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I need lunch ideas for a picky kindergartener.

Jennifer - posted on 09/08/2010 ( 35 moms have responded )

My son has always been a picky eater, even when he was a baby. Now he only eats chicken nuggets or spaghetti w/out sauce as main meals. I have him try other foods, meatloaf, hamburgers, grilled chicken, etc. and he never likes them & refuses to eat it. Well now he started kindergarten & I find myself having a hard time trying to pack him a healthy & full lunch. He won't eat sandwiches or hot lunch at school. What do I do?? Please help with ideas!!!!!

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Tammy - posted on 04/08/2011

My son is the same way, though all he will eat is Fries, Pancakes, Bread, Noodles and rice...He WILL NOT eat meat or anything with sauces (except chips with salsa)....I have recently found out that he loves muffins and biscuits. I have a couple of recipe books that are really amazing, The Sneaky Chef books by Missy Chace Lapine. Her books are full of wonderful ideas on how to get your kids to eat the veggies that they need whilst giving them the yummy stuff they love.....my son loves the Pizza Muffins, and the Lunch Box Biscuits!

Tammy - posted on 04/08/2011

Sandra - posted on 04/05/2011

I like this for finding new healthy foods my kids like. Might be better for older kids http://www.kidzmunch.com/welcome/

Nicole - posted on 10/14/2010

I have the same problem. I started wrapping everything in tortillas. I dont know why but he eats more things this way. I think he doesn't like some of the textures of foods. PB an J rollups go over well. or a ham and cheese. pizza roolups are popular. Even a chili dog rollup.

Natasha - posted on 10/10/2010

Check out books by Jessica Seinfeld!!! She purees veggies and adds them to food kids love. Which is awesome because the kids are happy and they are healthy too!

Wanita (Wendy) - posted on 10/10/2010

Just found a great little recipe book that has some fantastic ideas about this. It's taming of the C.A.N.D.Y. Monster. by Vicki Lansky, she also has several others out there. But she focuses on nutritional snacks and lunches, ideas like peanut butter balls, cheese and egg alternatives. You might be able to get some helpful hints from there.

Melissa - posted on 10/08/2010

I actually give my picky eater the chicken nuggets! Even though it is cold I know he will eat it. I also put in carrots and yogurt and oa treat. Even thoughbit is the same boring lunch everyday he eats it!

Nicci - posted on 10/07/2010

It might sound cruel but for my picky eater we told her she HAD to eat hot lunch at school. She is now a second grader and loves trying new things (she would NEVER try new stuff for me) This is one instance where peer pressure comes in handy. She found trying new things her friends were eating was fun and made for one more thing in common. She still has her own twist on things. The perfect example is she loves salad her way: no lettuce! Ham, cheese, hard boiled egg, shredded carrot and ranch dressing! I told her go for it I figure she gets enough from the toppings that the lettuce isn't necessary! It is available at school several times per week too! On the other hand my pediatrician always said if she truly will only eat pbj just make it for her. At least it's got protein and she will eventually grow out of it and find other foods. Good luck! You have my empathy as both my girls are/were picky eaters!

Rebekah - posted on 10/07/2010

I don't know if he would like any of these recipes, but this just appeared in my inbox:
http://www.parents.com/recipes/tips/cele...

Angie - posted on 09/28/2010

Have you tried the PB&J hotdog? You put PB on the hotdog bun then a slice of banana and drizzle some jelly on top. My kids love that.

Julie - posted on 09/26/2010

375

get him a bento box. and start making food something pleasurable for him...

Caryn - posted on 09/22/2010

Now, is the time to start that picky kid on veggies. My son hates them even now but it is a part of being healthy. I now use cut up apples with carmel, celery logs with peanut butter and raisins, celery sticks and carrots, and he loves when I make cold cuts out of white bread and use cookie ctters and shapes that was when he was younger but he still likes them hates crust.

Consumermom.org - posted on 09/22/2010

get him involved. by now he's seeing what other kids eat at lunch. ask him what he would like you to pack. tell him he needs some protein, carbs, veggies -- he's not too young to learn that his body needs the right things to keep him feeling good! This way you are starting to teach him about making healthy food decisions/having variety at lunch. Does he eat bagels? Crackers? I agree assembling snacks -- cheese and crackers, yogurt for dipping -- is great. My picky eater takes a tortilla rolled up w/ hummus to school almost every day. I add cheese or yogurt for more protein. We also cut up apples and I agree, fun shapes help (cookie cutters for cheese or sandwiches). Also if he likes pasta, no reason not to include it. I tell my kids they can't have the treat I pack unless they eat the fruits. It works, too! Good luck. Keep introducing new foods, tho. Don't give up.

Amanda - posted on 09/21/2010

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Maybe you can try to make it fun by cutting food into fun shapes or making designs with food coloring..Thats what I do for my kindergartener ..Shes not picky..But she loves having a cool lunch to show off.

Janice - posted on 09/15/2010

My first question to you is do you think he has any allergies. People react differently to allergies. We suffer from allergies with numbness of the tongue, breaking out, throwing up. If a child feels numbness of the tongue, they may not know how to express their thoughts, so they could very well say I do not like the food and really who like the food if it makes them feel bad. So that might be one thing to consider. Do not say things over and over that he is a picky eater. Instead, keep the process totally positive---tell him you need his opinion of what he thinks about food. The things he will eat write it down and get him to tell you why he likes the food and agree with him when you do that validates his thoughts about food. The more you validate his thoughts about food eventually he will listen to you about new things. Go to grocery stores when they have samples out and watch what he likes to eat. Also there are recipes of hamburgers that you can make with a smiley face and he may be intrigues to make that to eat. Any fruits and vegetables with dips are healthy. Children seem to feel more at ease with eating with their hands when trying something new so anything that can be eaten with your hands is a good idea like the fruits and vegetables. Food being served on bright colored plates increases your appetite, and foods served on blue plates causes calmness when you are eating.

Betty - posted on 09/15/2010

My daughter is really picky and won't eat much either so I give her a lot of string cheese or other cheese sticks, organic yogurt tubes that I stick in the freezer and they thaw out by the time they eat, strawberries, and grapes (cut up).

Nicola - posted on 09/14/2010

try this website, she's a well-known chef for making baby/child food

http://www.annabelkarmel.com/recipes

Amy - posted on 09/13/2010

I dont have a picky eater but a peanut alergy at my sons school. for his lunchs he sometimes gets cheese and crackers. veggies and dip ( dont know a kid yet that doesnt like to dip) if he will eat cold pizza you could make one up the night befor(single serve ones) and send that. also begles with cream cheese or cut up fruit and cream cheese dip. if you can cut the food into fun shapes that sometimes helps too

Linda - posted on 09/13/2010

I make chicken cutlets a lot, if you chop them up into nuggets, and add some fresh chopped garlic, and a little salt, I bet he will love it. My daughter loves them cold! And it is real chicken!

Maureen - posted on 09/12/2010

mince driving me nut too as he if he doesn`t like it he won`t eat it either and some day he`ll come home and eaten nothing so got him to pack his own luch still nothing hees so busy he doesn`t want it til he come home ??? he loves fruit veg so i`m lucky there;
i put gerkins , salami sticks, fish fingers or cocktail sausages,nuggets , jello fruit pots , dried fruit , rice crackers, cookies , pretzels , popcorn, vegie stick with cheese whiz , nuts mixed, cookies ; he hates yoghurt and we stuggle with sandwhiches unless it nutella or salad but have found hes more open to wraps.
i also refuse to buy the prepacged kik luch bars and snack as they are full of to much sugar and sodium :)

Kimberly - posted on 09/10/2010

My kids don't always like sandwiches, it's the bread on them. I make a peanut butter and jelly mix and put on ritz crackers, or I just make a roll up with meat and cheese, sometimes just meat! My daughter likes salami. I know that isn't the healthies, but sometimes we need to be concerned about them getting protein and stuff too. Hope this helps! Take care.

Kerri - posted on 09/09/2010

I feel your pain! My son is an extremely picky eater, so bad that he's had food therapy and has been to a feeding clinic when he was younger. Nothing helped. The only foods he would eat is spaghetti (w/ sauce) chicken nuggets, and cheese pizza. But, he also eats anything dry, like crackers or chips. The only fruit he will eat is a banana. So, for lunch I pack him stuff like Sun Chips, Oatmeal squares or cereal bars, fruit snacks, banana, Gogurt (freeze ahead) and a juice, like Sunny D. Sometimes I switch it up & put cheese & wheat crackers, or dry cereal, or a slice of wheat bread with jelly on it (he's allergic to peanut butter.) I recently bought a thermos to put spaghetti in, also. Good luck!