Fun school lunches for picky eaters, who can be the worst sometimes. The ones that complain and whine about their food no matter how yummy or fun you make it.
Are you looking for creative and fun school lunches? Sure, you can buy bagged lunches or pack some PB&J in a plastic container. But, come on. Kids don’t like eating the same thing every day โ including adults. If your child is a picky eater, make their lunch an adventure with these tips .
Fun School Lunches For Picky Eaters
Is your kid a picky eater? Does their lunchbox come home full of food every day? Make that a thing of the past with theseย quick tips andย healthy recipes for picky kids.
Tip #1: How to hide veggies in food
This is a tried and true technique for parents of picky eaters.ย How do you hide veggies in food that your child will take to school? Here are a few easy ways:
- Chop or grate the vegetables:ย This tip is a no-brainer, small pieces of vegetables are easily hiddenย and difficult for fussy eaters to pick out. Veggies such as zucchini,ย carrot and creamed cornย are barely detectable in savoury slices. Also try addingย sweet potato or pumpkin pureeย to baked goods.ย Aย food processor can helpย saveย time on chopping vegetables.
- Mixย mild-flavoured vegetables with stronger flavours:ย Cheeses andย sauces can disguise the taste of veggiesย so your kid still gets their nutrients without fussing about the taste.
- Incorporate veggies intoย old favourites:ย Mix veggies into recipes you know they love. Try scattering choppedย cauliflower into mac and cheese, try theย Bacon Mac N’ Cheese Jafflesย for a portable option. Or cookย extra veg like mushrooms, carrots and zucchini into pizza and pasta sauce.
- Try something new:ย Ever tried cooking veggies into a pancake? Try theย Pie Maker Okonomiyakiย recipe, these savoury pancake bites containย a surprising amount of coleslaw without tasting like veggies. Or what about turning aย veggie-rich risottoย dinner into arancini balls? Check out the recipes for these below.
Tip #2: How to put more vegetables in pizza
The word โpizzaโ can win over almost any picky eater, so how do you make pizza healthier? Make healthy pizza toppings by choosing a colourful range of vegetables. Extra points if you let the kids chooseย their toppings –ย get them involved and theyโll be more likely to eatย up. If they’re extra picky about veggies,ย try switching them upย for some tropical pineapple. A controversial topping, but if it worksโฆ
Tip #3: Healthy vegetable dips
You can make dips healthier by sneaking vegetables into them and sending themย off with carrot or celery sticks. That’s two hits of veg inย one!ย If they’re really fussy,ย pita bread crisps or flatbread are a great substitute.
Tip #4: Healthy sweet snacks
If your childย is still coming home with an untouched lunch, including an alternativeย sweet (but healthy) snackย will helpย tide them over untilย dinner. Wondering how to make a healthier sweet snack? Try using your childโs favourite dried fruit or yoghurt chips in muesli bars, or bake snacks that are rich in naturally sweet vegetables like pumpkin or sweet potato to cut down on sugar. Remember to use nut-free recipes like the ones below to keep the snacks safe for school.
Check out the recipes below which use a few of these tricks.ย They’re also all bite-sized and delicious served at room temperature – but don’t forget to send an ice-pack with any recipes that need to be kept cool!
LUNCH IDEAS FOR PICKY EATERS
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Packing delicious lunches for kids every day of the school year is hardโand itโs even harder when youโve got a picky eater on your hands. How can you ensure that your child gets the fuel they need to rock their day and not bring home a still-full lunchbox? We have some school lunch ideas for picky eaters that should do the trick during the school year and beyond.
First Thingโs First: Figure Out What Your Kid Likes to Eat
Before the fun (but hectic) start of the school year, you should chat with your child about the foods they love to see in their lunch. Try creating a list of the foods you know they like and add some others to the list that are similar. Ask your child if they would be willing to try out the similar foods. With any luck, theyโll enjoy the new foods and help you create a better variety of lunches throughout their year.
But maybe your picky eater needs a little convincing to try the new things on your list. You could try creating a โnew foodsโ chart for them to fill in: every time they try a new food, they can check it off the list, or perhaps cross it off if they didnโt like it. After theyโve tried a certain number of foods, give them a small reward for being brave and branching out!
To help, you can save a copy of this chart and print it out to use with your child. Simply write the new food your child tried in the box and have them color in the square. Use red if they didnโt like the food, green if they did, and yellow if theyโre not sure, but would be willing to try again. You can also use stickers of the same color.
Pro Tip:ย Print this calendar once and laminate it. Color it in using dry erase markers to easily wipe it off and use it again next month!
Get the Right Supplies
To pack lunches with more variety, youโre going to need the right stuff to do it. An insulated lunchbox with a cold pack is key to keeping food cool while itโs sitting in your childโs desk or locker all day.
Rather than using a gazillion throw-away plastic baggies, get reusable containers that can easily be cleaned out at the end of each day. Sectioned off containers are particularly useful for keeping the different parts of their lunch separate, yet all in the same container. Just make sure your child can easily open the containers or packaged items you include. Even if your child loves whatโs inside, they canโt enjoy it if they canโt open it!
A lunchbox-sized insulated mug can also be handy for storing hot foods, like soup, or foods that need to stay extra-cool, like yogurt. Make sure to put your childโs name on everything in case theyโd accidentally leave a container at school!
Back-to-School Lunchbox Checklist:
ยย ย ย ย ย ย Insulated lunchbox
ยย ย ย ย ย ย Ice pack
ยย ย ย ย ย ย Sectioned containers
ยย ย ย ย ย ย Small thermos
ยย ย ย ย ย ย Small reusable forks and spoons
ยย ย ย ย ย ย Small reusable bottle for water, milk or juice
EASY LUNCH IDEAS FOR PICKY EATERS
Even if your kiddo only likes a few kinds of food in their lunches, there are all sorts of ways to mix and match their options and give them just what they need to make it through the day.
When coming up with toddler lunch ideas for picky eaters, itโs also good to consider how long certain foods will take to eat. Lunch periods donโt last forever, and if your child is a chatterbox, they might not have time to eat all the great things you packed for them. The easier to chew, the better!
The PB&J
This lunchbox staple is sure to please any picky eater! To change up this classic, try adding different nut butters like almond butter or granola butter. If itโs the jelly they arenโt crazy about, try adding a little honey instead. Or, just go for plain olโ peanut butter.
You can also play with different kinds of bread. For example, you could test out whole grain bread, a bagel or putting their favorite fillings inside a pita pocket. Add some bananas and apples and you have a real pita party!
The easiest, tastiest option of all would be adding anย Uncrustablesยฎย sandwich to their lunchbox. Simply toss it in with their other favorite sides, like carrot sticks and string cheese, and you have another easy, yummy lunch in the books. Try ourย Peanut Butter & Strawberry Jam Sandwichย for aย thaw and eatย lunchtime favorite.
The Smorgasbord
Give your kid a little bit of everything they love for lunch! Choose salami, turkey or ham; strawberries, blueberries or apple slices; snap peas or baby carrots; and a slice of flatbread or some crackers. You can also add a few slices or cubes of cheese, or a container of yogurt.
The Wrap
Itโs hard to go wrong with a wrap! Choose your childโs favorite deli meat and cheese, wrap it in a soft tortilla, and youโre golden. You can even roll up peanut butter and sliced fruit like apples or bananas, or pack a breakfast burrito filled with scrambled eggs, cheese and bacon.
To save on prep time, packย Uncrustablesย Roll-Ups for your kiddo! Ourย Turkey and Colby Jack Cheese Sandwich Roll-Upsย are made with 100% real cheese and have ten (10) grams of protein per serving. Just like our originalย Uncrustablesย sandwiches, they thaw inside your childโs lunchbox and are ready to eat by lunchtime. Pack them alongside a cup of yogurt and strawberries or hummus and celery sticks for a lunch that rocks.
The Soup โnโ Side
If your child loves your simple homemade tomato or chicken noodle soup, let them take it with them for lunch! Just pack it in a small insulated mug to keep it warm and pack a slice of flatbread or whole grain crackers for dipping. An orange or other fruit could be a sweet way to finish out the meal.
The Breakfast Club
Who says breakfast foods can only be for breakfast? Eggs, bacon and cheese are excellent (or should we say, โeggsโ-ellent) in wraps as breakfast burritos. There are plenty of healthy muffin and quiche recipes that could even help you sneak in some extra vegetables, too. Add an orange, strawberries or a sliced banana as a side, or a hard-boiled egg.
10 School Lunch Ideas For Picky Eaters
Rainbow Vegetable Tortilla Wrap
Create a rainbow-themed lunch box with theseย rainbow vegetable tortilla wraps!
Just add some colorful berries and veggies to complete your childโs lunchbox.
Blueberry Cornbread
Blueberry cornbread is an easy and delicious snack to pack in your childโs lunch box that theyโre sure to enjoy!
Red White & Blue Fruit Salad
Not just for the 4th of July, this colorful fruit salad is perfect for school lunches!
Whatโs cuter for your childโs packed lunch than someย adorable pencil-shaped treats?!
These are a bit on theย not-as-healthyย side considering the amount of icing involved, but are a cute idea!
DIY fruit leatherย is sure to be a hit with your child and is super easy to make at home (and doesnโt have all those preservatives stuffed in them).
This paleo banana breadย not only looks amazing, but itโs also filling!
Your child should be able to focus better with a full stomach โ which means more productive learning and development ;).
Vegan Potato Cakes With Carrots & Rice
Mix things up for your childโs lunchbox by skipping the traditional sandwich and whip up these incredibleย potato cakes with carrot and rice!
No-Cook Taco Salad Bento Box
Have some bento boxes handy?
Easily makeย taco saladย for a healthy lunch idea your child will love (without having to cook!).
If your child is a fan of sushi (like my 9-year-old is), try makingย these sushi cupsย with edamame for their lunch.
Thisย ice cube tasting trayย is such a cute idea! Grab a small enough ice cube (like this one here) tray to fit in your childโs lunchbox, and fill it with different fruits, veggies, meats, and cheeses!
Perfect for your dinosaur-loving littles, thisย fun dinosaur lunch ideaย will get them excited for lunch at school!
Pack some healthy fruits into your childโs lunch with thisย strawberry salad with cherries and blueberries!
Cheese & Turkey Kabobs
Itโs okay to skip the bread and just go for the meats and cheeses to mix things up!
Try theseย cheese and turkey kabobsย paired with some fresh veggies!
Broccoli Cheddar Quinoa Bars
Quinoa, broccoli, and cheese?
Yes, please!
These bars will be a hit with any childโs lunch ;).
Avocado & Tomato Sandwiches
If your child lovesย tomatoes and avocado, then this sandwich is a delicious idea to pack for them.