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Typical Lunchtime Sides

July 19, 2010 by Julie 51 Comments

Meat ‘n’ cheese. The old stand by!

Roast Beef + Provolone

Sometimes I forget how delicious a simple sandwich made with lunch meat and a slice of cheese can be.

The Spread

Today I was reminded of just how tasty this elementary school staple is when I bit into my roast beef and Provolone cheese sandwich.

I used a slice of Land O Lakes Provolone cheese with smoke flavor in the sandwich, which was fantastically flavorful and packed a protein-punch (6 grams!) to boot . Yum!

I included fresh spinach, deli mustard and sauerkraut on the sandwich to make it a little more “adult.” 😉

Spinach + 'Kraut

On the side, I snacked on green pepper slices and two large handfuls of cherry tomatoes.

And a Side of Nutrition, Please

I love eating fresh, raw veggies at lunchtime. They fill me up, pack a nutritional punch and aren’t too bad to look at either. Talk about vibrant color!

Though I love raw veggies now, when I was growing up they rarely made an appearance in my lunchbox.

As a kid my side items of choice included:

  • Gushers (Seriously, how good were these?)
  • Hi-C fruit snacks
  • Fruit roll-ups
  • HoHos
  • Apple slices

I also remember always feeling jealous of my friend Kristen’s bag of Harvest Cheddar SunChips!

When you were growing up, what were your typical lunchtime “sides?”

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Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Gushers, HoHos, Land O Lakes, lunch, Provolone cheese, roast beef, sandwich, SunChips

About Julie

My name is Julie and I am a full-time blogger, new mama, fitness enthusiast (certified personal trainer and group exercise instructor) and food fanatic (mostly healthy... but also not-so-healthy) living in North Carolina with my husband, dog and baby boy. Thank you for visiting Peanut Butter Fingers! I hope you enjoy little glimpses into my life and have fun trying the sweaty workouts I frequently share and making some of my favorite recipes along the way!

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Comments

  1. Heather says

    July 19, 2010 at 2:24 pm

    oh my goodness gushers…be still my heart! i also always had apples and fruit leather…yum!

    Reply
    • peanutbutterfingers says

      July 19, 2010 at 2:26 pm

      they were seriously amazing!!! i loveeeed when they’d burst in your mouth. flavor explosion!!!

      Reply
  2. Jessica @ How Sweet says

    July 19, 2010 at 2:26 pm

    I loved fruit roll ups, handi-snacks, and gushers!

    Reply
  3. Shanna, like Banana says

    July 19, 2010 at 2:30 pm

    The individual pudding snacks and on really special days, a Little Debbie treat 😉

    Reply
  4. homecookedem says

    July 19, 2010 at 2:31 pm

    Your lunch looks almost identical to mine… but I did have baked chips instead of raw veggies. As a kid I loved red grapes, fruit snacks, jello, and pudding cups as my side.

    Reply
  5. nourishingnoshes says

    July 19, 2010 at 2:35 pm

    I was the unfortunate kid who always had healthy snacks :p Unsweetened apple sauce, granola bars, a piece of fruit, etc. Luckily I got to trade other kids for the good stuff: Dunkaroos (remember those!?), cheese-its, fruit by the foot, and those crackers with the fake cheese! Haha. So gross!

    Reply
    • Lizzy @ LBBakes says

      July 19, 2010 at 2:39 pm

      Dunkaroos!! Confession: I still consumed these 3 years ago. 🙂

      Reply
      • peanutbutterfingers says

        July 19, 2010 at 2:44 pm

        dunkaroos were awesome! i also LOVED fruit by the foot. what an ingenious creation.

        Reply
        • Laura @ Backstage Pass says

          July 19, 2010 at 3:38 pm

          When will they bring back Dunkaros!? Cookies to be dipped in frosting, what a genius product idea! 😀

          Reply
  6. Lizzy @ LBBakes says

    July 19, 2010 at 2:37 pm

    Don’t get me started on the gushers! I actually just saw a littered wrapper in the street the other day and thought to myself, oh my gosh, do they still make these?!

    I was a lover of all things Little Debbie – Zebra Cakes, Swiss Cake Rolls, Star Crunch! Is this why I’m obsessed with baking now? 🙂

    Reply
    • peanutbutterfingers says

      July 19, 2010 at 2:44 pm

      ZEBRA CAKES!!!!!!!!!!!

      Reply
  7. Bethany says

    July 19, 2010 at 2:38 pm

    I used to be the queen of mini Ritz cheese cracker sandwiches. Oh man, I kinda forgot about those until just now!

    Reply
  8. Lindsay says

    July 19, 2010 at 2:38 pm

    I was a child that was always underweight, so my doctors were always on my moms case to get me to gain weight, so when I was in elementary school… my mom would pack me a pb&j sandwich with gushers, the packaged oatmeal cookie with the frosting filling, harvest cheddar chips, fruit of some sort, and milk. I know that sounds like alot, but i was a competitive gymnast and a runner , so I needed the food!! 🙂

    Reply
    • peanutbutterfingers says

      July 19, 2010 at 2:45 pm

      will your mom come pack me my lunches?

      Reply
  9. Amy @ VitaminAmy says

    July 19, 2010 at 2:42 pm

    My mom would always pack me fruit roll-ups! Zebra cakes were also a special item I would get in my lunches every now and then. I can’t even imagine eating that stuff now!

    Reply
  10. Jen @ Tip Top Shape says

    July 19, 2010 at 2:45 pm

    Gushers were definitely a common side I had or those fruit snacks that were shaped like Disney princesses

    I love having green peppers slices as sides too!

    Reply
  11. Sara @ Nourish and Flourish says

    July 19, 2010 at 2:46 pm

    I’d completely forgotten about Gushers! They were a big lunchtime treat when I was little! I also loved Ritz Bits cheese crackers, peanut butter pretzels and seaweed snacks (I had lots of Japanese friends who got me hooked!) 🙂

    Reply
  12. themohdiaries says

    July 19, 2010 at 2:50 pm

    Gushers & fruit roll ups were a special treat in my family! We had rice cakes & fruit as sides. I definitely did some trading with my friends back in the day!!

    Reply
  13. christina cadden says

    July 19, 2010 at 2:51 pm

    That sandwich looks so good!

    Reply
  14. Ennzy says

    July 19, 2010 at 3:05 pm

    I loved those fudgy cosmic brownies with the rainbow candy coated chocolate pieces on top, and would always buy an orange push-up popsicle in the lunch line even if I brought the rest of my lunch!

    Oh and my ultimate favorite: those little packs with the 8 little breadstick crackers and little square of fake-orange cheese for dipping!

    Reply
  15. atastelife says

    July 19, 2010 at 3:09 pm

    grapes, pretzels, yogurt.

    Reply
  16. Erin says

    July 19, 2010 at 3:11 pm

    Sounds like a typical lunch that I make for Stu everyday :2 sandwiches (usually bologna-eww or ham), 2 packs of gushers, bag of pringles, pudding cup, and a kool aid juice thing. I sware hes not 10 years old!

    Reply
  17. Karly (Becoming My Best Self) says

    July 19, 2010 at 3:13 pm

    Dunkaroos!!! 🙂

    Reply
  18. coffeeismycarrot says

    July 19, 2010 at 3:16 pm

    I always had fruit in my lunch bag and a Kudos bar. Do they still make those?

    Reply
    • peanutbutterfingers says

      July 19, 2010 at 3:20 pm

      oooh i ate those all the time, too – the M&M ones. i haven’t seen them in years!

      Reply
      • Meg says

        July 19, 2010 at 4:53 pm

        Oh man! The chocolate-dipped Kudos were the bomb!!

        Reply
  19. Laura says

    July 19, 2010 at 3:17 pm

    Oh I love hohos! I think I forgot all about them….but I think my true passion is Devil Dogs…thankfully you can’t get those in Colorado! As for sides at lunches, I was a school lunch girl…and I think I’ve blocked out all memory of lunch time food!

    Reply
  20. Laura @ Backstage Pass says

    July 19, 2010 at 3:36 pm

    Oh my gosh, gushers…. talk about a blast from the past! Pun intended 🙂

    A typical side was Fruit by the Foot, Shark Bites, or Dunkaroos. Otherwise my lunches were pretty healthy with a PB sandwich, cut up veggies and a piece of fruit.

    Reply
  21. Tracey @ I'm Not Superhuman says

    July 19, 2010 at 3:45 pm

    Smartfood! Oh, I loved that cheesy popcorn! I don’t eat lunch meat anymore, though, because I realized it triggers massive headaches. So fun!

    Reply
  22. Holly at Greek Yogurt and Apple Slices says

    July 19, 2010 at 3:45 pm

    Do you just eat the veggies by themselves or do you dip them in something??
    Some of my favorite things in my lunch were those Koala bear cookie things- they had a vanilla or chocolate filling on the inside…
    & also Butter & jelly sandwiches- I actually did not like PB & J when I was little– I was INSANE!! haha 😀

    Reply
  23. jess says

    July 19, 2010 at 3:56 pm

    i went through like an 8yr stage where lunch was usually a bag of chex mix and a chocolate milk. i think the total was under a $1, and i was allllllll about saving up to get a tv in my room.

    i think that extra change is still lost in a backpack somewhere.

    Reply
  24. Janna's Keeping it Real! says

    July 19, 2010 at 4:05 pm

    i always had fresh fruit (seasonal), pretzles, and sometims treats like handi-snacks, fruit snacks, ritz sandwich crackers, chips. The last few items were more of “occasional” treats, and it was always fun to have those!

    i was always envious of people that got to have squeeze-its in their lunch! haha

    Reply
  25. Melissa (MelissaLikesToEat) says

    July 19, 2010 at 4:17 pm

    I don’t really remember what was in my lunch….a sandwich of some sort, fruit, chips of some kind (I got really excited when they were Doritos) and a dessert I’m sure. I’ll have to think about this one some more!

    Reply
  26. Kelly says

    July 19, 2010 at 4:36 pm

    I totally remember gushers, fruit roll-ups, and fruit snacks! So yum! I loved the strawberry fruit snacks and would always want those over cookies or anything else! haha! But usually my lunch always consisted of a sandwich, a fruit, some chips or pretzels and then a dessert…usually 2 chips a hoy cookies.

    Reply
  27. lisaou11 says

    July 19, 2010 at 4:36 pm

    roast beef has been a favorite of mine lately! I would always get those honey bun cinnamon rolls in the vending machines! YUM!

    Reply
  28. 40apples says

    July 19, 2010 at 4:51 pm

    Remember Shark Bites fruit snacks?? I had those, loved ’em. And Fruit by the Foot, and Fruit Roll Ups, of course.

    I had a lot of yogurt, too. Like those kids’ sized cups. And trail mix! And Doritos. I could go on and on… oh the memories 🙂

    Reply
  29. Meg says

    July 19, 2010 at 4:52 pm

    I had tomato and pepper slices with my lunch too 😀 so fresh and tasty! I was lucky enough to grab lunch at Whole Foods today, so I got a BUNCH of sides, haha!

    Childhood faves? DUNKAROOS! Definitely Gushers as well, and honestly I was never a fan of Hoho’s or anything “cake” or “cupcake” – like. Not sure why, but I know I was considered wierd for not going for the Zebra Cakes at lunch 😉

    Enjoy your day – what a fun post 😀

    Reply
  30. Amber K says

    July 19, 2010 at 5:12 pm

    Gushers were pretty darn good!

    Although, I always got the hot lunch, so my sides were more likely to be french fries or whatever else the school had that day.

    Reply
  31. Katie says

    July 19, 2010 at 5:18 pm

    Hoho’s were the JAM! Love it! I also loved zebra cakes & the little pink heart shaped cakes! I had such a sweet tooth, I guess somethings never change 🙂

    Reply
  32. Katie says

    July 19, 2010 at 5:22 pm

    Also, if you had a lunchable, you were the coolest kid at the table! Especially the pizza one!

    Reply
    • Liz @ Tip Top Shape says

      July 19, 2010 at 5:31 pm

      Pizza lunchables were awesome with those little red sticks to spread the marinara sauce, haha.

      Reply
  33. Liz @ Tip Top Shape says

    July 19, 2010 at 5:30 pm

    I always had apple sauce and plain old granola bars. They were so tasty. In fact, they still are!

    Reply
  34. Molly says

    July 19, 2010 at 5:59 pm

    ah love simple lunches! Looks amazing 🙂

    Reply
  35. Megan says

    July 19, 2010 at 6:21 pm

    oh my gosh! I loved all fruit snacks, but for some reason when I tried Gushers, the “gush” made me gag… I couldn’t ever eat them again. So weird.

    Little Debbie cakes were my favorite, too. My dad still buys me the special holiday ones. Clearly, I got most of my healthy habits from my mom, who was much more likely to pack granola bars or fruit for us.

    I got into a big sandwich kick recently — anything to make packing the night before easy!

    Reply
  36. mary ann says

    July 19, 2010 at 10:21 pm

    when i went to my moms, i got hummus sammies, v8 juice (gag) and ants on a log or applesauce for “dessert,” when i was at my dads he send me off with an empty bread bag with cold pizza, yoohoos or orangina and funny bones + gushers for dessert, hahaha. ahhh divorced parents hehe
    MA

    Reply
  37. Leah says

    July 20, 2010 at 12:13 am

    I think you forgot to mention that KB also had pringles, twix bars, and oreos in her lunch everyday! Yum!

    Reply
  38. KaraHadley says

    July 20, 2010 at 12:54 am

    Apple slices with individual carmel cups were always a favorite of mine. And blue corn tortilla chips, despite kids thinking that I was weird for eating blue chips.

    Reply
  39. Erika says

    July 20, 2010 at 10:43 am

    Fruit Roll Ups
    Smores Chewy Bar (I hated them – I would actually just throw them out and say I ate it. ;-))
    Baby Carrots

    Reply
  40. Cassie says

    July 22, 2010 at 12:11 pm

    I completely forgot about Gushers!

    Reply
  41. Circuit Breaker : says

    November 1, 2010 at 1:30 am

    my funny bones are always active coz i always crack jokes everyday “”

    Reply
  42. Capricorn Man says

    December 1, 2010 at 3:08 pm

    i have so many funny bones in myself that is why i would love to be a comedian ~`,

    Reply

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Hi! I’m Julie and I am a mom to three energetic boys and a personal trainer and blogger living in Charlotte, North Carolina. Welcome to my blog! Peanut Butter Fingers follows my life and my interests in food, fitness, family, travel and (mostly) healthy living.
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