My son is super picky - I can't pack just anything in his lunch because if he doesn't like it, he won't eat it. With some things, the mere sight of it will make him lose his appetite. Don't get me wrong, the kid eats pretty healthy lunches - grapes, melon, apple chips, carrots plus sun chips, raisens, 6 chocolate covered peanuts (currently the only protein!), and a small jelly sandwich on whole wheat bread and 2 gummy worms. I put all of this in his lunch every day and yesterday the gummy worms were still there when he came home! He usually saves something from his lunch to have after school too. But, I really want to get some more protein and iron in there to help with his energy levels - i have a couple ideas: cold nuggets (pre-cooked of course) and hard-boiled eggs - but has anyone ever used these in their kids lunches? did they like them? and can I peel the egg and put in his lunch? (He's 5 and hasn't mastered peeling an egg yet!) I also put a bit of creamy PB on his jelly sandwich, which he doesn't like, but it's only a teaspoons worth and I don't know if he eats it once he realizes its there. He doesn't like nuts of any kind except sunflower seeds - the chocolate covered peanuts are a new thing that he's discovered he likes. Any other ideas for a packed lunch?? he has an insulated lunch bag and buys milk at school... I'm just stumped about what to try with Mr Picky - especially when I can't really tell if he's eating it or just tossing it!
Any ideas? thanks in advance!
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Thanks for the ideas that you've given so far - I'd like to point out that the apple chips are home made and the jelly sandwish has about 2 teaspoons of jelly (and seriously - I grew up on them, and I'm fine!) . This is only the 3rd day of school - we are still working on what to put in his lunches, but I wanted the first few days to be things he liked and was comfortable with - and the portions are appropriate for the "snacky" items! Going forward, I'm going to start replacing some of the items and changing things up so he can get some variety. I'll probably add in the yogurt and hard boiled eggs and the chicken nuggets - we may try string cheese, but he has a strong aversion to cheese. We've tried lunch meats, beans, spinach and some of the other ideas but he can't/won't do it. He has very strong aversion to smells, textures and just the overall appearance of most food. We are trying to get him to try new things but we are using a different approach - and I don't care to involve his school with it. I'm just looking for ideas for meals he can eat cold at school! I guess I'm not terribly strict on it being ALL healthy - he's got the fruits and veggies more than covered - but I also feel he can handle a treat or two in his lunch everyday!
I have a picky daughter. She will not eat meat or cheese. I only use High Protein bread (7g per slice) for her sandwiches. At least I know she is getting some protein! The bread is produced by Brownberry and I buy it at the Super Target in Apple Valley.
does he like 'smoothy" style drinks? Maybe you could blend protien powder or spinach leaves into some fruity drink??
There are also protien bars that mask as "candy bars." I let my kids pick one out at the gym twice a month as a treat. some are litterally "brownie" or "resses peanut butter cookie."
Hope that helps!
I found this information online.
The protein needs of preschool children can be easily meet by giving them several small snacks and meals throughout the day from a variety of plant foods. According to the National Academy of Sciences, total caloric intake and the RDA of protein for young children is as follows...
Ages 1 to 3 - 1300 calories and 16 grams protein
Ages 4 to 6 - 1800 calories and 24 grams protein
Ages 7 to 10 - 2000 calories and 28 grams protein
For 3 g of protein you can get something like the CLif Zbars (made for kids), or supplement with the adult versions and offer half a bar as a snack or treat for the lunch or after school snack/treat. CLif brand makes one called a Builder bar and has about 20 g of protein but they are large. Builder bars taste like a candy bar. I LOVE the chocolate mint ones!!
How about cheese sticks? Will he eat those? Most string cheese looks like about 6g. Colby cheese sticks looks about 5.
Iron guides I see are as follows:
◦Children ages 7 to 12 months need 11 mg, 1 to 3 years 7mg, 4 to 8 years 10mg, 9-13 years 8mg, 14 to 18 years 11 mg (for boys), 15 mg (for girls).
Total and Raisin Bran cereals come up on many lists as Iron Friendly that I see. I assume they are fortified as many breakfast cereals are. Others are green leafy veggies, and things I personally find ishy like liver! Yuck! LOL
At a daycare USDA Food Program Training I did a few years back (I am a provider of 14 years), a "tip" they had to increase iron intake for kids in an easy way (well for anyone) was to add sesame seeds to alot of foods. I do this with my daycare kids. I have them in a shaker and they can add them to anything they want. For my family, we add them to salads, on top of steaks and chicken, in anything we saute or stir fry (alot of veggies and meat dishes. Its like adding salt or pepper...just a sprinkle on top of most foods. My kids (2 and up really) enjoy the operation of using the shaker really and "decorating" their food.
For older kids, when I first started this, I had to show them that they are whats on top of a hamburger bun from the fast food joints. That helped convince them!
I make turkey [Hormel has a great all-natural deli turkey-no nitrates] (protein) and spinach (iron) wraps, with roasted red pepper hummus (more protein) for my son. He loves them.
I have a texture sensory picky eater too: we pack boiled eggs a lot. He loves them! He is also a big cheese eater, so that helps in the protein dept. The other favorite of his is buttered noodles--i buy the ones that are higher in protein. His container always comes home empty :)
we also do protein bars--some he likes and others he doesn't . kind of trial and error to find ones that work.
Yes the egg will be fine just put it in a small plastic container/bag. My daughter loves them, my son only likes the white part :)
Try the nuggets.
cheese
yogurt
pepperoni
cottage cheese
refried bean burritos with cheese, lettuce and sour cream - I nuke the tortilla, beans and cheese until cheese gets melty then add lettuce and sour cream and roll it up. It goes in their sandwich box or sometimes I just wrap it in foil and they eat it cold at lunchtime!
I do put peeled, boiled eggs in a ziploc bag or a container and put it in with their lunch. I also put in cheese and crackers. Carnation instant breakfast works well.
My oldest is a picky eater and I had to get tough with her. Eat or don't eat the choice is yours. I'm packing a healthy whole food lunch. We are eating healthy whole foods at home. If you choose not to eat then I guess you will get headaches and dizzy spells and you won't have the energy to play. Eventually you will have to go to the hospital and have an IV put in your arm so they can feed you that way. The choice is yours. What do you want to do.
NUTELLA!
(If he doesn't like it, you can keep the whole jar for yourself. It's yummy.)
P.S. Be very thankful you can pack tree nuts and peanuts with him to school. Not all kids are so lucky, which limits protein options even further.
Another suggestion that my kids like (and I wish I remembered to make more often) is "crunchy" chickpeas. Just drain them and toss them in the frying pan. I just saute them with a little butter, salt, and pepper until crispy. You can also bake them. this would probably work well for other beans too. I have been debating trying it with black beans and lentils.
I haven't seen anyone mention imitation crab sticks. Both of my kids (2 1/2 and 5) love them and b/c they are cold they can eat them just about anywhere. They also like edamame (we just call them baby beans). Good luck to you - I know it is a challenge to repeatedly come up with fresh, nutritious and tasty lunches that they will eat!
Eggs peeled should be fine. Does he like cheese or beans. Beans are protein. Get a thermus that can keep things hot (for food not drink). He can have soups, hot chicken nuggets or anything else hot he likes.
I'm sorry, that doesn't sound like a healthy lunch to me. Sure, the grapes and melon are okay, but the apple chips, sun chips, chocolate covered peanuts, jelly sandwich, and gummy worms? That's not healthy! Altogether, it sounds like you are packing him a lunch full of snacks, with no substance.
A few good options for protein...let's see. You could make your own chicken nuggets (cut up chicken, bread them in whole wheat crumbs, etc, and bake) and those would keep nicely, cold, in his lunch bag. You can peel a hard boiled egg and add a little S&P for him to add. Cheese is a source of protein and iron...give him a cheese stick or a chunk of cheddar.
Beans and tuna fish are a great source of both, as well. Does he like tuna salad? You can hide beans in tuna salad...make a bean puree and mix a little in. My baby will eat this! Instead of putting it on a sandwich, give him a few tortilla chips to dip in it...that's what we do, and the tuna/beans go like crazy.
Hummus is a favorite of my kids. Also, fried rice with scrambled eggs could be a nice treat. I also have made black bean dip mixed with salsa along with tortilla chips.
I know you mentioned he is a texture kid so have you tried different forms of lunchmeat? Maybe turkey cubes instead of slices? Just a thought. You can try turkey pepperoni sticks, GoGurt, cheese (cubes, string cheese or slices). My son loves fruit and yogurt parfaits with granola which I think Yoplait makes now. He also likes Gardenburgers and their chicken patties. How about mini pizzas or pigs in a blanket (Hillshire Farm has a Chicken and a Turkey Little smoky you could use)? Just some thoughts...
What about string cheese, summer sausage, cheese slices, and crackers, small salad using spinach and other types of lettuce with slices of hardboiled egg and sprinkled with sunflower seeds and bacon bits, egg salad sandwiches using spinach instead of lettuce. Or get a thermos and give him soups that have meat in them.
Sunflower seed butter! You can get it at trader joe's, also likely at Mississippi Market or Whole Foods, but I get it at TJs. If there are hot foods that he eats that contain protein, consider getting insulated containers and packing hot lunches for him.
