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Help! Bite sized nutrition for my dd's lunchbox

7 replies

AlexaShutUp · 14/11/2020 23:03

DD (15) has never been interested in food. From when she was tiny, she has always eaten to live rather than lived to eat. She is a healthy weight and full of energy. She happily picks at fruit and vegetables, but she has never really enjoyed anything more substantial. She isn't fussy and will generally eat whatever is put in front of her, she just finds it a massive chore.

She currently eats a nutritious breakfast and a good dinner, but we are really stuck with lunches. Have tried sandwiches, salads, sushi, pasta etc. She usually forces herself to eat whatever I have given her but says she never feels hungry at lunchtime (unless she has been particularly active in the morning) and that it's really stressful having to bother about it.

I am sure this isn't an eating disorder or anything, as she does eat and she has been like this since she was a toddler. I think she just doesn't feel hungry most days and doesn't get any pleasure from eating (unless it's chocolate!). She knows that she needs to eat in order to keep herself well fuelled, but she's finding it really difficult it's an added source of stress on top of GCSEs, pandemic etc that she could probably do without at the moment.

I am wondering if she might find it more palatable if I could give her some tiny bite sized things to eat that she could graze on at break and lunch without having to face down a whole meal. I'm thinking of quality rather than quantity - small but nutritiously dense bites, ideally some kind of finger food that she can eat standing up, because apparently she really hates sitting down for lunch!Confused

She is pescatarian (mostly vegetarian) but eats pretty much everything else.

Any ideas?!

OP posts:
Blondie1984 · 15/11/2020 03:46

Mini oatcakes (flavoured or spread with peanut butter,hummus etc)
Babybel or cubes of cheese
Falafel
Homemade trail mix
Mini frittatas or savoury egg and cheese muffins
Roasted chickpeas
Dates stuffed with nut butter

Happymama24 · 15/11/2020 03:48

What about done protein balls

thanksgivingchi · 15/11/2020 03:51

Guacamole mini tubs, whole-wheat pitta slices.
Sushi
Grapes and cheese cubes
Nut butter and breadsticks.

Findingapath · 15/11/2020 04:19

Hummus with salad sticks
Mini wraps filled with salad, cheese,
Small cubes of flapjack
Small pot of yoghurt with fruit/berries

JingsMahBucket · 15/11/2020 04:37

How about pinwheel wraps like the ones pictured here? The recipe is vegetarian and flexible www.dinneratthezoo.com/rainbow-veggie-pinwheels-sesame-lime-quinoa-salad/

Help! Bite sized nutrition for my dd's lunchbox
Graphista · 15/11/2020 06:46

I have to say what occurs to me is that she may lack a good sense of smell/taste? Genuinely - it's rare but it does happen and makes sufferers struggle to have interest in eating

Just a thought

Some also sense bitter/unpleasant flavours more strongly than others

AlexaShutUp · 15/11/2020 09:50

Thank you for all the suggestions, some great ideas here which I will investigate further. One thing which I should have said in my OP is that she isn't allowed to take nuts into school, so any nutty options won't work (though I might be able to use them at home instead).

I don't think it's an issue with her sense of taste or smell, Graphista, though that's an interesting suggestion. Although she eats pretty much anything now, she was very fussy when she was a little kid. She also seems to detect quite subtle smells (e.g. cucumber). I wonder how we'd even find out if that was a thing?

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