Lunchtime for fussy 2.5 DS

[ToddlerTornado]

DS prefers hot meals to sandwiches etc.
At home he would only eat beans on toast, or a jacket potato with beans. Pizza, Pasta etc. At nursery they say he eats sandwiches - he can be hit and miss on whether he eats them.

At home any sandwich I make is refused, even something as basic as Dairy lea. He refuses before trying mostly and pushes it away! So on weekends he tends to only eat beans on toast at lunch & then at dinner I cook a fresh hot meal .

It is very limiting if we want to go out and bring lunch with us!!

Any ideas on how to encourage him, he is very strong willed!
Iv given in and made another lunch. Is this where I’m going wrong?

My son hated sandwiches for lunch, he didn't consider them a proper meal!

So I used to take plain pasta with me when we were out which is easy enough to use later if uneaten.

Try a different type of bread?
Bagel? Crumpet? Let him choose.
Crackers and cheese?
Let him 'help' you make the sandwiches?
Use a biscuit cutter to cut the sandwiches into interesting shapes?
Cold pasta salad?

But yes, if you give in and give him the beans on toast when he refuses what you gave him first, it’s asking for trouble.

Hmm this is tricky as I never make alternative meals but that being said I also don't expect my children to eat something that I know they genuinely don't like. That only really goes for things I know they've tried though and still don't like it. So I'm a bit torn on this.

As PP said will he eat bagels/crumpets/toasties anything else similar? Marmite, or peanut butter? You can buy PB with hardly any sugar in but it still tastes sweet? If he has a sweet tooth. PB and banana is a good filling/topping.

Pancakes? Savoury pancakes?

Quiche? We buy them from the shops and often we take them on picnics and eat cold. Or I make little crustless ones from a start for life recipe and often take them on picnics too, very portable.

Falafel? Halloumi? Breadsticks with dips/PB?

Other cold mezze type things?

Boiled eggs also easy to take on picnics. If he will eat bread separately could just do that with some bread and butter. Same for slices of cheese and just have them separate?

Don’t ever make an alternative. Like others have said there is a plethora of alternatives to try but if he refuses a meal, you can safely assume he’s not hungry and let him get down when you’ve finished eating.