Can I ask for your suggestions for packed lunch ideas for teen please?

[ChopinandChangin]

This sounds simple but ….

Teen is underweight, can get school dinners in canteen but most days says they’re inedible. There are a couple of dishes will be eaten but really only one or two. Has recently seen dietician who has recommended that, given teen won’t eat what’s on offer in school, they take a packed lunch. Must have carb, protein and fruit or veg. Sounds simple?

It’s not! On the won’t eat/doesn’t like list are: sandwiches, rolls, wraps, tuna, egg, cheese, chicken, hummus, coleslaw, salad stuff, peanut butter. Basically everything that has been suggested isn’t eaten/liked/sometimes ruled out before trying. Will eat crackers but what about the bloody protein, where does that come from? Gave a small portion of cheddar today, it got nibbled at and rejected. I’d tell anyone else, just say they have to eat it, full stop, end of. Except, knowing my child, I can tell you they won’t. Said child is 15.

So, please hit me with any ideas you might have in case I have missed something obvious. Thanks!

Protein yoghurt pouches?

Sushi?

I've a 15 year old fussy git when it comes to packed lunches too, does my head in 😭
Pasta salad always seems to go down well, with stuff like chopped cucumber and cherry tomatoes in.

Rice
Pasta
Beans
Potato

At 15 though and as frustrating as it is, send with lots of snacks. Croissants, pain au chocolates, crisps, apple, banana, grapes, blueberries/strawberries/raspberries with yoghurt, pots of cereal. Get the weight up anyway you can. Allow the 15yo whatever it is they will eat to get through the day and speak to the dietician about realistic ways of helping your child, preferably without the 15yo in earshot

For protein
Kvarg yoghurts are high in protein,
aldis/ lidls do protein yoghurts and chocolate/ vanilla pots
Clear whey protein from Myprotein .... powder to make a squash like drink
Tapas meats like pepperoni seranno ham

DS loves home made sausage rolls / pasties... i buy ready roll puff pastry and he will make them himself. You can add all sorts in with a bit of buttery mash or cheese if she can tolerate this way
Pot noodle type meals or porridge pots if she can take boiling water in a small flask

Lots of great ideas on here, what I came on to say is if they like a thing then just do that x5. Or rotate 2 or 3 . I would be so bored with same lunch but my DD who has made her own lunch since 14, will have the same thing for weeks. One time it was bagel and cream cheese, took apple then couple of other bits. They probably may like the certainty and if they get bored then they can come up with a change . Will take pressure off and remove bit of tension

I use a bento type box for packed lunch, you don't need to use Japanese food but I like the compartments for splitting things up.

I have one like this www.ebay.co.uk/itm/334234156765?chn=ps&mkevt=1&mkcid=28&var=543236675540

So the larger compartments for protein and carb, one for fruit, one for veg and then one for a treat or something liquid (the one with the lid).

I think finger foods work well

Protein
Cheese / dairy - something like a baby bell. Yoghurt. Milk?
Meat - roll ham up into little rolls. Hot dog sausages, min sausages. Meatballs. Tortilla slices (I know you said no egg but I know things in a different format can sometimes work).
Nuts - try different ones

Veg - cherry tomatoes, carrot sticks, spring onions,

Fruit - grapes, berries satsuma - peeled. Don't ask me why, if I pack a satsuma I don't eat it, but if it already peeled I do. Lychees, apricots.

Carbs - pasta/cous cous.
new potatoes.
Yorkshire pudding - this also gives you protein, make with extra egg and full fat milk, duck eggs are richer if you can get them.
Pancakes - use the same batter - again roll them up and slice - you can add protein in tot he roll or you could use nutella.
Rice balls.

My daughter is very picky about school food, she has issues with how it looks eating it when she's around her peers. So no sandwiches that have to be lifted to your face, nothing that needs a utensil. So it's all basically snacks / finger food. She will take dried fruit, like dried apple slices, crisps, cheese sticks, but not cheese slices. Bread sticks, the really thin kind that can snap into little pieces, granola bars.
I focus more on breakfast and dinner and an after school snack, and just basically let her eat whatever she will for school. If I turn it into more of an issue it makes it more stressful for her and makes it worse.

I also have a very fussy underweight teen, so I'm place marking for ideas. We are awaiting the dietitian appointment. (Eating disorders have been ruled out.)

DD won't eat most meat, butter or drink milk. It's a texture rather than ethics thing - so meat substitutes are out.
She does enjoy full fat yoghurts, tiny piece of bacon, pastry. Lunchbox cheese is out as it gets sweaty.

Lunchtime protein is our struggling point too.

What is working at the moment is marmite (no butter or spread) sandwiches, or pasta with veg sauce, a piece of fruit, veg sticks (carrot and cucumber- not peppers) and hummus plus a bel vita breakfast biscuit bar.

Not the healthiest but if it's a case of getting calories in, whilst not pulling out a packed lunch, hot chocolate could work. If a flask would be considered too much faff, it would keep hot in a good metal water bottle (chilly etc). Could add cream when making up.

Forgot to say protein pancakes go down well here too... basically chocolate protein powder and egg, but lots of recipes online. Or can do savoury ones that you can add cheese into.
Also the fridge raiders chicken pieces and pepperami x

Or a full fat milk latte or mocha. 15 is about the right age for Starbucks meet ups so a decent contigo mug of coffee shouldn't be seen as uncool or draw too much attention.

I just asked DD (18) about this. She says that lunch is a social thing so your DD might be trying to fit in with her peer group, hence not wanting a packed lunch if they are all eating from the canteen even if she doesn't want what they are having.
At DDs school they had a coffee bar so a milky drink and a muffin might work for your DD. Add protein powder to your muffin recipe or make something like maple and bacon which has meat in anyway.

Falafel, full of protein. Was going to say in a wrap but not for her. Pasties? Full of calories and could have protein depending on filling. Flapjack, yog or cake

Oh wow … thank you for so many comments and suggestions - I appreciate each and every one!

@bumpytrumpy, I completely agree re addressing issues now rather than waiting, and perhaps letting things fester. Some of it is texture (ie she claims mashed pots made her gag when she was very young), some taste, worry that what she’s eating isn’t healthy (that’s a long story, a seed was planted by someone). She’s receiving counselling to deal with that but being underweight and narrow food choices long preceded that.

@quietnightmare, thank you for your insight. Thank goodness she doesn’t calorie count and is happy to eat high cal food, wants to gain weight.

@mrsfeatherbottom - had homemade pizza tonight - the leftovers are going for lunch tomorrow! Cheers for that idea! Will get her to try falafels - someone ele suggested them, I think - thanks both!

@ChuckMater, I might just have to do that. I’d really rather she just eats what she enjoys at school, to keep her feeling full and then add extra protein at home after school.

@DinosApple , sounds a similar situation. Hope your dietitian apt will come through soon. Eating disorder doesn’t seem to be the worry here either, it’s her fussiness that’s causing us the headaches.

@ODFOx, your DD is so right with her comment. Wanting to fit on, not be the odd one out, is a massive part of it.

Okay, I have two more questions for you lovely lot! Firstly calcium - won’t eat cheese, has been advised to have milk, cheese and greek yogurt daily. Sigh. We’re managing some of the milk and a petit fillou. Something is better than nothing, right? I need a cheese replacement! According to the Royal Osteoporosis Society, girls of her age need 800mg calcium a day. That’s going to be hard work!

Lastly, some of you suggested using protein powder in pancake and muffin recipes. Any recommendations for one that is tasteless please?

Thank you so much again for all your suggestions!

I can't help with the protein shakes but came on to suggest Swedish meatballs, can be hot or cold, or you try ordinary meatballs. They're easy to transport and eat if they don't have a sauce, and may have marginally more nutritional value that cocktail sausages or hot dogs.

I had different issues with DS, but he would identify with the difficulty in carrying food in, no room in bag etc. in the end he took only things he could put in his pocket, so a sandwich in a sandwich bag, not a box.

For calcium dairy is the obvious choice but it's also in dark leafy green veg, little fish like sardines and pilchards where you eat the bones and in soya drinks.

But to be honest I'd just look for a good multi vitamin that contains the RDA for calcium and vitamin D. It sounds like you've got your hands full getting enough calories in her to put on some weight without adding more to the mix.

If she won't take a multi fit then how about fruit juices fortified with calcium, Innocent fruit juices and Tropicana often have it added.

With the bento idea OP she doesn't have to eat it all at lunchtime, she can snack on it. Or obviously you can just fill her blazer pockets with snacks.

Does she like nuts? I quite often put nuts into Greek style yoghurt. You can also coat meat with it to make eg chicken tikka - I know you said no chicken but other meats can work.

Would she have a milkshake or smoothie? Milky coffee or hot chocolate? Maybe a hot chocolate for bed? I know this is about lunch but as long as the calories are getting in it can be any part of the day.

You can add salt or mint sauce to make a savory yoghurt, best served with home made chapattis but that doesn't help with lunch I suppose.

I agree about a multivitamin with calcium. Also green leafy veg, my dinner yesterday I had stuffed cabbage. Ice cream? Surely she can eat ice cream?

Would she eat different types of cheese? DD (18) won't eat regular cheese, but loves grilled halloumi (even cold) and feta.

I suppose green leafy veg like spinach and salad leaves are out? Green veg has some calcium.

Re the falafel, try aldi's sweet potato pakora. They're much nicer than falafel imo (which can be a bit dry - but obviously by all means try!). I think they are a rip off of the brand Gosh if you find those instead.

I do think somebody early on's suggestion to get her making choices for what she will have ("leading by the nod" it's sometimes called by sales people) is a good idea. Getting her in the habit of saying Yes, even if it's via "what's the least objectionable option you would like to try?"

How about trying a graze subscription box? 4 different snacky type packs in each, and she can choose her criteria.

Ooh on that note, how about some of the dried mixed bean snacks you can get? Lidl does a lime and chilli flavour one, or supermarkets do bags of them.

Gyozas cooked the day before and then eaten cold go down well with my kids.
The same with quesadillas.