To just not send in a packed lunch?

I’d drop the crisps, only because lots of schools don’t allow them, so it will help him get used to not having them when school starts.

Finger foods that last a bit longer may be better, cubes of cheese, cured sausage, carrot sticks, cut grapes etc.

But hey, what do I know, I’m Asian so we eat on the floor, so apparently we don’t know basic manners or social skills 🤷🏽‍♂️

Starting school and having to sit at a table is going to be tough for your child, how do you intend to help him navigate that journey OP? It's only round the corner. All day without food is not going to help with concentration.

Preschool teacher here, I am a little baffled as to why your previous post had the response it did. It is absolutely part of the job to encourage children to eat their lunch. I can't count the amount of times I have had parents asking us to keep encouraging their children to eat at lunchtime.
If you haven't already I would definitely have a chat with the staff about how lunchtime is ran and that DC may need encouragement or little prompts.
Failing that maybe send in some healthy packet snacks that they like. I have seen so many different types of lunches of preschoolers all different to suit the preferences of the child. I hope you find a solution soon.

@Unpackedlunch

do you not have bit of food, sticky fingers etc all over your house op if your child won’t eat at a table?

I've known people visited for less.

Kids are annoying, you just have to suck it up and do things anyway. At least he will be past the stage of throwing his food now

Well, we will have to agree to disagree.

Neither of my children ate 'on the go'.

From as soon as they were eating, and out of a high chair, they were taught to sit at the table and eat, as part of the family.

If you have such low expectations of your 3 year old that's your choice. But you aren't teaching him good behaviour.

I’m hoping this is a joke. Yes you need to send a lunch. Every day. Children learn from their peers. He is learning to sit down at a table and eat his lunch. You might need to send a sandwich for 3 months but he may eventually start to eat his sandwich. What if he is really hungry and you’ve sent nothing?
he’s probably eating crisps because they are there. Send something else. Crackers and cheese in small inviting pieces, cucumber and carrot sticks, apple slices, fruit, digestive biscuit, sausage roll. Staff will call you if he arrives with no lunch. It will get escalated to their manager and possibly children’s services if he always arrives without lunch. Speak to the staff. Ask why. Is he distracted. Are they encouraging. Ask what they can do to assist.
I can’t believe this is a serious question.

OK from reading a few of the replies I'd like to change my initial response lol I work in a preschool and there is no set break time. The break table is open from 9.30-11.30 and again 2-5.30 (there's a hot meal provided at 12.30 for those who stay on for daycare services) and the children are free to take their lunch boxes out at any time rather than be told its time to eat. My supervisor spent years encouraging children to eat lunch and most of them just weren't hungry at a set time! Now children are eating much more as they are eating when they are hungry. I'd advise a wee chat with his teacher just to ask whatever questions you have. I'm sure they would be only to happy to help!

Is the preschool fussy about what's in the lunchbox? You could just put in packaged things which will keep for another day if he doesn't eat them

I also have a child who won’t eat at school. Nothing. Whatever I sent was wasted, and I tried everything suggested on this thread. Cubes of veg / meat / fish / crackers / yogurt.

He got free school lunches for R-2 and after that I paid despite him never eating a thing. I figured it was easier to pay up rather than send in something that would be wasted.

He’s in year 9. I send nothing on the basis there is a canteen and he has cash on his card. I put on £10 the day he started year 7. He hasn’t spent any of it.

In your circs I’d try sending different options as suggested. Ask about pasta in a thermos. If he still won’t eat then send in crackers in a box and ask the staff to offer him. And replace when they are finished.

Don't put the crisps in. He will eat the sandwich. If he doesn't eat the sandwich put in crackers or something he will eat

What does he eat at home? I’d send whatever he will eat because children need to eat.

@unvillage I was just guessing on that scenario - I don't know if that's how it is.
It depends on what the "pre-school" actually is. My daughter attended the nursery class (ie the 3 to 4 year olds) at the local primary school. This is what some people call "pre-school". As it was part of the school the full time children who stayed and had lunch were send off to the hall with the rest of the school where it was the lunchtime supervisors in charge as the teaching staff were having their own lunch.
It gets confusing because "nursery" can mean day-care environment but also "nursery' is the youngest class in a primary school (so school environment).
I don't know the difference between the OPs nursery and pre-school obviously.

Not true about just having a lunch supervisor at preschool, we have to adhere to ratios even when the children are eating. 3 year olds have 1 member of staff for each 8 children.

I have no issue and respect that others insist on the table or nowhere etc but (sorry to sound bossy!) I’m not going to be changing what I’m doing in respect of this.

Okaaaaay.

So why ask for advice @Unpackedlunch ?

You had zillions of posts suggesting changes to the lunchbox.

Then you said that he doesn't sit down at home to eat (anything?) just eats on the go.

So the issue isn't the food.

It's that he has to sit still at a table at pre school. And he can't eat lunch sitting still as a) he's too distracted and b) he is supposed to eat as soon as he arrives .

How is your attitude (not going to be changing ...) going to help him?

Honestly, if you can't see that bringing up a child who isn't expected to sit at a table and eat, with you as a role model, what can anyone say?

@Unpackedlunch I have a fondness for Topsy and Tim books. The author takes the most mundane of things from small childrens lives and turns it into a story 🤣

@Unpackedlunch that could be part of it - nursery lunch is more formal and the staff are there assisting the children but pre-school is a bit more 'school" where the kids are left to get on with it with a lunch supervisor just keeping an eye on them but not helping them eat.
There an old Topsy and Tim book called something like "Topsy and Tim and the New Lunchboxes" (I'm not sure if it's available in the newer editions but you can probably get an old one from somewhere like Abe Books). The plot is basically the twins get new lunchboxes and it shows what they have for their lunch and what the routine of eating it at their pre-school is (like all T&T books the plot is riveting 😂).
Maybe a read of it (and maybe even an exciting new lunch box) could see him more enthusiastic about lunch.