How to make school lunch less scary for “picky eaters”

Lunch boxes with fun designs, giggling friends, lunch trays clattering in the meal line, and sticky hands galore — school lunch time is back. But how do you prepare for it when your child is showing signs of being a “picky eater” — that is, selective about the foods they’re willing to eat and hesitant to try new foods? Clinical nutrition specialists Heidi Quinn and Katherine Truscott from Boston Children’s Hospital Nutrition Center offer answers for parents of picky eaters to make sure their child is being well-fed during the school day.

How do you define a picky eater?

While the term “picky eater” is subjective, selective intake often shows up in children at 2 to 3 years of age and tends to drop-off as they enter the school-age years. “The drop-off usually happens when children become naturally interested in what their peers are doing, or in this case, what they’re eating,” shares Quinn.

Children may be selective about their food due to a variety of reasons — sensory issues (how food looks, feels, or smells), a history of medical issues that may have affected early feeding (such as painful swallowing with recurrent ear infections or recurrent vomiting due to reflux), or certain medications that can change the way foods taste.

Should parents tell the school about their child’s picky eating?

“It depends on whether you’re packing lunch for your child or if they are eating school-provided meals,” explains Quinn. It is easier to include foods that your child typically eats when you’re packing their lunch — that way you can include healthy options that they’re comfortable eating.

If your child is eating school-provided meals, it might be worth letting school staff know of any preferences that your child might need, to ensure they’re eating something during the day.

How can you help prepare a picky eater for school lunch?

Quinn and Truscott strongly encourage that any lunches and snacks you provide are packed with protein. 

“Including protein-rich foods such as cheese, hummus, yogurt, or sun, peanut/nut, or soy nut butter is essential to help your child feel full, as well as to provide important nutrients,” explains Quinn. “If you’re relying on school lunches where you have less control over the meal options, it’s important to send a preferred, healthy snack with your child in case they refuse the school lunch.”

Truscott suggests offering preferred foods in slightly different ways to prevent kids from becoming bored and dropping a food. “Cutting a sandwich into triangles instead of squares, trying a new type of cracker, or making a snack mix with a few of their preferred foods and adding in one new one are all options to try new things,” Truscott shares.

How can you start introducing new foods to their diet?

Quinn and Truscott suggest that new food introduction can start at the dinner table. “Ideally, shared family mealtime is a great way to expose children to new foods. Children often like to model what their parents and older siblings do,” explains Quinn.

Parents can encourage their picky eater to try a new food with a “no thank you” bite — they have one taste of the new food, and if they don’t like it, they don’t have to have any more.  “If they refuse to try one bite, ask them ‘kiss it goodbye,’ which will at least give them some exposure to the new food by bringing it close to their nose and mouth, to smell and possibly taste on their lips,” shares Quinn.

“Many fruits and vegetables come in different ways now,” adds Truscott. “Look for dehydrated or crunchy forms of each if your child only likes crunchy foods.” 

How can parents make sure their child is getting nutrients?

“Offer a variety of foods from all food groups. Ideally, your child has at least one food from each food group that they will accept — if they’re missing whole food groups, they may need supplementation with specific vitamins or minerals,” explains Quinn. “A dietitian can help assess what may be needed in terms of supplementation.”

What are tips to guide your child away from picky eating?

Quinn and Truscott highly recommend having shared family meals as often as possible to encourage exposure to new foods and to provide a safe space for children to try new things and encourage “eating the rainbow” — a variety of fruits and veggies.

“Don’t ever try to force, threaten, or bribe your children to try new foods,” shares Quinn. “Try to introduce new foods in a variety of ways — vegetables can be offered grilled, roasted, stir fried, or in stew, soups, casseroles, breads, and muffins.”

Learn more about the Nutrition Center