Moms Spill Their Kids’ Baon Favorites—And What Really Gets Eaten

Every school day begins with a familiar question for many parents: “Ano’ng ipapabaon?”

Between early mornings, picky eaters, and the challenge of keeping meals nutritious and enjoyable, preparing baon often becomes both a daily task and an act of love.

To help fellow parents, we asked moms from the Smart Parenting Village (SPV) what they usually pack in their grade schoolers’ lunchboxes. From sandwiches to rice meals, fruits, and healthy drinks, these moms shared what works—and what their kids actually eat.

Sandwiches continue to be a crowd favorite. Easy to make and versatile, they’re a staple in many lunchboxes.

Mommy Rachele shared, “Snacks usually sandwiches—egg, peanut butter, cheese, ham, chicken mayo, tuna mayo. Basically, bread and palaman. [Kay] bunso, minsan saging.”

Mommy Jessa sticks to basics: “Pancakes or tinapay na may palaman na itlog or ham then biscuits.”

Mommy Crislyn shared her go-to baon options: “Sandwich, burger, apple, ham & egg sandwich, egg sandwich, carbonara, etc. Basta homemade with biscuits on the side and minsan some chocolates.”

Mommy Karla Luisa adds variety with “bread, biscuits, cookies, gummies, choco chips and paired with any fruits.” She keeps drinks simple, with water daily and flavored drinks only about twice a week.

Meanwhile, another mom prefers light, easy options. She wrote, “Bread slice with peanut butter or French toast, biscuits, ensaymada, boiled eggs or scrambled eggs. Mga easy to pack and eat lang po.”

Someone wrote: “Peanut butter sandwich, pancakes, cheese bites, Monde mamon, pan de pula, pandesal na may cheese, toasted mamon. Sa drinks, tubig lang.”

For growing kids with bigger appetites, heavier meals are often packed, especially for lunch.

Mommy Aiza sends a full variety: “Water, hotdog, pizza, boiled egg, scrambled egg, fried saba, pork tonkatsu, fish fillet, lumpia.”

A mom shared that she prepares balanced meals: “Fresh fruits and steamed veggies. Protein-rich foods like eggs—boiled or scrambled, homemade burger patty, tofu, sometimes salmon.”

Many moms include fruits and light sides to balance their kids’ meals.

Mommy Elle Rose packs fruits like grapes, apples, oranges, and saba, alongside siomai, sopas, wheat bread, mamon, and itlog ng pugo.

Mommy Hanni likes to include sliced fruits, such as apples, in her child’s baon.

Mommy Arah Jane explained that her child prefers apples. “Minsan apples since ‘yun lang gusto niya na fruit, tapos tinapay or biscuits. Ayaw ng school na papabaunan ang bata ng chips and chocolates.”

Mommy Micah Ali adds healthy snacks like nuts and dried fruits to her child’s baon.

When it comes to beverages, water is the clear winner, mostly due to school guidelines and health preferences.

Mommy Shaira said her kids bring “water at Yakult.”

A mom noted, “Water lang po allowed sa school ng kid ko.” Many echoed this, saying flavored drinks are usually not allowed or not encouraged.

Another mom packs Pediasure in tetra packs alongside water, especially for her younger child who doesn’t bring rice yet.

An anonymous commenter shared that her child also prefers plain water: “Tubig lang kasi hindi rin naman siya mahilig sa mga tetra juice.”

While most parents try to keep baon nutritious, a few occasional treats do make their way in.

Mommy Rayche includes butter coco biscuits, eggnog, and Monde mamon (mini-sized for easy packing).

A mom keeps cookies on standby: “Cookies, extra lang sa bag in case mabitin siya. Hindi primary baon kasi empty calories ‘yun eh.”

For another anonymous commenter, baon depends on what the kids like. “Tubig lang. Kanin, biscuits, cookies o mamon. Ayaw nila sa tinapay.”

Despite the many types of food shared, one thing remains clear: there’s no one-size-fits-all baon formula. What works for one child may not work for another. What truly matters is that the baon provides enough energy and comfort for the day ahead. Moms do their best to keep meals balanced and nutritious, knowing that even the simplest lunchbox can nourish both the body and the heart.