Packed lunches

[Arkarian]

Sorry I think this is in the wrong thread but I can't find where to put it. My DS Is in Reception and is an incredibly fussy eater. He throws his packed lunch away or just brings it home untouched. He's not dropped some weight going from 2stone 4 to 2stone 2. I'm looking for packed lunch ideas I don't think there are anymore but you sometimes don't think of something until it's pointed out.
He will not eat any sandwich, pasta, salad, wraps, pitta breads, breadsticks, cocktail sausages or anything that has a dip like a dunkers or lunchables pack.
I have tried different fillings and left them plain.
Out of his packed lunch he will eat his yogurt and carrot sticks. Occasionally he will eat his sweet treat but that's hit and miss too.
At home he is incredible fussy and will only eat mash and gravy, and toast. I've been to many doctors and always been told to stop worrying, it's a phase.
However with him not eating all day at school it's obviously impacting his mood and energy levels.
School dinners are not an option as he just waits until enough time ha passed that he can leave.
Please any little gem ideas anybody has will be greatly appreciated.

There have been occasions in which he has eaten his lunch in the classroom with his teacher at the start of the year as he would cry. I have expressed my concerns but they are very understaffed at lunch time and his teacher needs to have a break herself which of course I understand.

Will he eat eggs in any form? Pancakes,cereal?
Will he eat the mash cold?

Have you been referred to a dietician? Sometimes they will prescribe shakes for children so they can keep getting calories.

I know what a nightmare it can be. I cried the first time DD had a happy meal because she finally ate "real" food.

Could you not send him with mash and gravy in a thermos lunch flask?

No he won't eat eggs. Tried in all different ways. I have never tried the mash cold tbh probably because I wouldn't eat it cold it's never occurred to me to offer it cold. That's an idea thank you for that.

No the doctors have said he doesn't need one because he's developing and isn't tired all the time. They told me to wait until he is weighed at the end of the school year by the nurses that come in and see what happens.

He used to eat cereal but won't touch it now. Saying that he will very occasionally eat those mini weetabix things dry. I could try sending some of them in!

My husband is nipping out tonight to get a thermos flask from Asda to give it a try thank you for the suggestion.

What does he eat in the school holidays?

Have you tried asking the school if it would be ok to send him in with noice cancelling earphones? Sometimes lunch halls can be really noisy and off putting, as can be the food other children are eating,the way they are eating it,the smells etc.

What are the seating arrangements in the hall? Could he sit at an end table facing a wall and just a few children rather than everyone?

Mash gravy and his peas and sweet corn in a thermos flask. Get him to eat out of it at home first a few times so it doesn't seem alien to him.

You can put a little individual butter block in and teach him how to put it on the mash himself.

Will he eat beans or spaghetti or anything like that? Spaghetti hoops with bread and butter?

Doreen with butter on might work or banana chips and raisins?

Erm...Soreen . You could try and butter Doreen but I doubt she'd thank you for it

Different tack, maybe worth watching cbeebies 'what's on your plate' and getting him to make lunch for everyone at the weekends? Build up an interest?

In the school holidays he tends to eat the same thing. Occasionally he has surprised us by trying something a bit different. This would roughly be his day
Toast (one slice) or those mini weetabix dry.
Mash gravy and veg
Mash gravy and veg for tea (usually offer him new foods for this meal as his appetite it normally bigger but he tends not to like it)
Jaffa cakes or ice cream afterwards.

He used to eat beans and would dip his toast in but not eat them. However now he won't eat them.

Yes I'll try it at home first :) going to try him with some rice first and I'll try the thermos at home for a few days.

The dinner hall is nursery, reception and year one go in straight away and then classes from the next year groups are called in on a rota then taking basis. They sit on long tables and choose who they sit next to so he usually sits with the same three people from his class and one child from the other reception class.

I've never heard of that CBeebies programme but I'll absolutely give that a go thank you so much!

Be careful with the thermos flask. Especially him only being little. Those things can scald!

If he likes mash, I used to make cold mashed potato into croquettes shapes, sometimes with a bit of tuna mixed in (but not enough to really notice) and fry or bake (with or without breadcrumbs). DS would often eat them cold for lunch. Would he eat the mashed potato with some sweet potato mashed in too?
Sympathies - I have a fussy eater too and spent years going to dietitians who were never able to do anything. On the plus side, DS still eats a very limited diet but it does now cover the main food groups and I can usually find something for him to eat cold or hot, so hang in there, there is hope that he will slowly eat more over time.

It's pretty good! They have a host kid who prepares food for 3 mates. Often there's a cultural twist. They start with an ingredient that none of the 3 mates like. The host kid turns it into a 'traditional' meal. The host kid sets out an elaborately decorated table and the guests arrive, eat the meal and inevitably really enjoy it! It's on iplayer. So your lad could pick an ingredient, mum or dad help him cook a meal with it and set the table with decorations, serve it to the rest of the family. Could be a weekend thing.

Thank you it is a nightmare isn't it! So very worrying too! Sweet potato is an absolute no haha. He won't even entertain the mash if there's no gravy!

I'll definitely be giving this a go thank you so much!

What about crackers or these french toast things that are more like a round of crispy toast groceries.asda.com/product/crispbreads-thins/asda-french-toast/910001922856

My DD likes mini wraps smeared with butter and folder in quarters, won't eat a sandwich in her packed lunch but loves that.

He doesn't like crackers he says and I quote "they are too crunchy crispy"

My ds (6) is really fussy (autism) lives on pasta bolognaise or Nutella porridge at home or a pack lunch, that's about as wide of a variety as it gets, but then I don't like giving him pack lunch for school and then again for his tea but sometimes needs must if he's not eating which he regularly doesn't.

His pack lunch he has bag of breadsticks, chopped grapes, a soreen fruit loaf, go ahead bar, activia yoghurt and penguin biscuit, every single day.

He lived on Heinz spaghetti hoops for 2 years, tin for dinner, tin for tea, piece of toast and a satsuma for breakfast and not much else. So I should be greatful he's branches out a little

Does he take vitamins? Oddly Ds doesn't mind taking those. At the minute we have haliborange mr men chewies.

You most definitely have my sympathy!

Sorry if someone has already suggested it as I haven't RTFT. But what about one of those kids sized Thermos flasks, and putting mash, gravy, peas and sweetcorn in? If that is what he eats at home?

Just to reassure you, I was an absolute nightmare as a child and I've made it to adulthood alive and well! I became vegetarian at 6 but wouldn't eat any fruit and hardly any vegetables. My poor parents. I ate potato waffles with cheese and peanut butter on toast and they were my main meals for ages.

I remember packed lunch being an issue well into junior school as I wouldn't eat sandwiches so my mum made up sort of mini sandwiches from mini-cheddars and a little slice of cheese in between each one. I'd have a few of those, a kit-kat and a packet of crisps. Ah the 80s! I know you said he wouldn't eat crackers but would cheddars work?

Have you tried (as perhaps a one week trial) just feeding him whatever you eat for dinner, not commenting on whether he eats it or not, and if he doesn't eat it theres nothing else? After an hour just take away his plate. Dont get emotional or angry. Just a cheerful dinner time is over, up you get. Same with packed lunches. Dont overthink it, pack a sandwich, some fruit, and a yoghurt. Don't comment on whether its eaten or not, or how much. It might sound harsh, but taking away the attention and focus on his meals and his slowness eating might help. After all trying to cater to his food fancies hasnt worked and isnt going to provide him with a balanced diet. It must be horrible watching a child pick at food and lose weight, but I think you need to try something new. When he's hungry enough he will eat. And he will have to eat what you give him.

I was also really skinny but somehow never iron deficient?!

Sorry I have read now and see that you are trying a flask. I will say, I think a Thermos Funtainer would be much safer and easier to eat out of than an adult flask. Amazon have them on a deal quite regularly, I got one a few months ago for £9.99 and saw them in the deal of the day last week.

When he's hungry enough he will eat

Except some kids won't.
Hopefully OP's son is not one of them .