To just not send in a packed lunch?

[Unpackedlunch]

Ds is 3, started at a preschool in September. All fine, except it’s a packed lunch and ds doesn’t eat it. Every time he goes I send him with a sandwich, fruit and crisps and every time he comes back with the crisps eaten and nothing else.

I definitely don’t want to be That Parent and the staff are lovely and I don’t want to risk antagonising them, but I can’t see the point of wasting food. It’s also one more thing to do and I know it doesn’t take long but that’s not the point. Would it really be unreasonable to just not bother? It looks neglectful I know but equally what’s the point of sending in food for the sake of it?

Why not just change it to things that he will eat?

Of course you can't send him in with no lunch 🤣

He will never learn to eat his sandwich at nursery if he isn’t given a
sandwich to eat at nursery.

Try some other foods? Pasta, sushi, wraps- there must be something he likes.

Crisps are not a good choice.

YABU, it's more than the food, it's the sitting down as a group to eat and social skills etc
And you never know he may just starting eating the sarnie and other bits at some point sat with the others. He won't have that opportunity if you don't send the lunch.

Packed lunches don't have to mean sandwiches, try and mis it up with bits of stuff he does like, even if that's cold chicken nuggets or similar.

Can you send something different?
Cheese and crackers
Cold pasta and chicken
A small roll with some cocktail sausages
Some carrot sticks and cucumber
A yogurt

You need to send him with things he will eat. It's hardly rocket science.

It is neglectful not to send in a lunch and staff will follow up on it.

I have two children who are not great with sandwiches but eat other foods in a packed lunch - hot meals in thermos/flatbreads/wraps etc. I use bento boxes and send multiple smaller items which works much better. Explore other lunch options - sandwich and crisps are not great nutritionally anyway

Omg

You can't do this.

I'd try sending the sandwich and fruit without the crisps. If he's not being closely supervised and he likes crisps, he'll fill up on them and leave the rest.

Do you like social services paying you a visit?

Do you like social services paying you a visit?

He doesn’t eat anything there. I think there is just too much going on. I did initially try pasta salad and some slightly more exciting things but when I realised they were just coming back uneaten I went for the easiest option.

@Jacfrost - but seriously, what’s the point if he doesn’t eat it?

Mine would eat samosas, scotch eggs, pasta, sausage rolls, cheese triangles. Doesn’t always have to be sandwiches does it?

What would he eat all day then? Nothing? Do you not make him lunch at home?

Don’t be so daft 🤣

Don't send crisps! He might eat something else if crisps aren't an option.

My son was the exact same for a while. Just would not eat sandwiches. So I packed him a thermos of pesto pasta or tortellini with a yoghurt and banana and he ate it up.

How long do you think he’s at preschool? It’s not Eton

He has breakfast in the morning and dinner at home, in the evening. Plus a mid morning snack at preschool but I don’t know if he eats that either.

Just saw yours won't eat pasta. What does he like to eat?

As you post more, I find it quite concerning that your answer is to not send food rather than to raise with staff that he isn’t eating and how to find a way to encourage him to eat. He’s only 3 - of course he needs more nutrition than a packet of crisps over the course of a day at preschool

Maybe if you left out the crisps he’d eat the other food? Of course a 3 year old is going to go for the crisps if given them. I don’t even give my 15 crisps in his lunch.

I did think of cutting the crisps. He doesn’t actually have any today now you mention it - he has the thrilling option of a cheese sandwich, tangerine and raisins. I suspect he will eat the raisins and nothing else

If you don’t like waste, just send less. But I think you should keep sending - one day he’ll suddenly just start eating it.

What does he eat at home?
Send that in.