Picky eater lunchbox ideas

A school lunch is eaten without you there, in a noisy room, often in a hurry. That makes it the wrong place to introduce lots of new foods, and the right place for familiar, easy-to-eat favorites. Here's how to pack a lunch your picky eater will actually eat, plus 20 combinations built around common safe foods.

How to pack it

• Lead with a safe food they'll reliably eat. A hungry child at school needs at least one sure thing.
• Add one small "maybe" food: a couple of pieces of something they've tried before or that's one step from a safe food.
• Use a bento-style box or silicone cups so foods don't touch.
• Keep dips and sauces in their own small cups.
• Practice opening the lunchbox and containers at home. If they can't open it, they won't eat it.
• Pack smaller portions than you think. A full box can feel overwhelming.

20 picky eater lunchbox ideas

Each one starts from a common safe food. Swap anything for a version your child already eats.

• Crackers lovers: Their usual crackers, cheese cubes, cucumber half-moons, a few apple slices.
• Chicken nuggets lovers: Cold baked nuggets with a dip cup, crackers, sliced strawberries.
• Plain pasta lovers: Buttered pasta shells, a cheese stick, steamed carrot half-moons.
• Mac and cheese lovers: Mac and cheese in a warm food jar, pear slices, a mini muffin.
• Toast lovers: Toast strips with a thin layer of cream cheese, banana, yogurt tube.
• Grilled cheese lovers: Grilled cheese triangles (they're good cold too), cucumber sticks, grapes cut into quarters.
• Quesadillas lovers: Cheese quesadilla wedges, mild salsa cup, corn, orange segments.
• Pancakes lovers: Mini pancakes with a yogurt dip, sliced strawberries, a cheese stick.
• Yogurt lovers: Yogurt, crackers, soft pear slices, a cheese stick.
• Cereal lovers: Dry cereal in a cup, a cheese stick, banana, a mini muffin.
• White rice lovers: Rice balls or buttered rice, small chicken pieces, peas in their own cup.
• Scrambled eggs lovers: A mini egg bite, toast strips, apple slices.
• Hot dogs lovers: Hot dog strips cut lengthwise, crackers, cucumber, a dip cup.
• Fish sticks lovers: Cold fish sticks with tartar or ketchup, rice, sliced cucumber.
• Cheese sticks lovers: Cheese stick, crackers, thin turkey slices to roll up, apple slices.
• Bananas lovers: Banana, a mini banana muffin, yogurt, a few crackers.
• Strawberries lovers: Sliced strawberries, a yogurt dip, toast strips, a cheese stick.
• Apple slices lovers: Apple slices, cheese cubes, crackers, a few pear slices to compare.
• Mashed potatoes lovers: Mashed potatoes in a warm food jar, small chicken pieces, corn.
• Pizza lovers: A cold slice of cheese pizza cut into strips, cucumber, orange segments.

Safety for young kids

• For kids under 4, cut grapes and cherry tomatoes into quarters, cut hot dogs lengthwise and then into short pieces, and skip whole nuts and popcorn.
• Use an ice pack for yogurt, meats, cheese and dips.
• Check your school's rules about nuts and other allergens before packing.

If the lunchbox comes home full

Don't worry about one day. Ask what got in the way: not enough time, hard to open, too much food, or friends' comments. Then adjust one thing. Offer the same foods at home too: a food that's familiar at the kitchen table is easier to eat at school. Want more ideas? Our food chains show small steps from each safe food, and our guide to trying new foods covers the basics.

PickyPlanIt offers general information for everyday picky eating, not medical advice. If your child has a very limited diet, gags or vomits when eating, or isn't growing as expected, talk to your pediatrician about a feeding evaluation.