Packed lunches - am I the boring mean mum?

[rumpleteaserspaws]

I hate doing packed lunches with a passion and am dreading doing them daily when the DCs return to school!
My DC's have had a few days at holiday club over the past three weeks, and I've had to do their lunches for that. They have been complaining (albeit nicely ) about them having a "healthy" lunch, because their HC friends have nicer (so read more sugary) stuff in theirs.

So, I'll tell you the contents and you can tell me if I'm boring;

Sandwich of choice, usually tuna or egg mayo, or cheese w/ tomato or cucumber.

Veg pot - carrot, cucumber, tomatoes.

Piece of fruit, sometimes two.

Squeezy yoghurt of some kind.

A treat type item, either crisps, a club-type of biscuit, mini Soreen loaf.

To me that seems like a perfectly normal packed lunch, mainly healthy but with a bit of fun stuff. We are not a mega healthy household in that they get sweet stuff more often than I'd really like. They certainly aren't deprived of anything. This type of packed lunch is what they'll be getting daily when they return to school, but I can already envisage the complaints I'm going to get, argh!

Same kind of packed lunch I do OP, sounds perfect tbh.

I do pretty much the same as you.

(Just to emphasise, I would normally always contract this task out, so school dinners all the way, but bloody COVID has put paid to that )

So this IS normal, thanks ladies!

I’d add crisps tbh.

when I used to do packed lunches mine were the same.
Sandwiches differed depending now what I bought that week - bread, wraps, flat bagels.
I used to stick in some cocktail sausages in I had some in too.

I'd give crisps in place of fruit. Fewer calories probably, no fruit sugar on teeth. You're already doing a nice veg pot. I'd also lose the messy yogurt.

Sometimes it's nice to fit in with your peers.

That is what about 90% of the children in my school bring for packed lunch. You've included one treat item AND a sweetened yoghurt , they don't need more sugar.

@Teaflake crisps are actually just as bad for teeth because they stick between them, and break down causing decay. At least fruit has fibre and vitamins. If they have cheese after that negates the sugar and acid.

OP the lunch sounds normal and perfectly fine to me

Sounds very similar to lunches here. Only difference is mine get crisps and a treat item.

I'd give crisps in place of fruit. Fewer calories probably,

Unlikely. AlsoX fruit is much better nutritionally.

no fruit sugar on teeth.

Crisps are not any better for your teeth.

You're already doing a nice veg pot. I'd also lose the messy yogurt.

A yoghurt in a tube isn't messy.

Sometimes it's nice to fit in with your peers.

Not at the expense of your actual health

Maybe a few crisps not a whole bag and a biscuit just for variety . Very standard pack lunch really

I think that's a very appealing lunch for most kids! I thought you were going to say you gave them a salad and some lentils!

Mine don't get crisps in their lunch....I do give a yogurt though. Mine have a similar sandwich, yogurt, two pieces of fruit or a fruit salad in a pot....and then I'll add some crackers with dip.

Sounds almost identical to lunch box I sent my DC to holiday club with. I think it sounds perfectly normal.

this sounds normal to me!
A few years ago while Au Pairing when I lived in Australia, I worked for a mum who wouldn't let them have yogurt except as a "special treat" once every couple of weeks.

Their lunch boxes were- sandwich, fruit, carrot/cucumber, these bliss ball things made from dates chia seeds and coconut, and something like unflavoured popcorn or lentil chips. The mum would always ask the kids what their friends had today and would roll her eyes and comment in disgust that they had things like oreos or crisps.. I sometimes wonder what kind of relationship those kids have with food now!

I think this sounds completely normal and very well balanced. I used tog et so upset with my mum because she wouldn't let me have things like lunchables which a lot of my friends had! Maybe that's the type of food your kids are referring to

Where are the hummus and sushi brigade that normally show up on a MN lunchbox thread?!

DD's packed lunch today was
Salami wrap, cucumber, grapes, small but of rocky road and a yogurt
Tomorrow will be
Salami wrap, mango, cucumber, flapjack and yoghurt

So comparable I thank?

Same as DD gets, but she never has crisps , no biscuits, and only one piece of fruit. She's been complaining as "all" the others in her class (so maybe one person) has fairy bread sandwiches for lunch... I am clearly very mean.

@LaureBerthaud

Where are the hummus and sushi brigade that normally show up on a MN lunchbox thread?!

Probably in bed getting a good night sleep before rising early for yoga and green tea?!

My DC have sandwich, crisps, treat bar and two small pots of fruit/raw veg. This covers morning snack, lunch and afternoon break.

However, DD2 doesn't like any sandwich except tuna which she can't have too often so she now has a small thermos flask with pasta with a little olive oil, salt and pepper and a tiny amount of cheese to sprinkle. Coupled with two fruit/veg pots and a sweet treat (like a club or Kit Kat). She adores having pasta, it seems as good as a sandwich and now all her friends have pasta because it's 'cool'.

@LostInTheColonies

Same as DD gets, but she never has crisps , no biscuits, and only one piece of fruit. She's been complaining as "all" the others in her class (so maybe one person) has fairy bread sandwiches for lunch... I am clearly very mean.

Fairy bread?! I haven't seen or eaten that for 30 years!

LostInTheColonies are you in Australia? I lived there for a few years and fairy bread was still such a popular thing! If it's the same type of fairy bread as you're referring to haha. sprinkles on white bread essentially

Sandwich - ham, cheese
Cheese stick
Yogurt
Treat - biscuits, banana bread etc
Juice
Fruit compote

At daycamp the lunches range from vegan salad to jam sandwich and custard creme type lunches

You do what you can

Never ceases to amaze me how much people's children eat for school lunch. Mine always had a piece of fruit for recess and a vegemite sandwich (on good quality low-GI bread) for lunch and a water bottle. They got a lunch order of their choosing, I didn't care how unhealthy, once a month. If more food was added they wouldn't be able to eat it all - and that's from Kindergarten until end of high school. I'm certainly not saying what people give their kids is too much or is bad food, I just can't wrap my head around kids eating that much.

I would give crisps and a treat item.

HoppingPavlova just a sandwich for lunch??
The kids I used to au pair for were 6 and 8 when I started with the family. Recess snack would usually be a piece of fruit, homemade smoothie of some kind and healthy version (as in made with coconut flower or something) of a cake or muffin.

Lunch- sandwich, fruit, veggies, some more organic healthy super food kid type snacks lol I forget what exactly. But rarely did their lunchboxes come back with anyting in them and they were always ravenous after school