Suggestions consist of:

• Your child may have a problem with their lunchbox. Talk to them and offer other options to take their lunch in such as paper or plastic bag, or they may want to be like their friends and have fashionable lunch boxes. Peer pressure may be a reason for your child coming home with most of their lunch.
• Make sure you are putting foods in your child's lunchbox that they actually like. Get your child to write a list of foods they like and foods that they would eat at school to make it easier for you to pack their lunch.
• Discuss your child's food choices. If they choose nothing but 'junk food', see if you can compromise a suitable solution.
• Get your child to help you make up their lunch every day - involving them when you go shopping and when you are making their lunch may encourage them to eat it.
• Prevent boredom by making a different lunch every day.
• If your child's desire to eat is small, offer smaller servings.
  For instance, half a sandwich might be more suitable than a whole one.
• Ensure the foods are convenient and easy to eat. Some children are put off by hard to open wrapping or getting sticky hands. Fruit can be made easier to eat. For example, remove orange peelings before placing it in your child's lunch box or try cutting a kiwifruit in half and placing a spoon in their lunch box with it for your child to scoop out the inside of the kiwifruit.
• If your child does not eat much of their lunch despite your best efforts, try to at least ensure they have a nutritious breakfast and dinner.

A little bit of 'junk' every now and then is perfectly okay as long as your child's overall diet is healthy.

For more Nutritional Ideas please check out the GKA Recipes Section for some HOT ideas or alternatively e-mail us for more information.