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AIBU?

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Original poster

About the bloody packed lunches?

108 replies

Illbefinejustbloodyfine · 04/07/2025 16:19

I have 2 DC at primary school. One has packed lunch every day, the other 3 times a week. Every day, they eat about 3 bits of sandwich and leave the rest. Or dc2 will leave the crackers

Today he asked for chicken pieces and bread and butter. He also had some cucumber, some Greek yogurt, and a slice of Swiss roll. He left most of the bread. Yesterday left most of the sandwich. Weds left the crackers.

They go straight for a snack when they get home and it drives me nuts to find uneaten sandwickes/crackers/whatever in the lunchbox.

Several times I've said to eat the sandwich first. Yesterday I made a big point of it . Today, dc2 has snuck the uneaten bread into the bin.

Aibu to just give a sandwich and piece of fruit next week? Funnily enough it's never the "treat" that's uneaten.

For context, it's a 1 slice folded in half sandwich. They sometimes have wraps or bagels but do the same with those too.

I'm so fed up of throwing food away.

OP posts:
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Eenameenadeeka · 06/07/2025 10:00

Mine don't like sandwiches in lunchbox either. I do a home made pizza bread, or quesadilla (just ham/chicken and cheese toasted in a wrap.

SunnyFTM567 · 06/07/2025 02:43

My son is too young for packed lunches but I remember I only had a sandwich and a drink in my packed lunch.....you're sending too much.

And even as a grown woman, if I'd packed too many treats alongside a sandwich, I'm not sure which i would eat first....

Enigma53 · 06/07/2025 01:36

Keroppi · 04/07/2025 17:41

  • buy breadsticks individually wrapped or the long ones and snap them. Do some carrot batons too
  • Dollop of cream cheese in a small pot container inside lunchbox or a separate compartment. and hummus too some days
  • boom, homemade dairylea dunkers
Ditch the sandwiches

That looks bloody tasty! Lots of variety minus the soggy sarnies. I might change my lunch time habits now!

sashh · 06/07/2025 01:14

Kazzybingbong · 05/07/2025 11:06

Please can you make me a packed lunch? Sounds wonderful!

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Come over to the cafe

AprilShowers25 · 05/07/2025 12:27

I would put them both on school dinners, your time and money is being wasted on the packed lunch. Let them have school dinner as their proper meal of the day and give them a sandwich for tea when it is freshly made. You will save money on evening meals.

JingsMahBucket · 05/07/2025 11:57

Thanks for the photos @PurplGirl, I’ve saved the photos.

@Illbefinejustbloodyfine I really like the IG account of Lala Lunchbox. She packs be to boxes for her kids and herself. Some of her kids are a bit older now but all her ideas are rather inventive. www.instagram.com/lalalunchbox

starfishmummy · 05/07/2025 11:48

Illbefinejustbloodyfine · 04/07/2025 17:17

Dc2 is now adamant that he "doesn't like" sandwiches. He does, he'd just prefer Swiss roll. I can't decide whether he just needs to suck it up and eat the bloody sandwich/wrap/bagel. Or whether i need to get more creative. He's not having a sodding dairylea dunker 5 days a week!

Honestly, it's nearly end of term, I'd just do it for a week and then see what happens! If he's happy with it and eating a decent range of foods at home it's not going to hurt.

Kazzybingbong · 05/07/2025 11:06

sashh · 05/07/2025 08:07

I'm a fan of bento type lunches. My bento has 5 compartments so I do a carb, a protein, a fruit, a veg and then something else.

Carb could obviously be bread but might be rice or cous cous, crackers or a pasta salad.

I find if I chop fruit or separate it, so for a satsuma peeled and separated I will eat it. If it is a complete piece of fruit for some unknown reason I don't always eat it.

Protein, obviously can be meat or cheese but also egg (shell before packing to limit the smell) chick peas, nuts (obviously that depends on the school policy).

It could also be hummus or a bean salad or guacamole.

Please can you make me a packed lunch? Sounds wonderful!

Kazzybingbong · 05/07/2025 11:05

Food is food. Does it matter what order they eat it in?

Another thing to consider is that some kids don’t like eating in dinner halls. My daughter would always come home having eaten barely a thing. She lost a lot of weight. She’s autistic and really hated eating in the dining room due to sensory overload.

Now she’s home educated, she eats nonstop and has put weight on. Just something to consider.

PurplGirl · 05/07/2025 10:19

JingsMahBucket · 05/07/2025 03:25

@PurplGirl would you mind sharing the recipe for the high fiber blueberry muffins please? Thanks!

Sure! These are my go-to recipes for high fibre/protien. I increase the wholemeal flour (reduce the plain). And brush both with maple syrup as soon as they come out of the oven. They freeze really well.

About the bloody packed lunches?
About the bloody packed lunches?
Summertime62 · 05/07/2025 08:15

Get them to make their own lunch. At 9 my DS use to only take one piece of bread sandwich and a yogurt tube. He actually ate more than if it was a full Lunch box as he would literally take one bite out of everything. He said he was too busy (wanted to go out to play) to eat!

Hes now 11 and eats everything in sight!

sashh · 05/07/2025 08:07

I'm a fan of bento type lunches. My bento has 5 compartments so I do a carb, a protein, a fruit, a veg and then something else.

Carb could obviously be bread but might be rice or cous cous, crackers or a pasta salad.

I find if I chop fruit or separate it, so for a satsuma peeled and separated I will eat it. If it is a complete piece of fruit for some unknown reason I don't always eat it.

Protein, obviously can be meat or cheese but also egg (shell before packing to limit the smell) chick peas, nuts (obviously that depends on the school policy).

It could also be hummus or a bean salad or guacamole.

Bertielong3 · 05/07/2025 07:16

This reply has been withdrawn

This message has been withdrawn at the poster's request

JingsMahBucket · 05/07/2025 03:25

@PurplGirl would you mind sharing the recipe for the high fiber blueberry muffins please? Thanks!

MadCattery · 04/07/2025 23:38

Send crackers with cheese spread or hummus. Mini croissants, and a small container with rolled up turkey or ham slices and a bit of cheese. Or, send chicken or tuna salad. They can stuff it into the croissant, or not. I am here in the US, so I would think a container with slaw, or potato salad, or pasta salad. Egg salad. Using mini croissants or crackers may work better than a slice of bread folded in half. Make your regular sandwich on a tortilla and wrap it, slice into "pinwheels" and it is more tempting for kids. We have little rolls here at Aldi, that make small sandwiches.

Iwishicouldflyhigh · 04/07/2025 23:05

Illbefinejustbloodyfine · 04/07/2025 16:29

They get a "treat to kind of line up with the school dinner dessert. I think you're right though. It's not necessary.

They eat a lot of good healthy food also.

It's more the waste that bothers me.

Also, pretty sure school would have something to say if I sent only Swiss roll and yogurt for lunch 😂

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Mine loved strips of toasted pita and a little pot of hummus x

spoonbillstretford · 04/07/2025 23:01

Cheese or buttermilk scones might go down well too if you are into baking.

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/buttermilk-scones

spoonbillstretford · 04/07/2025 22:57

craigth162 · 04/07/2025 16:30

I'm.not a fan of sandwiches etc in a packed lunch.just my preference. How do they do if you give them for example chicken pieces and maybe a few breadsticks instead.

That's what I thought of. Breadsticks and dip, crackers and cheese. Pasta salad maybe?

Original poster
Illbefinejustbloodyfine · 04/07/2025 22:51

Denimrules · 04/07/2025 22:43

Keep persevering because the weather is hot and appetites fluctuate. I'm actually amazed they haven't cottoned on and thrown the sarnie at school at their ages.

They have to bring all "rubbish" home. Unfortunately for them!

OP posts:
PersephoneSeethes · 04/07/2025 22:48

MikeRafone · 04/07/2025 16:53

thats really interesting - how old is your dc?

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12

PersephoneSeethes · 04/07/2025 22:47

She’s 12

Littlebittiredoflife · 04/07/2025 22:46

If they have leftover lunch they should finish that instead of any snacks after school. Fine in the winter, just add an ice pack in there for the summer.

11811B · 04/07/2025 22:46

I stopped treats a few years ago because they were always eaten but other food left, now mine are older, they still don't always eat everything but can have the rest when they get home and they often don't. They have a few grapes, a selection of veg and a wrap. If they're hungry they eat it and I live with it if they don't on the basis there's nothing bad in there

sowild · 04/07/2025 22:44

I've seen a lot of school packed lunches (primary teacher). I think many parents tend to send far too much. Commonly see a sandwich + several 'sides' (e.g. crisps, and yoghurt, and fruit, and crackers and a treat). Presumably if kids are at home they don't have all that?

Mine just get the same as what they'd get at home - some kind of protein + carb (e.g. sandwich / wrap / pasta / cheese & crackers etc.), fruit & a yoghurt. Always eat most of it.

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