3 Tips to Get That Lunchbox Eaten

Here I am once again talking about lunchboxes! 😊 It amazes me how hot this topic is amongst families with young and school aged children. All year round!

I hear frustrated parents talking about packing a lunchbox for their child only to find it comes back untouched at the end of the day.

So, in this article, I’ll describe three of my top recommendations to increase the chances you AND your child will be happy with that special box’s contents.

Only Pack Foods Your Child Likes

You may feel the pressure to pack a balanced batch, with a variety of different foods, including those that you know your child doesn't like. However, bear with me as I describe the benefits of only packing items they like. This may seem counterintuitive, but there are several benefits to this approach.

Firstly, children are more likely to eat foods they like. This means that they will have a full stomach to fuel their day, rather than going hungry because they don't want to eat what's in their lunchbox. Secondly, packing only what your child likes can be empowering for them. It shows that their preferences are being respected.

Also, take a moment to imagine how your child would feel if in the unfortunate case that they had an upsetting episode with a classmate or fell over and got hurt, and then open their lunchbox to only find confronting foods. Could it be the drop that would let their emotions spill over in overwhelm? Instead, by packing only foods your child likes, you may be sending your soothing touch at a challenging moment for them.

Of course, this doesn’t mean that you should only pack junk food or unhealthy snacks that you’re sure they would appreciate. Instead, it's about finding a balance between what your little one enjoys and what is healthy. For example, if your child loves strawberries, pack them as a snack instead of a candy bar.

Chips before sandwich for lunch? Yes, sure!

Allow Foods to be Eaten in Any Order

You may have a set idea of how your child should eat their lunch. Maybe you pack a sandwich, followed by a piece of fruit, and then a treat for dessert and assume or tell your child what order they should eat those. Schools will also have their own rules of “when to eat what”, like Crunch&Sip® programs. But there are several benefits to letting your child choose how they eat their lunch.

It empowers them to own their decisions. By giving them the freedom to decide what they eat and when can help foster a positive relationship with food and encourage a sense of independence.

Allowing children to eat in any order they want can also help them tune in to their hunger and fullness cues. Sometimes, children may not feel like eating their sandwich first, but would rather start with a piece of fruit instead. And waste less food too.

And, if you feel your child has a tendency to fill up on treats before eating their more nutritious options, you may want to limit the amount of treats in their lunchbox. But listen to this…

A few weeks ago, I talked to a preschool director who mentioned she and her staff had noticed that, when they didn’t interfere in the order children would eat from their lunchboxes, it not only stopped arguments and made mealtimes a lot more pleasant for all, but also that the children mostly ended up eating the “good stuff” after they ate their “treats”.

Be rested that allowing your child to eat their lunchbox contents in any order they want is a good thing.

Your school has strict rules and patrols lunchboxes and how children eat from it? Remember that YOU are responsible for feeding your child and whatever rules the school has, if you feel isn’t helping your child, you should request for an exception. A little tool that can help you with that is a small card that you can send in your child’s lunchbox addressed to the teacher as a reminder to allow your child to be free to decide in which order they want to eat their lunchbox contents. You can get a few templates I created. Check it out here.

Give them options, but not more than TWO

I’m sure you might have heard or been advised to let your child participate and help packing their lunchbox, deciding what goes in it, even shopping for items to go in it. It’s a wonderful practice, but it comes with caveats and must be done carefully and wisely. Better not to ask open questions such as “what do you want in your lunchbox today?”. If you do ask that, you better be ready to accept and abide by whatever answer you get.

To avoid that trap, one strategy I recommend you to use is to offer your child only two options of food that you’re happy for them to choose either. For example, the main item in the box which would make their “lunch”. You may let your child choose between a ham and cheese sandwich and a chicken wrap. Or for their snack, you may let them choose between a piece of fruit or a tub of yoghurt. Even from less nutritious foods such as biscuits and muffins. Always offer two options and be settled with their choice.

While this may seem limiting, it can actually be an effective way to encourage healthy eating habits in children. Allowing children to help decide what goes in their lunchbox gives them a sense of control over what they eat. When children feel like they have a say in what they eat, they are more likely to be engaged and interested in the meal. And, again, it is less likely that that food will end up in the bin. 😉

If you have any questions about these ideas, just get in touch (<— hyperlink to be clicked on). You may also want to have a look at MY LUNCHBOX HOW TO ebook that can help you grow in confidence to spot nutritious packaged foods on supermarket shelves and has fifteen inspirational lunchbox-friendly recipes.

I’ve written many other articles about the fastidious lunchbox over the years. A popular one is Lunchbox Audits in schools and childcare services where I give my evidence-based reasons for not being complacent with this practice. Have a read here.