Packing a child’s lunchbox seems simple but can quickly turn into a mental drain. Many parents put in the effort to prepare nutritious meals, only to find their child’s lunchbox barely touched at the end of the day. This can feel both frustrating and worrisome—you want to avoid food waste but also ensure your child is well-nourished for their growth. So, how can you make a lunchbox that appeals to your child and encourages them to eat?
Healthy eating habits start early, ideally in toddlerhood, but it’s never too late to introduce them. Here are five practical steps for building a lunchbox that encourages your child to eat and enjoy nutritious foods:
1. Give Them Some Control
Allow your child to decide how much they want to eat or if they want to eat a certain food at all. You are responsible for choosing what foods to offer, when, and where meals happen (in this case, the school teachers will decide when and where meal happens) —but let your child decide how much they’ll eat. This approach removes power struggles, as your child learns that they’re free to decide how much they need. This sense of autonomy can make them more open to trying new foods.
2. Create Positive Mealtime Experiences
Make mealtimes and snack times enjoyable by offering a mix of foods, even at snack times. Try serving “fun” foods like yogurt, fruit, or crackers alongside leftovers or a sandwich. Avoid labeling snacks and meals as different types of food times. Children can enjoy a variety of foods at both meals and snacks, so they’re nourished throughout the day and won’t associate snack time only with packaged, high-sugar, or high-salt foods. Let them eat as much or as little as they want, and we as parent need to take a step back into trusting our child’s instinct for their own appetite, and knowing there will be more chances to eat later on if our child choose to eat less at one meal time.
3. Offer Familiar Foods Alongside New Ones
To set your child up for success, pack familiar foods you know they will eat alongside a few new or less-preferred options. For example, don’t pack a lunchbox full of unfamiliar foods. Imagine going to work with a lunchbox full of foods you dislike—it wouldn’t be appealing. Kids feel the same way and might be tempted to swap food with friends or skip lunch altogether if there’s nothing familiar or worse, throw food away and lie to say they have eaten everything to avoid being confronted about not eating their lunchbox. Let your child pick a couple of items while you choose the rest, so they feel involved. Always remind them that it is okay if they don’t finish their whole lunchbox, and they are allowed to eat as much or as little as they want, so long as they are willing to try the foods in their lunchbox.
4. Include a Variety of Food Groups
Aim to include a range of the five food groups: grains, vegetables, fruits, dairy, and protein (meat or meat alternatives). Here are some examples:
- Grains: Bread, whole grain crackers, rice, pasta, crumpets, English muffins or noodles.
- Dairy: Milk boxes, yogurt tubs or small cheese portions.
- Vegetables: Cucumber slices, capsicum strips, cherry tomatoes, carrot sticks or shredded carrots. You could also add lightly cooked broccoli, snap peas, or green beans, snow peas, corn or peas if they enjoy cooked vegetables.
- Fruits: Fresh fruits like apples, bananas, mandarins, grapes, a few slices of melons or berries. Canned fruits in natural juice can work as a backup.
- Protein: Leftover meats like chicken or beef, or alternatives like legumes, tofu, or boiled eggs. Most school have a nut free policy, but if your school does not have a nut-free policy, nut pastes or small packet of nuts is an excellent source of protein.
5. Don’t Overfill the Lunchbox
Keep portions small, especially when introducing new foods. A child may feel overwhelmed by a large serving, so try offering half a sandwich instead of a whole sandwich; or offering a few apple slices instead of the entire apple. Smaller portions are more manageable and can be more appealing for younger children, making it easier for your child to try new foods without pressure. Plus, this reduces waste if they don’t finish everything. Again, always remember that they will always have the chance to have more food at home if they finish their lunchbox, and that you can work with your child on tweaking the portion sizes that suits your child.
Here I have used scrambled eggs with spinach, a small amount of mashed potato, some steamed potatoes and carrot pieces and corn on the cob. There is half a piece of toast with cream cheese and a small piece of fruit not included in this picture that I will offer to my son.
Putting It All Together
If your child isn’t a fan of vegetables and meat, try emphasizing their preferred foods. For an example, if a child has a strong preference for grains, fruits, and dairy, then continue to offer vegetables and protein in smaller portions as part of their lunchbox. Here’s an example lunchbox:
- 1-2 slices of bread, rice cakes, or whole grain crackers
- 1-2 small portion of cheese
- A couple of pieces of their favorite fruit
- One or two small vegetable pieces, like a slice of capsicum or a cherry tomato cut in half
- A small strip of chicken breast or a quarter of an egg for protein
For drinks, water is the best choice, with a small milk box as an optional addition. Fruit juice isn’t necessary in the lunchbox since fresh fruit is a better option. Juices often contain added sugars, and by substituting fruit with juice, children miss out on essential nutrients, fiber, and prebiotics that fresh fruit provides.
With these steps, you’ll help your child build a balanced, nourishing lunchbox they’ll look forward to eating.
