs and tater tots

- Bagels and cream cheese

- Salads

- Brunch (eggs 6 ways from sunday, french toast, pancakes, waffles, pig n a blanket, toad in a hole -egg cooked in a hole in toast-, crepes, etc.)

Anything they can eat for breakfast or dinner they can eat for lunch. Though they're picky still offer the food, you never know when they'll try it. My guy's (he's 3) preschool has a rule they have to have everything on their plate, whether they eat it or not, for that reason.

Leftovers from dinner make excellent entrees, you can put some aside for that reason. Whole grain Mac and cheese, pasta with sauce and a turkey meatball or two reheat easily, quesadillas (cheese melted on a whole grain tortilla or wrap in the microwave or in a pan on the stove) take mere minutes to prepare, and PB on whole wheat bread is good, use low sugar jams or jellies or a dab of honey for sweetness. Check out Family Fun online as another mama suggested for lots of fun food ideas.

Anything that was good enough for breakfast or dinner makes for a good lunch.

That said, my lunchtime favorites are-
salads
steamed vegetables and salad dressing
veg and crackers
wraps
paninis
quiche
pizza
pasta salad
burritos
quessadillas
on the sweeter side nutella sandwiches.
If you want to keep it really healthy, and really easy for yourself offer a choice of two frozen veg, a sauce/ dressing and serve with precooked rice, pasta, beans, potatoes etc.

steam/ nuke the veg with the starch and that's lunch done.

LSHA

I will be following your post, too. Ugh. Lunch.

We do pasta, cheese pizza (frozen), cheese/crackers, applesauce, yogurt, fruit, veggies, and soup. My kids won't eat peanut butter.

I need protein choices. :)