How to Get Your Child to Eat Healthy Lunches at School

Go over the cafeteria menu together and get input from your child about his likes and dislikes., Ask your child what an ideal meal is like and what he would normally choose to eat., Plan the menu with your child for the week., Refrain from taking...

5 Steps 1 min read Medium

Step-by-Step Guide

  1. Step 1: Go over the cafeteria menu together and get input from your child about his likes and dislikes.

    Focus on healthy food choices that he selects and praise him about those selections.

    Do not speak excessively about his negative food choices.

    Instead, help him to expand on his good choices and to replace unhealthy options with healthy ones. , By planning the menu in advance, your child will be less likely to make a rash decision about what to have for lunch and he will be more likely to remember what you told him to eat for that day. , Banning all of your child’s favorite foods can actually do more harm than good.

    Banning foods completely sets the stage for an obsession with those foods, which can lead to your child sneaking those foods and overindulging later on.

    Instead of having a strict, no chocolate chip cookie policy, allow him to have those cookies once in a while.

    By doing this, your child will see that you are not trying to punish him or take away all of his favorite foods. , It is important to find out if the school offers cookies, ice cream or other treats and when these treats are offered so that you can plan around them.
  2. Step 2: Ask your child what an ideal meal is like and what he would normally choose to eat.

  3. Step 3: Plan the menu with your child for the week.

  4. Step 4: Refrain from taking away every item that your child likes.

  5. Step 5: Inquire about what unhealthy options your child’s school offers as well.

Detailed Guide

Focus on healthy food choices that he selects and praise him about those selections.

Do not speak excessively about his negative food choices.

Instead, help him to expand on his good choices and to replace unhealthy options with healthy ones. , By planning the menu in advance, your child will be less likely to make a rash decision about what to have for lunch and he will be more likely to remember what you told him to eat for that day. , Banning all of your child’s favorite foods can actually do more harm than good.

Banning foods completely sets the stage for an obsession with those foods, which can lead to your child sneaking those foods and overindulging later on.

Instead of having a strict, no chocolate chip cookie policy, allow him to have those cookies once in a while.

By doing this, your child will see that you are not trying to punish him or take away all of his favorite foods. , It is important to find out if the school offers cookies, ice cream or other treats and when these treats are offered so that you can plan around them.

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J

Jason Rivera

Writer and educator with a focus on practical pet care knowledge.

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