Protein for school lunchbox

[Airworld]

DS(9) is a fussy eater and I’ve been finding it a bit hard to get protein-rich foods into his school lunch, which he has 2-3 times a week, so I’m looking for some ideas for some new foods to include please.

We do have a food flask which he occasionally takes baked beans in. He has yoghurt regularly and school is nut-free of course.

He won’t eat:
Cold chicken no matter how it’s presented (hot is fine)
Eggs - unless poached and dips toast into Spag Bol
Prawns
Tuna - unless in a pasta bake or toasted sandwich (but won’t take either in a flask)
Quiche of any kind - see eggs above

The Paediatrician has just referred him to a dietician who I guess can give ideas, but I expect that will be a long wait. We’ve noticed in the past year that he goes slightly chubby on the stomach then shoots up and slims down again, repeatedly, which the paediatrician said is common in children. However, we still want to focus on protein filling him up more as we’ve noticed his appetite increasing in the last 6 months or so.

I will add that he is tall for his age, and on the higher percentile for weight but is not overweight (all according to the paediatrician before anyone says my child is fat!).

My DD generally has no protein at lunch time Mon - Fri but has a couple of peanut butter sandwiches on the car journey home.

So he's a healthy weight and size and you want to change his diet ?

Western diets tend not to be deficient in protein

Oh FFS, I posted the peanut butter suggestion before I saw your first post.

I would never send in any nut product where it was precluded but whether you like it or not it was not precluded in the 4 different schools into which I sent packed lunches.

The OP will, I am sure, observe any rules wrt her own schools.

And some other products suggested in this thread also sometimes contain nuts.

Mine happily takes leftover dinner in a flask for lunch - noodles, pasta and sauce, curry and rice, soup etc. All include some form of hot protein.

But given this is 3 meals a week, I don't know how stressed I could get if those lunches are relatively low in protein, especially if other meals are relatively high in protein.

I recently found an old cookery book which had been annotated by DS when he was about 7 (now grown up) to indicate acceptable food (those recipes were ticked)!
Could you get a book of what you consider suitable ideas and let your DS choose in a similar way?

Lidl sell high protein yogurt in pts and pouches. Also higher protein cheese.
Have you tried Dairylea type cheese triangles?

If he has a lot of carbs at lunch time he'll be active in the afternoon (either just walking around school or after school) so I wouldn't worry about him having a carb-heavy as opposed to a protein heavy lunch at school to be honest. He'll burn it off.