TIPS FOR FUSSY EATERS
Having a fussy eater in the house can make packing a lunchbox full of everyday foods a challenge. In spite of this, to make sure your child is getting all of their nutrients it is important to eat a wide variety of healthy foods. Here are some tips to help your fussy eaters enjoy their lunchbox.
- Make everyday fun food – try putting stickers on everyday foods or draw eyes on your banana.
- Offer small snacks so kids can eat quickly and go play. It can be the difference between the lunchbox coming home empty or not!
- Try kebabs to add some fun to a lunchbox. Think fruit, salad vegetables or even sandwich square kebabs
- Make the sandwich into shapes by using cookie cutters- who wouldn’t like a dinosaur sandwich?
- Recycle a plastic jar to stop things getting squashed – think popcorn, grapes or cherry tomatoes.
- Try new foods at home first so you can provide encouragement. Show children how much you enjoy the food and they might follow your example.
- Try everyday foods in different styles – carrots can be whole, grated on a sandwich, cut into sticks with hummus or even eaten as leftovers from dinner.
- When kids are involved in lunchbox choices they are more likely to eat what’s packed. Simply choosing the vegetable or fruit can be enough to make them want to eat it. Getting them involved in writing the shopping list is also a great option!
- Hommus is a great way to encourage kids to eat their vegetables. Buy mini packs, portion from a larger pack into your container or make your own!
- Variety adds interest! Some children may tire of the same type of bread every day, so mix it up with different varieties- try pita bread, Turkish bread, raisin bread, bagels, flat breads or English muffins.
- Don’t put too many different choices in the lunchbox, this can be overwhelming or confusing for children and often results in the lunchbox coming home with uneaten food.
- Apply the ¾ rule, choose three items your child knows and likes and one item that is new for them in the lunchbox.
- Slice up an apple and put an elastic band around it. This will make it easier to eat and also keep it from going brown.
Whilst brands may be depicted in these images and videos, Good For Kids has no affiliation and do not endorse any speciﬁc food brand. Product availability and price were current as of April 2016. We do not warrant that the information we provide will meet individual health, nutritional or medical requirements, or individual school policy.