Your question:
My son is a very picky eater. He does not eat bread or peanut butter and jelly. He won't eat most meats. Packing his lunch is no fun. It's chicken nuggets or chicken soup. I need ideas for lunches that do not need to be heated, per his daycare. He lives on chicken nuggets and yogurt and cereal. The only veggies he eats is carrots, and that is very rarely.
The expert answers:
You are in good company. Just about every child goes
through the picky eater stage and just about every parent
worries their child will be malnourished.
Relax. A recent study out of Finland looked at 500 picky five year olds and found their diets were not that different than kids described as "good eaters."
The picky eaters ate a little less fiber and calcium. The biggest difference was when the picky eaters ate most of their calories -- at snack time. So, take advantage of those rare moments when your child actually feels like eating something and make it nutritious.
Another take home message: Kids are more likely to try new foods when they have participated in the preparation (help in the kitchen) or even the production of it (try a family garden). And, offering a new food several times in a row without pressure (or reward) is more likely to lead to acceptance of a new food.
As for what to do when your child needs to bring a cold lunch to school, here are some tips;
Sources of protein:
- Peanut butter, mixed nuts, Nutella spread
- Soybeans (edamame)
- Egg salad
- Boiled egg
- Chicken salad
- Hummus
- Rice pudding (made with eggs)
Sneaky sources of vegetables:
- V-8 Splash (made of carrot juice)
- Pumpkin butter (found in the jelly section)
- Veggie lasagna
- Carrot and cream cheese rollups (in tortillas)
Other cold food items:
- Potato pancakes dipped in apple sauce
- Granola and yogurt
- Chilled fruit soup (essentially a smoothie)
- Anything dipped in ranch dressing (broccoli, carrots)
- Make your own pizza (crackers, shredded cheese, pepperoni)
Remember, you can only set up the right environment for good nutrition. Let your child decide whether or not to eat and how much.
About the author: Ari Brown, MD, FAAP, is an award-winning pediatrician and the coauthor of Baby 411: Clear Answers & Smart Advice for Your Baby's First Year (Windsor Peak Press, 2003). Brown graduated magna cum laude from the University of Texas at Austin with a bachelor's degree in child development. After receiving her medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine, she completed her pediatric residency at Harvard Medical School/Boston Children's Hospital. She performed additional fellowship training in developmental and behavioral pediatrics at Harvard Medical School under the tutelage of acclaimed pediatrician, T. Berry Brazelton, MD. She is board-certified and a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. In private practice since 1995, Brown is a partner at Capital Pediatric Group in Austin, Texas. She teaches monthly prenatal and baby care classes, and volunteers with the Texas Pediatric Society, promoting children's health issues through political advocacy. A widely quoted baby expert in such media as Wall Street Journal and American Baby, Brown is an official spokesperson for the Texas Medical Association. She was named "Outstanding Young Professional" by her university's alumni association, and received the prestigious "Profiles in Power Award" from the Austin Business Journal for her professional excellence and community service. She is married and the mother of two children. She lives in Austin, Texas.For more from the experts on child health and wellness, click here.
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