Packed lunches

[Arkarian]

Sorry I think this is in the wrong thread but I can't find where to put it. My DS Is in Reception and is an incredibly fussy eater. He throws his packed lunch away or just brings it home untouched. He's not dropped some weight going from 2stone 4 to 2stone 2. I'm looking for packed lunch ideas I don't think there are anymore but you sometimes don't think of something until it's pointed out.
He will not eat any sandwich, pasta, salad, wraps, pitta breads, breadsticks, cocktail sausages or anything that has a dip like a dunkers or lunchables pack.
I have tried different fillings and left them plain.
Out of his packed lunch he will eat his yogurt and carrot sticks. Occasionally he will eat his sweet treat but that's hit and miss too.
At home he is incredible fussy and will only eat mash and gravy, and toast. I've been to many doctors and always been told to stop worrying, it's a phase.
However with him not eating all day at school it's obviously impacting his mood and energy levels.
School dinners are not an option as he just waits until enough time ha passed that he can leave.
Please any little gem ideas anybody has will be greatly appreciated.

[OhioOhioOhio]

Toast?

[YourEggnogIsBetterThanMine]

Plain brioche?

My eldest is tricky to feed. It's hard. At the moment she likes 2 plain brioche buns, a yoghurt, fruit or carrot and a smoothie. Sometimes raisins or a Goodies oat bar. I'm not bothered by sugar content before anyone comments, I just need to get calories into her.

[Arkarian]

Thank you but he won't eat toast if it's been left for too long.

He won't eat broiche but that's a fantastic idea! No judgment here on sugar I'd do anything too to get some calories in too!

The only thing I haven't tried that I know he will sometimes eat is rice. I'm quite terrified of the dangers of rice. Does anybody know if it is safe to boil and then leave in a packed lunch?

[OhioOhioOhio]

I've eaten rice like that a thousand times and I'm fine.

[CodenameVillanelle]

I'd give him more of whatever you know he will eat. Does he like cheese? Baby bells or those wrapped cheddar portions would be ok. I wouldn't risk it with rice tbh. My kid is fussy and eats slowly so he usually has a few bites of lunch so he can go and play. I buy individually wrapped chocolate croissants or chocolate chip brioche buns. Half a piece of toast (breakfast) then that and a packet of crisps and a carton of juice is all he usually eats all day but I feed him as much as I can in the evening when he has a better appetite.

[dreichXmas]

Would veg sushi be worth a try? Maybe with carrot filling.

[Kanga83]

My eldest has blood sugar issues (endocrine and metabolic) ARFID and food sensory issues. She has cold pizza into pieces, sometimes a cheese sandwich or scotch pancakes. All very plain, carb based. I add a fromage frais, some organix toddler crisps- the carrot stick or the sweet corn rings, sometimes a mini packet of chocolate rice cakes

[OneHanded]

Always used to have plain boiled rice with cheese melted into and ham on top as a kid! Another idea might be getting a hot food flask to ease your worries? My mother always dings a bag of microwave rice and pops it in a hot flask if she has to work all day.

[Kanga83]

Sorry I've just read your thread properly and seen he's adverse to bread and carb things. Would he eat a hard boiled egg? It doesn't look like much but it's a good protein. I've also eaten cold rice lots, my only issue would be if it's like my kids school where there is nowhere cool to store their food.

[dreichXmas]

I buy lunch boxes that you freeze, they have inbuilt ice packs, they kept things like sushi properly cold.

[littleducks]

Is it really only toast and mash and gravy? I think you might need to push for dietician/feeding clinic referral and see if he might need ARFID diagnosis.

[Sleephead1]

Can you get a flask and you could keep things warm .? You could put mash and gravy in and it stays warm. Is he really only eating mash and toast I would be massively pushing for a referral to a dietician and wanting his bloods checked. Have you tried noodles at all or cous cous if he has rice ?

[Arkarian]

At hone he will only eat mash and gravy, peas carrots and sweet corn. He will also eat toast. I've been going to the doctors regularly since he was 3 he's not 5 and I'm told there's nothing they can do and thousands of mums go through the same and because he's not lethargic then it's not an issue. My last doctors appointment I've been told to wait until he is weighed at the end of the year in school.
He has occasionally eaten rice not often kind but he won't eat any cheeses or those dunkers. He also will not eat meat or fish. He has tried different ones but they cause him to retch and gag then he loses his appetite completely.

[MarchingFrogs]

At hone he will only eat mash and gravy, peas carrots and sweet corn.

Do the peas and sweetcorn have to be 'just cooked' for him to eat them? Or could you at least try a pot of those to go with the carrot sticks? Has he tried semi-dried fruit (apricots / apple rings / mango)?

[Littlebelina]

Not very green (but probably the least of your worries) but if you are worried about food poisoning with rice could you get the precooked rice (the stuff you usually heat up in a microwave) and send that in? It's been specially steam treated so doesn't have the same risk associated with keeping rice you've cooked at home. For what it's worth I often save rice, just make sure I wash it thoroughly after cooking and cool it down quickly.

Would he eat couscous?

[Lollypalooza]

If he likes mash would he eat jacket potato? I’m a teacher and at my school jacket potato is an option every day. They can choose topping such as cheese, tuna, beans, or they can have plain. There is often peas, carrots or sweet corn on as the hot veg option. He could have plain jacket potato with peas, carrots or sweetcorn and/or carrot batons from the salad bar.

[scrappydappydoo]

Would he eat something like crackerbread (it’s a bit like toast).
Have you tried taking him shopping and getting him to choose what he would like? (Sorry if that sounds patronising but sometimes the simple solutions get overlooked)

[cakeandchampagne]

Could you take him when you shop & let him pick some things for lunch?

[dreichXmas]

Would he eat cold rice, grated carrot and sweet corn in separated out in a bento box?

[Arkarian]

I'll try and reply to as many as I can. We do the shop for his packed lunch every weekend together with the shops own little people trolleys. He chooses what goes into his packed lunch but it's just not eaten.

He won't eat a jacket potato this is something I'm currently working on. He likes it to be mashed and I stick a bit of butter in which is something that can't be done at school. He worries about school dinners in general though as when he has a packed lunch they don't take notice of him not eating but if you have a school dinner you empty your tray where they can see you. Whilst I would like him to be encouraged to eat he had an incident last year in the nursery there when he was told off for taking too long and it resulted in him gagging and being sick. I think putting him on school dinners may escalate his pickyness and anxiety around lunch time. He's also very particular on his brand of gravy. I've tried using different without telling him but he will take a bite leave it and say I don't like it.

He won't eat cous cous he won't actually try it as he says he's a funny colour.

He takes carrot sticks in school and I can add sweet corn as he enjoys that without being cooked so thank you.

He won't eat dried fruit. He used to eat fruit. He enjoyed apples and pears but in the last 5 months those have disappeared from the list of foods he will eat.

I think I will try the rice and see how he goes. Thankfully he will drink milk so he does get some calories at school when they have their carton in the afternoon.

I've tried all sorts of crackers and cracker breads. Most he won't even attempt but the ones he has he has either gagged on or just told me he doesn't like it.

Thank you for all your advice and I'll do a bit of research into the safety of rice in a packed lunch. He may not eat it but it's certainly worth a try.

[Arkarian]

Sleep head I haven't actually tried noodles. This is something I'm going to try for tea tomorrow and I'll have a bowl with him. I've got loads of chopsticks so I'll try and make it seem like fun rather than food. Thank you for the suggestion!

[Neighneigh]

I was in a dinner hall at lunchtime once... It's crazy and very off-putting for actually eating and I was quite surprised how little help the tiny ones get. Is there any way school would allow him to eat somewhere else quietly, with a teacher or someone else with him? Just for a bit to see if that helps, especially with his weight dropping?

[Drizzzle]

How about more yogurt? Have you tried a Mueller yogurt with the cereal (he could add it to thw yogurt or eat it separately). Or buy large pots of yogurr and decant into a large leakproof box/soup bowl. Put an ice pack next to it.

[Drizzzle]

Rice pudding? Mueller rice?

[LilQueenie]

could you cut bread into sticks and add a spread even if just chocolate spread? using cookie cutters to cut shapes or even french toast with cinnamon?