Today’s podcast episode is full of practical mom advice to help you pack tasty and healthy lunches that your picky eaters will enjoy. Plus, if you’ve ever struggled with your picky eater coming home with an untouched lunchbox, you’ll hear my personal story about how I handled this with my son in the past, and how I handle it now.
This 5th season of the MOMables Podcast is all about helping our picky eaters try new foods and establishing happier mealtimes.
Topics discussed this episode:
- How to pack good lunches when it feels like your kid won’t eat anything.
- How to create a will-eat list for your child.
- What to do when your child comes home from school with a full lunchbox.
- Lunch packing tips that will encourage your child to eat… and more!
Download a free copy of our Mealtime Handbook, the Ultimate Guide to Feeding Happy Kids here.
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Need to know how to pack school lunches for picky eaters? This post will walk you through how to make meals your kids will eat and introduce new foods.
Before I started MOMables I used to pack the same three or four lunches for my kids EVERY WEEK. Making their three “safe” school lunches was a lot easier than trying new things (for me, anyway).
What do picky eaters eat?
If you asked me (then) what does your daughter eat? My answer would have been this: She doesn’t eat meat, or broccoli, or rice, or potatoes unless fried, no lettuce, no tomatoes, no peas, no corn, no yogurt, no berries, no bananas, no pears.
But that did not answer the question. My answer was all about the things she didn’t eat.
Like most parents of picky eaters, I was frustrated that she only wanted to eat the same sandwich day in and day out. She only wanted me to pack one of two approved veggies and no fruit –she’s never liked fruit.
How to pack a healthy lunch for a picky eater
First, focus on the positive. It’s easy to get discouraged when we only think about the things our kids will not eat.
First, I created a “will eat list.” A “will eat list” includes items in each food group to pick from.
For example:
Proteins:
- Eggs in a thermos
- Grilled chicken
- Homemade chicken nuggets
- Rolled up ham
- Rolled up turkey
- Cheese Cubes
Veggies:
- Carrots
- Celery
Fruit:
My daughter ate none, but you could try things like…
- Any fresh fruit
- Homemade Strawberry Fruit Leather
- Banana Chips
- Apple Chips
Carbohydrates:
- Whole grains (bread, wraps, etc)
- Rice
- Pasta
- Beans & Legumes
How to use the “will eat list”
It’s really simple to incorporate the items your child will eat into mealtimes when you have a meal plan for the week. With the Classic Meal Plan, you get 5 lunch or dinner recipes, a meal-prep sheet showing you what to prep ahead to save time in the kitchen, and a completed shopping list.
With the meal plan on hand, I would look at any items that needed a simple swap with another approved ingredient. This takes just minutes to do in comparison to coming up with new ideas or searching the internet forever for recipes.
It’s a lot faster to swap ingredients than it is to come up with ideas from scratch. And unfortunately, most people end up making the same meals over and over for their kids because coming up with new ideas can be an exhausting process.
Yes, I’m also speaking of school lunches for picky eaters. The Classic Meal Plan has a lunch plan that is super easy to use alone or in conjunction with dinner.
Anyways, having a list of ingredients or items that your child will eat on hand will incredibly speed up the process.
School Lunch Ideas for Picky Eaters
So maybe you have a “will eat” list and the right containers and need school lunch ideas. I’ve got you covered! Watch this video for easy school lunch ideas for picky eaters that often don’t need a recipe.
They are simple and easy to swap ingredients for your child’s favorite.
Best Lunch Containers for Picky Eaters
If there’s one thing many parents struggle with is when they open up the lunchbox and much of the food is still there. Which, in fact, it often looks like a mushy mess.
Most of the time we tend to assume that the child didn’t like the food; but could it have been the container instead? Could the items have shifted around to make the food unappealing? This is often the case.
All of our favorite lunch containers help you avoid this. Here are my top lunch container recommendations:
As you can see, there are many different options when it comes to packing lunches. Hopefully, you’ll find one that suits your lunch packing needs best.
Best Thermos Containers for Picky Eater Lunches
“If it was a winner for dinner it’s a winner for lunch!” is what I say to the members of our parent community. From soups, stir-fry dishes, to pasta; nearly everything can be packed inside a thermos container.
There are many thermos containers out there and not all are the same size and hold temperatures the same length. Check out this post for a detailed description of our favorite containers.
Adriana says
When my son was younger he would eat everything. Eggs, beans, veggies, etc. Once he turned 4 it changed. He became super picky. He will eat spaghetti with meatballs but not a burger or ground beef. He will eat potatoe wedges but not mashed potatoes. Or eat bread from a bakery but not sandwich bread or a sandwich for that matter. School is next week and I’m going crazy thinking of what to send him for lunch. He loves fruits and veggies. He eats pistachios, almonds and raisins. Would it be bad if I sent him to school with mainly fruits and veggies with maybe a granola bar and an ensure shake? I’m really worried it won’t be enough and I don’t want him to feel hungry all day. Please give me some advice/tips.
MOMables says
Worrying about what to send to school when you have selective eaters is totally normal Adriana. My suggestion is that you start sending him with what you know he will eat and slowly add one item at a time that might be new. Kids ere more prone to eat new things when they are surrounded by their friends and they see them eat a variety of foods. Here is to your success!
Leighton says
Hi I am a single father who has a 9 year old girl who is very picky and making lunches or any meal for that matter is a challenge for me . Her likes are hotdogs chicken nuggets or a tortilla with just butter maybe hamm , she wont eat most meats any veggies or fruits . Just to make sure she is getting more vitamins I am giving her a breakfast shake in the morning which she loves. I am having parent guilt because I find myself sending the same things and a child needs more than nuggets . I’ve tried the this is what you get and that’s it and then she just doesnt eat . I want her to be healthy
Thanks for the ideas and ill keep trying to give her new things .
MOMables says
Hi Leighton!
I know how challenging it can be to feed picky eaters. I am going to assume you are a (very) busy guy and could use some info on-the-go. Perhaps you’ll like some of my podcasts on this very subject. Here are a few really great ones that focus on picky eaters:
Mealtime Success: No more Power Struggles: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/mealtime-success-no-more-power/id912267937?i=318452025&mt=2
It’s not about the broccoli: how to teach kids healthy eating habits: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/its-not-about-broccoli-teaching/id912267937?i=318815936&mt=2
Parenting Picky Eaters: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/parenting-picky-eaters-carolyn/id912267937?i=338394379&mt=2
Extreme Picky Eaters: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/extreme-picky-eaters-katja/id912267937?i=342654227&mt=2
Of course, there are more, I just hope you find these helpful to start.
Mica says
Any ideas for a picky kid who doesn’t like her food touching?
MOMables says
Divider containers are a great way to send variety without the food touching :)
Kate says
I know that different things work for different families and kids, but just to add another perspective for anyone reading this article who might be having trouble with foods their kids wont eat… I have a 9 year old, and I never allowed the ‘I dont like that’ or ‘I wont eat that’ attitude. In my home, allowing that only encouraged him to refuse more and more items, because he felt like I would just let him say no to things. So, if he had it his way he would say no to everything but candy and pizza. That lasted about 2 months, and for the last several years, he eats what is cooked/packed/put in front of him. Obviously there is a line, for example he really really doesnt like avocado, and I dont make him eat it. There are a few other things as well, but I certainly wont allow a list of 40 different things he ‘wont’ eat. Just worth mentioning if anyone is reading, give it a shot. It doesnt hurt, and it wont kill them to eat a piece of lettuce (even though they might think so) :P Happy lunch packing everyone :)
MOMables says
Fantastic point Kate.
Sam says
This method is the best not only for mom but for the children as well. they need to appreciate and learn to be grateful . I tell my kids : 5 and 3 , there are kids who doesn’t have food at all
STARSHA M BLEDSOE says
I like this approach for most kids, but it doesn’t work for true picky eaters. I’m a picky eater myself and I won’t eat things that I don’t like – period! Even as a child my mom would make me eat what she cooked and I would either suffer the consequences, go to bed hungry or shove it down my throat with pure misery – not the way I want to raise my child. Eventually, this caused a horrible and unhealthy relationship with food. This approach works for some kids but sometimes there really are 40 foods they just don’t like. I prefer the “try it once”. All I ask is for my son to try the food before he says he doesn’t like it, and then let me know why he doesn’t like it. As long as he gives it an honest try, and an honest answer as to why he doesn’t like it, we can move on and I’ll add that to the bottom of the try again list.
For example, he kept saying he doesn’t like mac and cheese. I found out that it was the type of noodle I was using (elbow). He prefers a penne. Seriously, such an easy fix and now he eats the mac and cheese. It might not be that your child doesn’t like the food – it could be how it’s prepared or what it’s paired with. My son says he doesn’t like turkey and cheese sandwiches but come to find out, he just doesn’t like mustard and prefers his sandwiches plain
I consider this being “picky” and this is why I can relate. I would rather find out the issue at hand. You could be making your child eat something that is making their stomach hurt, they could have a sensitivity to certain foods. Or, maybe it’s your cooking – ha. Jus kidding. But I think it’s important to be proactive and not reactive. Maybe instead of forcing your child to eat the food – ask what they would like and have them help make it.
Anyway, I hope this also helps another parent. I got so discouraged with this forceful method of eating and it doesn’t work for some kids and isn’t worth the issues it could cause with food.
maryum says
Well my 6 year old daughter doesnt eat beans nutts, jams,meats, spreads, or chicken. She likes rice, chicken nuggets(the market ones not the home made ones) yugurt(unflavoured), and potato fries.in eggs she likes freshly made boiled egg or french toast. in fruits she likes mangoes apples and only sometimes bananas. I really am in a fix as to what to do with her as her lunch box always comes home unopened.she just eats the cookies I put in there.
Kate says
I had this problem with my son years ago. I told him if he didnt start eating the healthy stuff, then I wouldnt be packing any snacks or treats. He continued to only eat the treats, and the lunches turned completely healthy. He didnt like it, but he started eating the healthy stuff and I reintroduced snacks every so often. It took a few weeks, but the kids WILL eat. They wont starve all day in protest.
MOMables says
You are 100% right Kate. Establishing boundaries will do it! It’s not immediate but it does work. Great job!
Erin says
My daughter loves hot foods, but can’t heat up her school lunch. She HATES sandwiches and cold meat :-/
MOMables says
a thermos is your answer Erin.
Just another mom says
My daughter takes a peanut butter a jelly sandwich or a pepperoni and cheese sandwich every day. She takes grapes or an apple along with it. Kids love chips so she takes a bag of chips and then a little Debbie dessert. To drink it is usually a caprisun. Is this a good lunch for her?
MOMables says
“good” depends on what you are looking for. I can’t judge on this particular lunch but per serving it has a lot of sugars, saturated fats and processed ingredients. Anyway you can swap out the caprisun with fresh fruit water and the debbie dessert for something homemade? It would be an improvement. If you need healthy lunch ideas, feel free to subscribe to our meal plan or newsletters.
Gillian says
That sounds really good in theory. But I always focus on what she does like.
She likes bread and meat. But not together.
She likes crackers. But only the salty chicken flavoured ones.
She loves sandwiches. If they have nutella on them.
She loves cold beans.
She likes crackers and meat but not together.
She loves peas and corn in her lunch.
Everyday her lunch consists of nutella sandwich, drink, muesli bar, beans, corn and snack.
Every. Single. Day.
We are in a rut.
MOMables says
Gillian, you actually have more options than you think. what you need is a divided container and separate her items (meats, from bread, etc). Teach her how to “assemble” things and make lunch making fun. Does she like eggs in any way? breakfast items? I think you are overlooking a lot of options and limiting lunch to what you traditionally think of “lunch” items. don’t worry, this is normal. work with the things she eats for dinner as well. I’m not sure who said that school lunches are only made up to be of “sandwiches” but they are wrong! A thermos will be very useful for you too. :)
Jeff says
Gillian, your comment really had me laughing. You are not alone! MOMables had a good idea with having your daughter help in the preparation. You should be thankful she eats beans, peas, and corn. Those are so nutritious. Our youngest would starve to death before he ingested a vegetable, but thankfully he will eat strawberries and apples.
MOMables, thanks for this. This is a great way to look at it. Will be putting together “will eat” lists for both of my boys tonight. :)
MOMables says
Jeff, so glad this helped with perspective. “Lunch” isn’t about a sandwich… think outside the norm. ANYTHING your boys will eat goes in the list…. whether you think it’s lunchbox friendly or not. Helping you figure out how to pack it is the easy part :)
Laneka says
Thanks Laura, you do a wonderful job! A friend passed along this site to me and it has helped me tremendously. Thank you for the last line of this post. I was becoming unnecessarily stressed planning for the start of school next week. Remembering that its about doing the best I can with what I have relieves a lot of pressure!
MOMables says
so glad this helped you Laneka! doing your best is all anyone can expect. you are doing a great job. :)