lunchbox police - mortified. Help me!

[Queenofknickers]

Ds2 (8) will not eat fruit or veg It's impossible. Only healthy snack he likes is nuts which are banned at school. I have brought him up exactly same as DS1 (9) who eats anything. I work FT and DH is p/t and in charge of lunch boxes - he has kind of given up and now just puts brownies etc in as snacks. I picked them up for first time from school today as I have rare day off and was MORTIFIED to be told off by school about the unhealthy lunches. Please help me 1) think of things DH can put in instead and 2) tell him without him thinking I'm criticising.......

Just tell DH what school told you, surely?

What about dried banana chips or dried berries? Sweet and interesting.

Chopped up cucumber (into 'fingers') or apple pieces with cinnamon?

'The school said x so lets have a think about what we can blah blah blah'...

My dd won't eat any fruit or veg, dried or fresh. After 11 years of trying, I've given up.

So, for a snack she'll have a home made flapjack (I reduce the sugar), for lunch a smoothie, yogurt, sandwich and breadsticks. Or a lump of cheese.

Will he eat humous? Perhaps with some pitta or breadsticks?

If it OP's ds is anything like my dd, then fruit or veg made 'interesting' is still fruit or veg

How bad are the school dinners?

Seriously - they are fab at my school and I often eat them myself. Chef does a mean lasagne :-)

tuna and pasta?

I sympathise. My DD wot eat fruit or veg and is tryin to cut out what few things she eats.

She does eat fruit bars though - for some reason they don't count...

Her packed lunch is a wrap, yoghurt (if eating dairy), fruit bar, plain cracker and biscuit. So just one unhealthy thing (ok fruit bars rot teeth and cracker is crap ..). I think one unhealthy thing is ok?

DD sometimes has chicken and rice (cold, her choice...). Would that work?

I despair of filling her as she gets older so feel for you.

There's a US website called firstbites.org who encourage healthy school lunches primarily for pre-schoolers. It has some good lunch ideas.

I wouldn't be mortified though. I don't think my child's eating habits are the business of the school particularly. Perhaps they could help by encouraging healthy eating in class topics?

cold pizza works for dd.

Sundried tomato and cheese muffins? Carrot and cheese flashbacks?

What about those strawberry winder things...are they allowed those? Yoghurt covered raisins or those yoghurt or fruit tubes.

Would they let him take dry cereals (cheerios for example) in a little pot?

My DS2 point blank refuses fruit and veg, its a nightmare. Hes only 2 and a half though so im hoping it changes by school lunch age.

flapjacks

Relieved to meet parents of other fruit and veg refusing kids.

My DD aged 3.5 was too smart to fall for interesting veg or smoothies ... Even at 5 she can pick out a microscopic bit of carrot.

Very keen to hear of other snacks people give their kids. We rely on crackers and breadsticks. It's v hard when yoghurt and cheese are out (as are dips etc.)

DS1 won't have fruit in his lunchbox now he's a secondary (eats it at home ). I put in an extra sandwich or a piece of cheese as a snack for break time.

Will your non fruit eaters fall for a slice of malt loaf?

School only have a right to grumble about the cake in the lunchbox if they don't serve cake for pudding every day.

My fruit and veg hater often has houmous in a sandwich and things like banana muffins, carrot cake or courgette loaf as a sweet treat.

Cheese scone
Sure you can do veggy type muffins (corgette etc)
Breadsticks

Err, tell the school that you're a grown up who is perfectly capable of feeding their DS and to feck right off and perhaps go with some of the healthier suggestions on here.

Fruitus bars are fab, too. They used to provide one of his five a week :o

Tried and failed with malt loaf. Dd will eat banana bread though.

Cheese scones are a good idea.

Cheese sandwich and a yogurt

I would look at the school menu - our hot meals are full of pizza and cake so can't see how they can impose strict rules on packed lunch boxes

Tesco fruit slurpers - basically fruit purees like the Ella stuff you give babies, but in a more grown up package. Yes, I send my child to school with fruit purees but it's still fruit, right?

Thanks for all your great suggestions. Yes DS can spot a shred of carrot (or anything even purée) in anything. I have baked/minced/blended/had reward charts EVERYTHING!!!!! He actually gags and chokes (not acting) on fruit and veg. DH has, as I worried, taken it tremendously personally and decided he is "letting them down". I have advised we just try 2x lots of sandwiches with maybe some cheese Dunkers and cut out the sweet stuff. And buy some vitamins.

DH v stressed and shouty