The cafeteria for a kid is less of a dining experience and more of a social scene—this is why so many perfectly good sandwiches come back home uneaten. Many children who would eat up said sandwich at home in front of happy parents pretend to turn their noses at it before their friends. Vegetables they like suddenly turn uncool and they reach, instead, for a bag of cookies or chips.

Uneaten lunches amount to wasted resources and nutrients, and who knows what your child is eating instead of your carefully prepared meal?

• Allow your child to choose his or her lunch. Ask for input as to what they’d like to eat and they might surprise you with very doable options. This goes for vegetables, too. Many picky eaters push plates of vegetables away to begin with, but if you ask for input, you might be pleasantly surprised. Your child may prefer broccoli to baby carrots and adding a small container of low-fat vegetable dip with a baggie of fresh veggies might get him/her to actually eat them. The very act of choosing his or her own destiny, er, lunch may make the food more appealing.
• Compromise. Add a home-baked cookie or a bag of baked chips. Even if your child starts the meal off with dessert, he/she will likely realize he/she is still hungry and reach for the main course.
• Relax. There is only so much you can do for your child, and part of growing up is in the difficulties and misadventures we have on our own. Your child may spurn your lunches for a time, but work with him or her so he or she is at least getting necessary nutrients at home.

Bio: Maria Rainier is a freelance writer and blog junkie. She is currently a resident blogger at First in Education, where recently she's been researching different types of mechanical engineering degree programs and blogging about student life. In her spare time, she enjoys square-foot gardening, swimming, and avoiding her laptop.