Can’t-miss meals for the picky lunch bunch – Does your kid scoff at typical lunchroom fare? Win over finicky eaters with entertaining and healthful treats

By Jae-Ha Kim
Chicago Sun-Times
August 22, 2001

Let’s face facts. There’s a 50-50 chance that the lunch you pack for your child will actually be consumed by him. She may trade it for a Backstreet Boys poster. Or throw it out and buy a burger instead.

Even more frightening, kids may just stash their lunches somewhere only to be found later by a custodian wondering why the science project is shaped like noodles.

But there is good news for parents.

“Kids will eat healthy things if you present them in a fun way,” says Gina Hammarlund, a nutritionist at Finch University of Health Sciences.

“For small children, I’d suggest decorating sandwiches with smiley faces. It takes no time at all to decorate and gets kids used to good foods.”

As children grow older and more adventurous, encourage them to mix things up a bit, Hammarlund says. Pack a turkey roll-up instead of a ham sandwich. Try giving them a peanut butter and sliced radish sandwich. Crunch and zest gives the sandwich a zingy flavor youngsters adore.

Kids like small treats that remind them of snacks. So stock up on mini bagels, or use cookie cutters to shape their sandwiches into fun, enticing and small shapes.

Let them assemble their own meals. Pack them off with English muffins or small, round crackers, shredded mozzarella, pepperoni, and some spaghetti or tomato sauce and voila! instant, no-cook mini-pizzas. Put the cheese and pepperoni in a thermos to keep from spoiling.

Got a kid who won’t touch an apple or banana? Try serving fruit on small wooden skewers or toothpicks. You’ll be surprised at how much tastier food will seem if it’s fun to look at. The same could be done with vegetables.

Other no-brainer treats include smoothies, which kids can take to school in a thermos. Or you can stuff cocktail-size pita breads with low-fat cheese or hummus. Just don’t tell the kids what hummus is made from, and they’ll think it’s delicious.

If all else fails, trick kids into eating healthy. Add grated celery or carrots to Jell-O and set them in small plastic containers. Kids will be too busy munching to notice they’re actually eating veggies. Or make a stuffed apple by scooping out the core and filling it with peanut butter, cream cheese or any other spread.

Top with raisins or–if you must–chocolate chips.

(Chicago students grade school lunches here.)