Lunchbox ideas for picky eaters: How to pack a school lunch your child will eat

Need lunchbox ideas for picky eaters? Jessica Mancinik is a mother of two, feeding specialist and a former speech language pathologist. She's also the "Hangry Helper," an expert with picky eaters, and has more than 100,000 followers on TikTok.

Last year, she shared five dinnertime tips for parents dealing with picky eaters. Now she is sharing tips for packing a school lunch your child will actually eat.

Lunchbox ideas for picky eaters

It's very common for kids to bring home lunchboxes full of uneaten food. Not only is this wasteful, it means kids may not be getting enough fuel to have a productive day of play and learning. Here are some pro tips.

1. Choose a fun lunchbox - and accessories

Let your child pick out their own lunchbox, whether it's Pokémon or Paw Patrol. If you're using a bento box container, which keeps foods separated, let your child pick the color or add their own stickers.

Your child will be sitting around other kids with cool lunchboxes, and they will be more motivated to eat if they can show off their own, according to Mancinik.

"Anything your child is motivated by or interested in is going to help them be more willing to eat their lunch when there is a lot of stuff going on around them," she said.

That can include using fun, reusable food picks, which are available on Amazon (just make sure your child is an appropriate age, as these can be choking hazards). You can skewer fruits or chicken nuggets or place a fun pick in each slice of a cut sandwich to hold it together.

"This makes lunch more novel and can encourage your child to eat more at lunchtime," Mancinik said.

2. Let your kids help pack their lunch

No, this doesn't have to add 20 minutes to your already rushed morning routine! Instead, lay out several items you already planned to pack: Goldfish or pretzels? Strawberries or grapes? Applesauce or yogurt? Let your child select their own items and pack their own lunchbox.

Mancinik began letting her son help pack his lunch when he was four and in preschool. She said it made him more excited to eat at lunchtime.

"It gave him this sense of pride and autonomy that he got to choose what went in his lunch, he got to choose how much he felt like he would want during the day," Mancinik said.

3. Show your child what you packed

If your child isn't interested in helping pack their lunch, or is too young, make sure you tell them what's in there. A bizarre thing that worked for Mancinik's son was telling him the characters from his favorite show packed his lunch. You can say "Peppa Pig wanted to send you to school with graham crackers today" or "Elmo picked out these red bell peppers for your lunch."

It sounds bizarre but "it worked like magic," said Mancinik. This won't work for all kids, but the best part is there is no prep work for busy parents -- you make it up as you go.

4. School lunch isn't the time for new foods

Variety is key to a healthy diet, but keep meals simple at school if your child is picky at home. Mancinik said it's best to introduce new foods at home, when you can create a low-stress dinner environment for your child.

If you're more likely to pack your child cold pizza or a sandwich and fruit than more "fancy" lunches we've all seen on Instagram and TikTok, don't stress as long as they are enjoying it.

Kids love routine and predictability, Mancinik said, so don't be hard on yourself if you rotate the same five school lunches.

"Give yourself a little bit of a break because kids love consistency," she said. "They thrive on predictability and knowing what's coming,"

5. Make food easy to eat

Use cookie cutters to cut sandwiches in fun shapes or use chopsticks to spear cut fruit. If you are packing carrot or celery sticks, chop them into tiny matchsticks and inclide a fun dipping sauce like ranch or Chick-fil-A sauce.

For smaller kids, it helps to make the food easier for teachers, too.

If you are packing your child a stick of string cheese stick, partially un-peel it so your child can open it themselves at lunchtime. Take granola bars out of the wrapper. Better yet, teach children to open their own items. The teachers will appreciate this, too, because they will have more time to eat their own lunches!

6. Keep portions small

Younger kids especially can get overwhelmed if their lunchbox is slammed full, so keep portions small.

"Sometimes those really big portions visually look a little bit overwhelming, and kids will be like, 'Yeah I'm not even gonna touch that,' instead of just eating what they want," Mancinik said.

Lunchbox ideas

• Fruit! Peel and cut fruit and/or remove stems - anything that will encourage your child to eat it.
• Thin-cut carrot or celery sticks or steamed, cooled broccoli
  • Pair veggies with condiment packets from fast food restaurants, like Chick-fil-A sauce, to make dipping more fun
• Pasta salad
• Cold pizza, cut into strips
• Chicken nuggets (let these cool before you pack them)
• Sunflower butter and jelly sandwiches, in case your school is nut-free
• Make-your-own Lunchable with Ritz crackers, cheese cubes and deli meat, and a sweet treat
• Deli meat and cheese pinwheels
• Pretzels, Goldfish, etc. for something crunchy
• Pita slices and hummus
• Leftovers can make a great lunch, depending on what they are.