I get tons of questions about kids lunches and snacks...how to get them to try new things! I know there's tons of controversy over whether kids are born picky or learn to be picky! Maybe it's a little of both, who knows. There is no easy answer to that for sure! I have 2 who literally beg for salmon and asparagus, 1 who only likes raw veggies, fruit and cheese, and 1 who has sugar sensitivity but sneaks candy at any and every possible chance; thankfully she eats the good stuff too!
Kids are tricky! One day they want the banana sliced up, one day they want it whole and then one day they don't like bananas at all! I swear, what they like can change with the hour. All you can do is TRY, offer them healthy choices and healthy alternatives! Honestly, for the most part our children are fantastic eaters! I have zero to complain about, we win some, we lose some...and that's fine with me!
One major thing that is to our advantage is the "Monkey See, Monkey Do Effect." Usually, if someone is brave enough to try...at least a couple of the others will follow. Thank goodness Tucker is very adventurous with his food! There are few things he doesn't like and I don't push him at all. Never do we "make" them eat anything. Our request is that they try it! Try it, don't like it, don't eat it. Kindly push it to the side. If it's something they haven't been offered in a while, we try to get the to sample it again, one bite is sufficient. There are so many things that they have developed a taste for...and plenty that they have developed a distaste for. ;)
My approach is to offer them a wide variety and let them choose! Often our snacks and lunches consist of a "Wheel" like this one! I like to offer them at least 2 protein choices, 1-2 good fats and the rest is fruits and veggies, usually with a Fig Bar/Kind Bar - something like that as a dessert. Many times they get full and save that "treat" for later! Usually if they pick it, they eat...for the most part! The rule is, you must have at least 1 protein, then fill your plate with color! That's it! *This came from Dinner Salads and just making them the deconstructed version! ;)
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| Watermelon, turkey rolls, cheese, avocado + veggies/pita & hummus |
Protein: Varying Deli meats (mostly nitrate free), Cheeses, Greek Yogurt, Greek Yogurt Dip (Otria), Meatballs, Grilled Chicken Slices, Hardboiled Eggs, Ham or Turkey & Cheese Roll-ups, Black Beans, Ham Steak Cut into cubes (Niman Ranch), Chicken Salad, Tuna Salad
Utensils: Another thing they love are skewers! They will eat just about anything on a skewer! We do kabobs a lot because of that! You just have to pay attention and make sure that they all come back and none of them turn into weapons! ;) Let them eat with chop-stix or toothpicks on occasion! Sometimes that's all it takes to get them to try new things and even some staying power in cleaning their plate!
Fats: Olives, Avocado, Almonds, Nuts, Nut Butters, Hummus
Treats/Snacks: Kind Bars, Fig Bars, Trail Mix, Apple Nachos, Clif Z Kid Bars, Clif Bars, Larabars, Peanut Butter Graham Crackers, Peanut Butter "Pizza," OR One of Fun Food items (more below)
Veggies to try if you haven't: Beets, artichoke hearts, garbanzo beans, cherry tomatoes, celery, roasted brussels sprouts, zucchini noodles, roasted sweet potato chunks, roasted mushroom caps, bell pepper slices
Funky Friday:
On Fridays we play with our food! Sometimes they help, sometimes I make fun breakfast before they are up, but they all LOVE fun food! I am able to sneak things into these dishes that I might not otherwise get away with! Sometimes it helps them learn that they DO like things they thought they didn't!
Get them involved! Sometimes, admittedly, it's rough...especially when all four of them are in the kitchen, with stools! That's a lot of clutter and a LOT of little hands! However, I do find that if they help, they will usually eat what they make, or in the very least taste it with an open mind! They LOVE to help in the kitchen - Love to spiralize, put things into containers, put toppings on everything! They learn good habits and a sense of pride! They soak so much up, especially good examples! I try to let them help with lunches throughout Summer and especially on Fridays! We do Funky Friday where Fun Food is one of our traditions! On Fridays, we play with our food! ;) Tucker is old enough to cook dinner! He loves to plan a meal, help me order what we need online and then fix it for the family! Grooming a good man here! ;)Not all of them like to help with gardening, but 2 of mine LOVE it! They help to pull weed and harvest! I'm pretty sure that some of it has to do with searching for critters and fishing bait, but whatever works, right? ;)
We even germinate our seeds in moist paper towels placed into ziploc bags and put into a dark place for a few days! It's so great for them! Tucker ALWAYS steals seeds from everything and has bags going! They don't always turn out, but it's fun and he loves it!
Lunch Boxes
I pretty much do the same thing! I just use Planetboxes, Sistema Boxes and Liquid Tight bento box style ones! I have 3 sets, so that I can make ahead on Sunday night and then make each day's lunch while they are at school for the next day! The only real difference is that I use more pre-packed options than I would if they were home. Maximizes homework time and playtime with them after school!I only do about 1 FUN lunch per week, Fridays or special occasions! Otherwise I pick mostly from the above lists of proteins, fats, etc., just using them in varying ways! I will switch up the fruit and snack options every couple of weeks so no one gets tired!
For more lunchbox ideas, see this older post! The Lunchbox!
Also, I get SO many questions about go-to food for the kids...I am putting together a post of the recipes they like best! A great one to start with is the Almond Crusted Chicken Tenders, if you haven't done that one before!
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