Here are some things you can do...
- Cut up fruits and vegetables. Children often take 1 or 2 bites out of an uncut apple or banana and throw the rest away. To avoid this, pack cut-up fruits and vegetables in a reusable container. Your child can take a few bites and save the rest for later.
- Small portions are better if you child is struggling to eat their food. It is less daunting for them to each less and then they feel like they have achieved a good thing when they finish.
- Consider making a list of foods that your child likes to eat for lunch and update it regularly with input from your child. You may find that they prefer iceberg lettuce to red leaf lettuce. By making this simple change, they might start eating salads more regularly. Providing a dip for carrot and celery sticks might make eating them more fun.
- Encourage older children to help plan, prepare and pack their own lunches. They're more likely to eat a meal that they've helped prepare. Involvement in meal preparation also teaches them where their food comes from, and it provides them with the confidence and skills they will need to prepare food for themselves later in life. Younger children can cut fruit or make their own trail mix from a selection of healthy items such as raisins, dried apricots, sunflower seeds, whole-grain cereals, and pumpkin seeds.