Ideas for packed lunch for Autistic DS

[JJoy342]

My DS is five and started full time education in a mainstream school, the main issue is that he's so picky with his food that I need help coming up with ideas. He dislikes bread, won't touch it at all, so sandwiches are a no go area, I've resorted to putting turkey slices in a bag, instead of in bread now but at least he'll eat it. Everything has to be cut up , so burgers, fish cutlets, all have to be cut into tiny pieces, even fish fingers are too big for his liking, he doesn't like vegetables but I always put them in his lunch. He has trouble with dipping food into things, so although he likes cheese, he's more likely to pour it all over himself then dip food into it.

So a regular packed lunch for him would be
Plain waffles (which he loves)
Turkey slices (will eat 90% of the time)
cut up meat/fish (depends on his mood)
vegetable or fruit (will always leave)
water (dislikes juice and will only drink milk in the morning)

I desperately need some new ideas.

@ zzzz he eats mainly dry food, waffles, croutons, plain rice, bagel, and we manage to get him to try vegetables and fruit at home but it takes a very long time to get him to finish it, and he'll eat meat such as a burger or a hotdog or fish as long as it's cut into tiny pieces, he needs a lot of pushing to eat in general, so I try to put in things he'll most certainly eat, I looked at a few bentos and I was inspired, thank you so much.

@PolterGoose I do feel a lot better reading about what you put into your sons packed lunch, I was worried about what people would think if I gave him the same lunch more then once a week, so it's nice to know that it's not the end of the world. He dislikes sweet / sour things, so chocolate crepes and cupcakes wouldn't work, although I did try once with cupcakes and was so excited when I realised it was all gone, only to be told the next morning that another kid had eaten it instead.

The yogurt pouches are a brilliant idea, I've found loads with just plain yogurt online, I'm sure he'll love those, thank you.

I completely agree with Polter. Give whatever he will eat in whatever form he'll eat it! My DS has the same lunch every school day! Marmite on toast, a packet of quavers or wotsits, a baby pack of biscuits and water! It was noted on his referral form for assessment, that he has no snacks or no fruit and vegetables! It did make me feel like a crap patent for a minute, but he won't even eat those at home, so there's no way ever that he'd try them at school! I just want him to eat and have energy for the rest of the day basically! It is hard to not worry about what people think, but it gets easier!

Dd3 took pretty much the same lunch to school everyday for 8 yrs!

The only time she had anything different was one yr when she was very settled and she chose to have school dinners 2 or 3 times a week !

I agree with others who have said give him what he will eat!

Also if you get a minute google ARFID avoidant and restrictive food intake disorder!

Good luck

DS is nearly 7. He's got an HFA/Aspergers diagnosis and has this for lunch every day:

Sausage roll or 2 small pork pies
Apple juice (NEVER any other flavour)
2 helpings of fruit - apple, grapes, blueberries, satsuma, rasp/strawberries or banana.

That's it. I would love to send him with homemade couscous salad and veggies with hummus, but as OP said, crap food is better than no food!

Ive down the following- but my ds had to have a high calorie intake simply because he is fussy and his weight was issue once upon a time...
I do big breakfast
Eggs and soldiers
And big tea first thing when he gets home.
Packed lunch contains pretty much the same foods,
Croissant cut up in a zip bag
Cheesey bread twists (ridiculously calorific!)
Crackers with butter
Home made cookie

Ds eats about a third of his lunch box so I'm just glad he's eating calorific items. On weekends we try new food s on plates scattered around no pressure attached whatsoever so if he nibbles, great.
I tend to smuggle veg in spaghetti Bol. No fruit but hey ho apparantly it's not very "vogue" these days anyway