Picky Eaters and Bento Box Envy: What I Actually Do to Track What My Kids Will Eat

Have you ever wondered what other moms of picky eaters do to actually figure out what works? Like… beyond just trying to remember it all with your half-functioning, sleep-deprived brain?

Me too. I’m pretty sure I’ve tried Googling that.

I’ve tried the mental list, the sticky notes, the “I’ll totally remember this next time” promise.
Spoiler: I never remember.

So here’s something I’ve done—oddly simple, maybe a little weird, but super helpful.

I started taking pictures of my kids’ lunches and snacks.

Yep. That’s it. Just photos.

Why Photos? Because My Brain Is Full.

Here’s how it works:

• I prep the food (four snacks, two lunches—one for each kid, five days a week… you know the drill).
• I take a quick photo before packing it up.
• Then, when I unpack their lunchboxes after school:
  • If they ate most of it → the photo goes in a “Food Wins” folder on my phone.
  • If it bombed → delete. Move on.

Over time?
That folder has become my personal library of what actually works—no guesswork, no glam shots, no fancy bento boxes that my kids would never touch anyway.

The Picky Eater Folder = Sanity Saver

This isn’t about perfection.
The lunches aren’t cute. The snacks aren’t theme-colored.
And some days it’s literally just a bunch of food that doesn’t get touched.

But now, when I’m staring at the pantry thinking “what do I even pack anymore?!?”
I have a visual library of real-life wins to pull from.
Stuff that’s been tried, tested, and actually eaten.

Why This Works (Even If It’s Not Fancy)

📸 It’s visual – no need to write things down or remember who liked what
🧠 It helps with decision fatigue – especially when you’ve packed 300 meals already this school year
🥪 It keeps me grounded – because seeing your own “wins” helps drown out the guilt that comes with seeing someone else’s kid’s rainbow fruit skewer lunch
✅ It helps me meal plan faster – especially when I’m rotating ideas or grocery shopping

And honestly? It just takes one second.

I Used to Screenshot Other People’s Lunches…

…until I realized I had a lunch library of my own.

I didn’t need to search Pinterest or scroll Instagram.
I needed to look at what my kids actually eat, not what looks pretty online.

Some of the ugliest meals are the most devoured.
Some of the cutest ones come back untouched.
The photos don’t lie.

Mini Coaching Moment: Want to Try It?

You don’t need a system. You don’t need an app.
Just take a photo. That’s it.

Start with one meal this week that your kid actually eats.
Save it. Add to the folder when something works.

Don’t overthink it.
Don’t worry if it’s ugly.
This is for you.

Because the best way to know what your kids will eat…
is to look back at what they already have.

Janel Stewart

Let’s Begin

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