to think a sandwich lunch is a "proper meal"

[SelfconfessedSpoonyFucker]

Teenagers are arguing that it isn't and they should have two hot meals a day.

We have bread and sandwich fixings (lettuce, tomatoes, meat, cheese, peanut butter etc) and fruit. Also beans and eggs that they can have on toast instead if they want. They can have as much sandwich stuff as they want so long as it is fairly balanced... i.e. no just eating five eggs and no veggies or half the fruit in the bowl.

They say it isn't a 'proper meal'.

My argument is that

1. please save the other food for family dinners
   
2. too expensive to eat two big hot meals a day. Two teen boys at home all summer can get very expensive.
   
3. it has the same nutrition... carbs, protein, vitamins, calories etc as a full meal.

[tumbletumble]

YANBU. We nearly always have one sandwich based meal (with maybe some extra bits like sausage rolls) and one hot meal.

[ChuffinAda]

In this heat I'm surprised they want a hot meal

At a push if they've had a hot meal already say they can fix themselves an omelette

[asmallandnoisymonkey]

Of course YANBU! Do they contribute to the food bill? If not then they get what they're given, otherwise they can add some money into a kitty.

A sandwich for lunch and a hot meal is more than enough!

[namechangefortoday543]

Have they been watching the Food Channel ?
Its great my DS enjoys cooking but seriously he would use all the food for dinners up if he had the chance.
Take it or bloody leave it in this house !
Or get a job .

[Peacheykeen]

Yanbu maybe have a bowl of soup with the sandwiches on the side

[tobysmum77]

I think yanbu that a proper meal has to be cooked.

Yabu to assume a cooked meal will be bigger, however.

[noeffingidea]

Of course it's a proper meal. Food doesn't have to be hot to be food. There's no way I'd ever cook twice in one day.

[ThinkIveBeenHacked]

Cant they just whip up a bowl of Super Noodles to have with their sandwich? Or do you have one of those triange toastie makers?

[viva100]

Actually, no, it's not a proper meal. Same number of calories but bread doesn't keep you full. In a lot of countries outside the UK, lunch is a hot meal. If I only have a sandwich for lunch, I'm hungry by 3pm. They're teenage boys and they're telling you they're hungry.

[formerbabe]

Fgs! Give them a meal if they want one! Teenage boys need to eat a lot! Hot food is no more expensive than cold! Boil up some pasta!

[Bonsoir]

I don't think a sandwich is always a proper meal. Fine, however, if it is full of protein and vegetables on good quality bread, and there are some good sides bits and pieces and some fruit to follow.

[00100001]

Greedy gits!

Tell them to cough up the cash to pay for the extra food/electricity costs!

[Ragwort]

Of course it's a proper meal - I frequently have two 'sandwich' type meals - it's the sort of food I love - bread, cheese, cold meats, salad stuff, fruit, crisps - what on earth is wrong with that? It probably has a lot more nutrition that chicken nuggets and oven chips.

viva - presumably if they are 'hungry' they can have extra sandwiches? . Perhaps you have an intolerance to bread? Half a french stick and a load of cheese would fill me up very nicely.

[SaveOurBogBrushes]

How old are they? To all the people asking if they contribute to the food kitty - er did you have 14-15 year olds so that they could pay for their food? If someone's hungry and within a healthy weight range it's probably because they're errr... hungry. That said I hardly ever got cooked lunches during the summer at home and would have fried some eggs etc if I was hungry.

[AdoraBell]

Would they consider a pizza to be a "proper meal" ?

[littlejohnnydory]

YANBU to think sandwiches are an adequate lunch but I don't think a hot meal has to be more expensive than sandwiches. Value pasta is about 30p a bag, as are rice, noodles, etc. Baking potatoes and sweet potatoes are cheap. Are they expecting you to cook it or just expecting to be allowed to cook for themselves? If it's the latter then why not involve them in budgeting and shopping for it? Teenagers are old enough for that responsibility. I'd hate to be told what I have to have for lunch.

[FenellaFellorick]

a sandwich is a perfectly good lunch.

[Ragwort]

This argument has been going on for years on Mumsnet - there is a huge difference between two pieces of mother's pride bread and a bit of jam compared to fresh bread, cold meats, cheese, salad etc etc etc.

[GoodbyeToAllOfThat]

If it's a big crusty wholewheat loaf and some meat/cheese/condiments with pizazz, then fine. A "cut above" kind of sandwich. But then, I have been watching way too much food network.

[LadyCuntingtonThe3rd]

YABU. Sandwich is not a food. It's a snack. Even if it's as big as a house.

[formerbabe]

there is a huge difference between two pieces of mother's pride bread and a bit of jam compared to fresh bread, cold meats, cheese, salad etc etc etc.

Very true but cold meats, decent bread and cheese etc is no cheaper than hot food so why deny them what they want!

[googoodolly]

I think they're telling you they're hungry. Teen boys eat a LOT more than adults and I think they do need more than a sandwich and some fruit to keep them going.

I work on the hot food bit at a supermarket and we get all the college/school kids coming in for their lunch - the amount of food they eat is astonishing. Sharing size doritos, boxes of donuts, bags of cookies, bottles of coke or energy drinks, plus sandwiches or chicken nuggets or a sausage burger (or three!). 95% of them are skinny/healthy weight kids as well. They just need a lot of calories!

[slightlyconfused85]

No way are you being unreasonable. Good quality bread, meats and fruit and veggie is absolutely a meal and they can always have more sandwiches if they are that hungry. Perhaps have soup available too but that's as far as I would go

[Sparklingbrook]

Add chips then it's hot and a proper meal. I think that's what my teens are having for dinner tonight as nobody wants to stand in the kitchen in this heat.

I have been shopping and the larder and fridge/freezer is full so they can have what they like.