Picky Eater and Lunches for School.

My son is very picky too. He will only eat peanut butter (no jelly) sandwiches. So I buy only the health snacks he likes, eg. his favorite fruits, pretzels, chocolate milk, fruit juices he likes. I let him have his peanut butter sandwich everyday and then he has to pick snacks and a drink cover the food groups.

Enjoy controling her lunch now because once they start high school they can buy just about anything for lunch. (Cookies, chips, etc.)

The best advise I can give you is to send items that you know she will eat. Let her eat her favorites at school and work on the variety at home. Don't think lunch, think healthy snacks. My kids never took sandwiches or chips during elementary school. Some ideas...
granola bars
crackers
cheese cut into cubes or string cheese
pretzels
bagel and cream cheese
cut up veggies and dip
orange slices
no peanuts, what about other nuts, like cashews

You could always get a thermos and send some hot lunches like mac and cheese.

Some other advise on taking lunches...
make sure she can open the packages/containers by herself
Have her bring home what she doesn't eat, that way you'll know what she's eating.

I actually wish mine would eat lunchables!! He truly will not eat anything even remotely like "lunch" at school. At home he is ok-it just doesn't translate into school. He esp hates anything with cheese as it gets kind of soft in the lunchbox. He also hates yogurt and fruit at school but is fine at home. What I am now giving him, and believe me I hate it, is a plain tortilla, some crackers and pretzels. So I don't really know of what to tell you...just trial and error. I do know your frustration though.

If you daughter likes lunchables, why not make your own, with some really good meat and cheese cut into little shapes, and some whole wheat crackers? Toss in some fresh fruit or vegies and something to drink and you've got a good lunch.
You could also send leftovers from dinner in a thermos, or a whole wheat tortilla spread with cream cheese and rolled up with some ham or turkey and veggies. Would she eat a hard boiled egg or an egg and cheese sandwich on a bagel or english muffin? Eggs are great protein. When you send her lunch can you substitute some fresh or dried fruit, or veggies for the chips? If she will eat a sandwich that's great, I don't think a sandwich for lunch is a problem, just make it with whole wheat bread and avoid lots of processed meats and cheeses.
My son, who is almost 3, loves to be involved in packing his lunch each morning. He is much more likely to eat what he had a say in packing. I give him 2 choices for each item, each of them healthy, for example, fresh cherry tomatoes or fresh raspberries? Sandwich or leftover vegetable soup? He eats all his lunch almost everyday.
Good luck!

I agree with Susan, school lunch time is not really the place to instill 'healthy' eating habits in very young children. It's the time to get something anything in their little tummies to get them through the day. There are so many distractions and it's still so new to them to eat as a member of a large (loud) group, with EVERYONE eating something different, children often reject even the sure-fire lunches. Maybe ask her what she wants (expect that to change) see if she will actually pack her own lunch...

course if she does and it comes home uneaten and she comes home cranky with a monster headache.....coulda been a comment the kid sittin' next to her made, coulda been SO interested in watching some other kid smear butter all over his face she lost track of time....

really, it will level out

Main thing is she eats. Its a LONG day to go, at school, without food.

MANY picky kids at school... yours will not the only one. Believe me.
I know and see it because I go to help at the school cafeteria at my daughter's school. MANY kids won't even eat what their Mom packs for them in a home lunch. They do not eat AT.ALL. Even if hungry. This then affects their concentration at school and they get tired/fussy.

My friend's son, is uber picky... only eats crackers or spaghetti at school. That is what he eats everyday. The Mom explained to the Teacher.
At home, she then gives him more variety, per his pickiness.
Its fine.
That is only 1 meal, out of his entire day.

LOTS Of kids, don't eat anything... at.all at school. Because they are picky.
So pack what your child WILL eat. Main thing they get something in their tummy. That is better than starving or getting hypoglycemic... due to lack of food in their system.

This is a good site for ideas:
www.laptoplunches.com

all the best,
Susan

Instead of sandwich bread, try graham crackers, or rice cakes.

Offer fresh fruit and veggies (sliced apple, banana, raisins, celery, carrots, snow peas, etc)

I also offer my kids something not so healthy, but not devestatingly horrible, in VERY small quantity... such as Goldfish, Crackers, fruit snacks, or jello/pudding.

Kids like multiple LITTLE portions, then one large portion. So 1 slice of bread, cut in half, is plenty, along with an apple, a few goldfish, and a stick of string cheese.

I also give my kids milk to drink and include an ice pack inthe lunchbox to keep it cold until lunchtime.

If your child is visual, and all about pretty things, try something creative, like a rice cake with cream cheese and strawberry slices.

Best wishes!

I had to start packing lunch for my 4 year old because the school bus picks him up now before they eat lunch - I googled everything and came up with the list below that i served him his first week. After the first several weeks I became less 'martha-stewartish' and just try to cram a fruit or veggie and grain item with some protein - his favorite is left over chicken legs, bag of cherry tomatoes and a nutri-grain bar, but then i know he's kind of unusual in his tastes.

Here's the list:

Hot dog tortilla - warm a hot dog up then put it on a tortilla on top of a slice of American cheese - roll it up and heat a few more seconds until the cheese melts.

Ka-bobs - use chunks of chicken and cheese and grapes and place on those bar-b-q skewers. I would put on about 5 pieces and then break off the sharp point end to have a small individual ka-bob.

Bagel sandwich - using those small bagels and some pre-cooked bacon I would make a little sandwich with cream cheese and bacon.

I love you sandwich - I bought a white loaf and wheat loaf then with a cookie cutter cut out a heart shape in a slice of each and put the white heart into the wheat bread (or the wheat heart into the white if your child prefers white).

Snack Day - sort of like a lunchable a little cheese and meat with some crackers and raisins all in their individual containers. I would buy a thick slice of ham or turkey and use my little cookie cutters to cut the meat into interesting pieces.