Back to school and the picky eater

There are so many things associated with the angst of going back to school. From friends, to bullies, to teachers, to stimuli - it can all be overwhelming for not just our kiddos, but definitely for us, as the caregivers. Layer picky eating on top of that and sending your kid out the door in the morning can make you question whether they will actually get the nutrition they need to be successful during the day.

When my son was in brick-and-mortar school, I tried some of the well-known tricks: cute faces on bananas, little notes like "eat the carrots, they won't kill you", sandwiches cut in shapes or with cut-outs. Success was hit and miss. I then tried something new. I'm not going to assert it was a screaming success, but it had its moments: I created a "first-then" PECS card system in his lunch box.

On the inside of the lid I drew two columns and labeled them "first" and "then". I took pictures of his typical lunch choices: granola bars, fruits, veggies, sandwiches, chips, a sweet, etc., and laminated them. I backed them with Velcro and affixed corresponding Velcro squares to the columns in the lid. When I packed his lunch, I included PECS of each item in columns according to a first-then system: first eat a banana, then you can eat an Oreo. Did it mean he ate all of the healthier choices? Absolutely not. But I was able to see that on most days, he did consciously make a decision that included a balance - no matter the order.

It can also be a great way to help kids choose their own lunches by choosing the PECS the night before. Nutritionists suggest that giving picky eaters choices creates more buy-in to try new things and to eat what they have chosen. You provide the parameters, for example, 2 or 3 from a healthier category, one from a treat category. To teach your child more about nutrition, you can create several categories representing the food groups.

If nothing else, I found that it stopped the calls from school saying that he only wanted to drink chocolate milk and eat cookies at lunch because at least they saw I was trying! Sometimes that is the best we can accomplish!

Hope you find this helpful and would love to hear your takes on school meals and your picky eater. Much luck and success in the start of your school year!