Packed Lunches for School suggestions from the Food Standards Agency :)

[MrsBigD]

I've been wrecking my brain on what to put in dd's lunchbox who's just started reception without it being too repetitive... and found this site .

don't think dd would eat half of the stuff listed but I'll get some inspiration from it anyhow

also am rather surprised at the amount of 'flavoured' drinks they suggest. I'm all for ribena bottles and capri sun , but flavoured water? Squash is so much cheaper

[alison222]

At Ds's school they aren't allowed fizzy drinks and anything other than water milk fruit juice is heavily discouraged

I wish I coujld get DS to eat the "salady" stuff but its a non starta. As for COLD pizza well.......

I did send in soup in a flask last winter though and will do so again this winter

[crunchie]

blimy I think half that stuff wouldn't pass the health police!!

week 1 -
currant bun/pack of chocolate coated sponge cakes!
flavoured milk/flavoured water
slice deep pan pizza
peanut butter (barred from almost every school)

week 2
dreid fruit and nuts
packet of crisps
chocolate flavoured milk
chocolate muffin (on the same day as crisps and chocolate milk!)


week 3
2 packs crisps
pack plain popcorn (not too bad)
chocolate milkshake
peanut butter again
flavoured water (just because it is water doesn't mean it hasn't go loads of sugar/sweetners)

week 4 (I think they started to get 'healthy')
only 1 pack crisps
nuts and currents (again banned)
fizzy flavoured water.

TBH if that is what the government are saying is healthy lunches, then our kids are all deprived!!! No wonder Jamie dispairs. When the government suggest a healthy lunchbox contains (in one day) Mixed veg and rice salad, low fat crisps, chocolate muffin, chocolate milkshake!!

Who wants to complain to the food standards people!!

[MrsBigD]

yeah I found it a bit weird that the food standards authority would 'allow' so much junk.

I'm a 'bad' parent when it comes to giving kids chocolate muffins etc. though they don't like flavoured milk all that much. DH has just got dd hooked on coke spiders and I could kill him. Saying that it's good leverage to get her to eat all of her dinner

So you see, mine are allowed junk but on the other hand they do love tomatoes, cucumber, strawberries, pitta, houmous, cheese etc.

Wondering why you 'ban' dried fruits/nuts? Simply because of allergy issues with other kids?

[Saturn74]

And someone has probably been paid a fortune from public money to come up with all these 'menus' .......

[alison222]

Peanut and nut allergies are the worst I think for causing alaphylactic shock if even touched by some people, so schools ban them for all children. Ours aren't allowed them at school in their lunchboxes, or sweets,chocolate fizzy drinks or chocolate. dried fruit however is fine.

[crunchie]

Personally I wouldn't ban fruit and nuts, but a lot of schools do, so I am supried to see them here that's all. I give dd raisins everyday as she doesn't eat fruit. Most of these lunches manage at best 1 portion of your 5 a day. I try to make sure they have 2 or 3

[MrsBigD]

personally I haven't made up my mind yet whether to give dd packed lunches or pay for her to have school lunches... she can be quite finicky when it comes to food so 'hate' the thought of paying for something she might or might not eat iykwim.

So when I found the site I thought... great some good suggestions and was badly let down I think. The stuff they're listing I could have come up with myself... so anybody wants to draw up a 'healthy' menue for me?

btw caught a 'you are what you eat' the other day and that woman that's putting people through their paces to better their diet was a bit too extreme for my liking. No junk AT ALL!? c'mon! we're not saints

[MrsBigD]

found another site

Still those low fat crisps keep sneaking in

[PrettyCandles]

I put ds down for school lunches precisely because he's a finicky eater. When he had packed lunches at nursery he insisted on cheese and cucumber sandwiches every single time. At least now he gets a variety of dishes, and has even tried a few new things (it's easier when others are eating the same things). After having seen his classmates eating strawberries for nearly a whole term, he finally tried them and realised that he likes them. Similarly raw carrots. Success!

[christie1]

I actually thought it wasn't bad. IT was a balanced lunch, or at least realistic striking a balance between healthy and also appealing to kids. I would take issue with the fizzy/sugary drinks each day. I would send plain milk and good old fashioned water and juice a couple of times a week. All those drinks are high in calories. I don't mind sticking a few biscuits in a lunch as long as they eat the healthy portion too. It also assumes to kids are getting exercise so a few biscuits will get burned off. Unfortunately, some kids don't get the exercise and come home from school and load up on more junk.

[MrsBigD]

PrettyCandles, good point re school lunches... I think I'll check if any of dd's little friends are having packed or school lunches...