I need to know what to put in my children's lunch boxes, they are picky eaters. Help!?

Question

They are 3 and 5 years old.

Answer 1

If you let them pick out what they want to take (just offer them healthy choices, not junk food - like "Do you want carrots or cucumbers?"), cut it into finger-food size pieces, and let them help make their lunches (even a 3 year old can put a sandwich in a baggie and put it in a lunchbox), they'll be a lot more likely to eat whatever you do make. :) Other than that, just go with what they like, and try to avoid excessive sugar - good nutrition. There are even boxes (like juice boxes) of milk out there now that don't have to be refrigerated, and string cheese is always a safe bet. Also, don't feel limited by the traditional sandwich....crackers and cheese, wraps, rolled up turkey around apple slices with a dipping sauce, and other options are just as healthy and more kid-friendly. :)

Answer 2

It's hard to answer when we don't know what they like. You might want to enhance your details a bit.
W/O that info though, I would say to make your number one priority their health. Childhood obesity is a huge problem that causes a host of other diseases and issues later in life. As unpleasant as a screaming match can be, kids do need to learn that they can't always have what they want and sometimes need to do what's good for them.

To help with the situation, I would give them choices. Kids often deal much better if they feel they have control. And, try to make things fun and bite sized.

Example - Have a 3 category packing session and they get to pick one thing from each category.

Present them with: a) baby carrots and ranch dipping sauce b) celery sticks and peanut butter c) apple wedges and a little container of caramel. Let them pick which goes into their sack.

Then show them: a) Mini pizza pockets (pita bread stuffed w/ mozz cheese and tomatoe sauce) b) Whatever kind of sandwhich you have available c) Crackers and a container of tuna or chicken salad. Again, let them choose.

Complete the lunch with a choice of a dessert. This one's easy, just buy the packs of asst. cookies or graham crackers in single servings and they choose one package.

You can prep this stuff at the beginning of the week, or just have enough available and make it each night. Just make sure the kids know up front that by the end of the week, some of their choices will be gone.

Another tip: Do this the night before. It's a heck of a lot easier to deal with a fussy kiddie at night then when everything's haywire and you are all trying to get out the door.

Also, turning things on their head makes everything tastier. Cut sandwiches with cookie cutters. Make up crazy names for things. (With some kids, the grosser the better ie-the Harry Potter jelly beans that are "booger" and "dirt" flavored. - Try cutting grapes in half and mixing them with raisins and calling it eyeballs and flies.) Rather than a sandwich, roll lunchmeat and cheese together and let the kids dip them into mustard.

Hope something in here helps!
Good luck!

Answer 3

Let them help you pack it, that always makes it exciting because they helped make it. You can make wraps with peanut butter and jelly. Buy a few slices of different lunch meats and a small amount of ham and chicken salad and let them taste them, find out which ones they like. My kids love helping to make their own wraps and sandwiches, and they get to choose what all goes on them.
For fruit, we buy lots of apples, peaches and bananas. They both also like raisins. Buy some of the small boxes, kids like things that are little, not sure why but they do. Fruit roll-ups are great to.
For a desert type thing we usually buy crackers with cheese, teddy grahams, etc. Sometimes we will get cupcakes, brownies or cookies, but we try to switch them back and forth with the crackers so they don't start to get picky about it.

Answer 4

From experience, growing up with a little cousin and a kid brother, the favorite foods are:

- peas
- jelly and peanut butter sandwiches (jelly flavors differ from each one, my brother was a big apricot and peach fan)
- those little crackers that you can dip in some cheese, they're single serving snacks, you take the little cracker stick and dip it in the cheese... that's always fun
- sandwiches are popular with the right toppings, I noticed that my cousin liked the crust cut off hers. See what type of meats they like and whether they'd accept any type of veggie on it, like a tomato slice or some sandwich pickles
- carrot sticks are cute and easy to pack
- Ritz crackers or saltines or oyster crackers
- my mom would sometimes put some cooked spaghetti pasta, plain, into a tupperware container for my brother and he'd eat it with ketchup single-serve packets or barbecue single-serve. Kids are weird and picky - whatever the little one likes, as long as it can be nutritious, is fine.

Answer 5

well, if they're "picky" then you must know what they will and won't eat... right? i'm assuming they're going to preK and Kindergarten... so you don't really need to give them anything too substantial if it's just a half day kind of deal. if it's all day then they'll need snacks as well, IMO. there are a ton of ready to go foods that i know my kids like so it's just a matter of what your little ones will eat away from home. mine like all sorts of cheeses, peanut butter n' jelly, fresh/prepackaged fruits n' veggies, applesauce, yogurts, lunch meats -rolled up alone or in a sandwich- hard boiled eggs, quesadillas, crackers, 100% juice boxes, milk, bottled waters... i could go on forever here! you can also do a quick search on line for kids "lunch box" ideas. what they don't need is garbage... not too many fruit snacks or "lunchables", soda... that type of thing. in my experience, if you let them know what their options are they'll find what they like and then you can go with that. if they aren't involved in the choices -even a bit- it's likely they'll not be as receptive to what your packing for them. also, it depends on where you live and/or how much money you have to spend. good luck!

Answer 6

I have two children so this is coming from their liking it. They too are very picky eaters :) Jello jigglers, use cookie cutters to make fun shapes of their sandwhiches, like stars or what not. Diced apples w/ peanut butter (to dip in), carrots w/ veggie dip or ranch salad dressing, pudding - if their boys make some homemade choc. pudding and fill some small plastic containers with it when its cooled. Sprinkle some oreo cookie crumbs ontop and seal with plastic wrap. (It's double the sweet and it has a dirt effect which my kids love, if you wanna make it more interesting add gummy worms :) ).

Answer 7

Give Them Healthy Food Regardless If They Like It Or Not, When They Get Hungry Enoguh They Will Eat It, Kids Have To Eat Healthy Food.

Answer 8

If you put what you know they *should* be eating in their lunchboxes, and they have no alternative, they will very soon stop being "picky eaters"...and, because "picky eating" is unbecoming in a child, and inexcusable in an adult, I would waste no time in putting this plan into action.

Answer 9

You are the mother. Tell them they must eat what you fix. To find out what they truly dislike, try to disguise it and if they eat it without knowing what it is then call their bluff and make them eat it. If they still won't after taking a bite, then you know they don't like it. They are not picky, they are finicky.

Answer 10

Candy,cupcakes,gum,soda