Help! My Kid Won’t Eat Their Packed Lunch.

Few things are as disappointing as your kid coming home with a still-full lunch box at the end of the school day.

My little brother was an extremely picky eater. Throughout elementary school, he left sandwiches untouched, soup still hot in its thermos — and salad (pasta, potato or plain green) never stood a chance. Eventually, my mother walked a hot lunch over to him: pork chops, baked potatoes, plain pasta and chicken thighs.

According to the experts we spoke with, it’s not just my siblings bringing home their uneaten bento box every day. Skipping lunch is fairly typical. Crystal Karges, a registered dietitian nutritionist in San Diego, shared, “[Refusing lunch] is more common than you might think, especially for neurodivergent children, who may struggle with the standard lunchtime schedule in school settings, leading them to eat less at school. However, just because it’s common doesn’t mean it’s the norm for your child.”

Here’s what the experts recommend.

Picky Eater Or Distracted Diner?

Whether it’s an Instagram-worthy heart-shaped pizza made with English muffins with crinkle-cut fruit and veggies or a plain ham-and-cheese sandwich, when your kid brings it back uneaten, it’s hard not to blame the lack of enthusiasm on the meal. But not so fast, said Sarah Remmer, a registered dietitian and founder of The Centre for Family Nutrition in Calgary, Canada, who explained that your cooking might not be the problem.