nosh magazine
LUNCHBOX IDEAS
FOR PICKY KIDS
Accredited Practising Dietitian Thalia Prum provides these
delicious lunchbox ideas for picky eaters.
hen kids are young, often they are
happy with the same, or similar
foods on a daily basis. But as kids get older,
their palates develop and their food
repertoire increases.
W
A starting point is to find out what your
kids want for lunch. Of course, there are
boundaries: three hot dogs, an ice cream
sundae and a spit roast don’t really fall into
the ‘healthy’ category! But seriously,
getting kids involved in their lunch choices
and lunch preparation is a surefire way to
increase the likelihood of them eating it –
as a side note, it’s also a ‘teachable moment’,
where parents can explain and show how
to pack a balanced lunch (a life skill).
Lunch ideas:
PB & J (but not the one you’re
thinking of!)
• Use wholemeal or wholegrain bread
• If your school allows peanut butter, use
one where the only ingredient is
peanuts
• Substitute jam with sliced seasonal fruit
(e.g. banana, strawberries, apple, pear).
or a piece of cheese
• Roasted veggies (from last night): A mix
of capsicum, zucchini, eggplant (or
whatever veggies they like) sliced,
thrown on a baking sheet, brushed
lightly with olive oil and spices – voila!
Wraps: the sandwich alternative
• Wholegrain or wholemeal tortilla/flat
bread
• Add a base: Hummus, avocado, salsa or
mustard are good choices
• Add fillings that include either fresh
veggies like lettuce, tomato, shredded
carrot, sliced pickles or olives, or
cooked/roasted veggies
• If you’re going burrito style, add a meat
or meat alternative like beans (legumes),
a sliced hard boiled egg, or the
traditional chicken/turkey leftovers.
Tips:
• Make it colourful (good thing veggies
are multi-coloured!)
• Be a bit fancy (e.g. cut the sandwich
diagonally or slice the wrap into 2-inch
thick ‘pinwheel’ slices)
• Add a frozen pack (or even a small
frozen water bottle) to the lunchbox to
keep items chilled.
Snacks:
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Low fat/non-fat yoghurt
Sliced cheese
Fruit
Hard boiled egg
Popcorn (plain is best, or for extra