"For Rebecca Zeitlin, packing her 5-year-old son's school lunch is always full of surprises. Offer him a peanut butter and jelly sandwich at home and he won't touch it. But pack it in his lunch with fruits, vegetables and a small treat and he'll dive in. He will "chow down" on applesauce at preschool parties. But if she served him applesauce at home, "he'd look at me like I was crazy," Zeitlin said."
"For parents of children 5 and under, navigating school lunch can be challenging. Colorful videos fill TikTok and Instagram showing off creatively shaped sandwiches and neatly cut vegetables laid in bento box-like containers. Lunch box styles can make a difference, influencers advise, as they share school-friendly recipes. It's easy for parents to worry that they got it wrong when a child returns home with uneaten food, said Anet Piridzhanyan, a clinical dietitian at Children's Hospital Los Angeles."
Young children often eat foods at school that they refuse at home; presentation, context, and small treats can make the same items more appealing. Starting kindergarten introduces different lunchtime dynamics than small preschools where teachers monitored eating, prompting parents to adjust packed lunches and plan familiar go-tos such as chicken nuggets, pasta, fruits and small treats. Social media and influencers promote creatively styled lunches and lunch-box formats, increasing parental attention to presentation. Clinical dietitians note that distraction, excitement, and overwhelming new routines can reduce intake, and uneaten food does not necessarily mean a child dislikes it.
Read at Boston Herald
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