Preschool morahs speak out about your kids’ school lunches

“Never judge a mom,” says Morah Tova, “by the lunches she sends to school with her children.”

She ought to know. Having been a playgroup morah in Lakewood for years, she’s seen all kinds of lunches that moms send to school with their children. From grilled cheese to tuna, yogurt to fish sticks, she’s seen it all.

But she also knows not to question the mothers who will occasionally send an odd or unappealing lunch. These ladies are usually juggling family responsibilities, social obligations, and challenging jobs. They have plenty on their plate and they’re all doing the best they can.

What Works…

What do our children’s morahs really think about the lunches we send with the kids? Which lunches make sense and which ones just don’t work? What are some of the strangest lunches they’ve encountered over the years? Family Table reached out to several experienced morahs to find out the secrets of successful school lunches. Here’s what they have to say:

Never underestimate the power of the simple, basic sandwich. It may not be glitzy or glamorous, but it certainly does the trick. Sandwiches are quick, easy, and neat. They’re also filling and easy for little fingers to hold onto. In fact, most morahs recommend it.

“I try to encourage mothers to send typical lunches,” says Chaya, a morah of three-year-old boys. “Just send a typical sandwich.”

Morah Sarah from Lakewood agrees and insists that it’s not just about the filling and the two slices of bread. “There’s a social aspect to lunch break,” she explains. “And kids don’t want to be different. They want to feel like part of the crowd, they want normal. A sandwich is normal.”

Morah Nechama, who teaches four-year-olds in Monsey, agrees. “Even at this age,” she says, “it’s a social scene. When every other kid is taking out a sandwich, and your kid has the chicken and ketchup thing, he won’t want to eat it. He wants to be like everybody else.”

Sandwiches aside, what are some other typical lunches that mothers send with their children? “We get lots of frozen pizza,” says Miriam, who teaches two-and-a-half-year-olds, “or plain macaroni or yogurt.”

“Fish sticks with small containers of ketchup,” says Morah Chaya.

“Squeeze-up yogurts and applesauce,” says Morah Sara from Lakewood, “are definitely trending right now. They’re easy and neat and they don’t explode in the briefcase.”

And then there are those who opt for fleishigs. Or, as some morahs call it, “last night supper’s leftovers.” These moms will send chicken nuggets or deli sandwiches, and the morah will usually make sure that the children eat at a separate table.

…And What Doesn’t

After years of opening their students’ lunchboxes and finding surprises, morahs have a pretty good idea of which lunches just don’t work for little kids. “Eggs!” said quite a few morahs that we spoke to.

What could possibly go wrong with a classic egg for lunch? Plenty, the morahs assured us. Hard-boiled eggs fall apart and remain largely uneaten. And cold scrambled eggs or omelets congeal by the time lunch hour rolls around. They end up on the floor or the carpet, and good luck trying to clean up the mess. Morah Goldy, who teaches four-year-old girls, warns mothers against sending tuna without mayo. “It falls apart and gets all over the floor,” she says.