15 Lunchbox Ideas for Picky Eaters (That Actually Come Home Empty)
Make-ahead mains, dippers and finger food that picky eaters actually finish, plus the five small tricks that get a lunchbox eaten.
A lunchbox that comes home full is one of the most common frustrations parents tell us about. The good news is that a picky eater's lunch does not need to be clever. It needs to be familiar, easy to eat in a noisy lunchroom in fifteen minutes, and small enough not to feel overwhelming.
Five tricks that get lunches eaten
- One safe food in every box. Something you know they will eat, like crackers, cheese or their favorite fruit, takes the pressure off the rest.
- Small pieces. Bite-size food is quicker to eat. A whole sandwich often comes home with two bites gone; four little squares disappear.
- Let them pack it. Offer two choices for each section and let your child decide. A lunch they chose is a lunch they eat.
- Dips help. Hummus, yogurt or a mild dressing turns vegetables into something to play with.
- Try new foods at home first. School is a bad place for a first taste. Introduce a food at dinner, then pack it once it is familiar.
Make-ahead mains
1. Egg muffins
Eggs, a little cheese and whatever vegetables you have, baked in a muffin pan on Sunday. Get the recipe.
2. Mini muffin pizzas
Good cold, and kids love that it is "pizza for lunch". Get the recipe.
3. Cheesy pasta in a thermos
Warm leftover pasta stays hot until lunchtime in a pre-heated thermos. Our cheesy chicken penne is a favorite.
4. Mini meatballs
Bake a big batch, freeze, and pack a few cold or warm with a little tomato sauce for dipping.
5. Spinach and cheese pinwheels
Soft rolled pastry or tortilla spirals. The swirl makes the green look like decoration rather than "vegetables".
6. Quesadilla triangles
Cheese and beans or chicken in a tortilla, toasted and cut into wedges. Easy to hold, good at room temperature for a few hours with an ice pack.
Sandwich swaps
7. Roll-ups
Turkey and cheese rolled in a soft tortilla and cut into rounds. Same filling as a sandwich, more fun to eat.
8. Crackers, cheese and ham "stackers"
Build-it-yourself lunch: kids assemble their own stacks at school.
9. Hummus and veggie wrap
Hummus, grated carrot and cucumber in a soft wrap, sliced into bite-size pieces.
Dippers and sides
10. Veggie sticks with a dip
Cucumber, pepper strips and sugar snap peas with hummus or a yogurt ranch dip.
11. Fruit on a stick
Melon, grapes (quartered for under-4s) and strawberries threaded onto short skewers. Blunt the tips or use straws for little ones.
12. Homemade savory muffins
Cheese and corn or sweet potato muffins freeze well and thaw in the lunchbox by mid-morning.
13. Pasta salad
Small pasta shapes, peas, sweetcorn and a mild dressing. Colorful, and it tastes better cold.
Something sweet
14. Yogurt with fruit
Plain yogurt with berries on top; add the granola at home or in a separate pot so it stays crunchy.
15. Banana oat bites
Mashed banana and oats baked into soft little cookies, sweetened only with fruit.
Keeping it safe
Pack anything with meat, egg, dairy or cooked rice next to an ice pack, and use an insulated lunch bag. Check your school's rules on nuts before packing nut butters.
