Don't fight this battle. Focus on what you can feed them at home. Send a chocolate milk, protein bar, and bagel to lunch. Add an apple or a bag of chips if they want more. Or leftover pizza. Homemeade protein muffins are a good add on. It's OK to send the same thing every day. And it does not have to be healthy so much as it just needs to have protein and calories.

Whatever your child is willing to eat. I couldn’t get DD w ADHD to eat lunch in middle and HS. I tried everything. I think eating anything is better than nothing.

My ADHDer isn't that hungry for lunch. He likes yogurt, protein bar, and some fresh fruit, usually strawberries or blueberries.

Anonymous wrote:My kids hate when foods touch so I got them the Rover bento boxes from PlanetBox. The kids don’t like having to take out for the metal detectors, but I find that my kids eat a larger portion of their lunch. I pack all easy stuff. A chopped fruit, a chopped vegetable, a cheese, a protein or sandwich, and a small cookie. Water in a bottle.

I should specify that we’re dealing with Autism, not ADHD, if that makes a difference.

My kids hate when foods touch so I got them the Rover bento boxes from PlanetBox. The kids don’t like having to take out for the metal detectors, but I find that my kids eat a larger portion of their lunch. I pack all easy stuff. A chopped fruit, a chopped vegetable, a cheese, a protein or sandwich, and a small cookie. Water in a bottle.

We have similar struggles with my son whose appetite is impacted during the day.

I have no way of ensuring he even eats lunch at school. Honestly, I just bake cookies and send those to school and he also eats graham crackers. Not nutritious, but the cookies are homemade with high quality ingredients and are minimally processed at least, and are densely caloric.

At home I have more oversight into what he eats for breakfast and in the evening. Usually some picky dinner (pasta is a safe food) and then a big snack before bed.

Send them something they like or they won’t eat. True of my ARFID kid, true of my regular picky kid, true of 90 percent of their friends when I volunteer at school lunch. Public school cafeterias are unbelievably overwhelming.

If you are good with them basically not eating that’s a choice you can make. Otherwise send a flavored milk, sliced fruit and crackers plus yep some sugar. We do a lot of healthier muffins and string cheese. Obviously if I had a magic wand they would happily eat many other things but I prefer for them to eat SOMETHING

We do leftovers in an insulated bowl a lot. Pasta, salmon, Mac n cheese…. Have some pizza and grilled cheese but these did not travel as well.

Flavored kefir - lower sugar option compared to most drinkable yogurts

With a kid who isn’t hungry due to meds, getting something with calories and protein in a few bites is priority. If that means a sugary whole milk Greek Yogurt or skyr, or home made or some Just Bare nuggets I am good with that. Work on variety and vegetables when the meds are in full force and the environment is less distracting.

bagel w/ cream cheese
mini naan and hummus

Neurodivergent kids don't all like the same thing as each other... but they often like to eat the same thing over and over. At least, that is my experience.

I mean I don't think chicken nuggets are the worst thing. Send them with fruit, maybe some cheese, adn on fridays a sugar treat.

What do you want them to eat?

Send that.

DS in middle school going to private - must bring lunch. DD in elementary school who will no longer eat in cafeteria. Need some good lunch ideas that are not peanut butter (nut allergies), ham sandwiches, chips and fruit. DS has access to microwave, so it is a bit easier to pack for him, but DD is picky, picky. Both, if left to their own devices would eat chicken nuggets and sugar. Clearly not the right option. I'm struggling for ideas. If there is something your neurodivergent kids enjoy for lunch, let me know.

Signed, Drained and Idealess Mama of ADHDx2