Packed lunch advice for kids!

[Marnieloves]

I’ve just started sending my kids with packed lunches and I’m unsure about how much is a reasonable amount of food. We live abroad and everyone eats hot cooked meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner so I have nobody to compared to! I’m not sure if my kids are eating too much or not enough?

They LOVE whole-wheat wraps so I’ve put them in - normal fillings, chicken salad, egg salad, tuna salad, and so on. They are 4 and 6 and can easily devour 2 wraps each. They would love 3, but that feels like far too much and I doubt they’d eat the rest of their lunch if I gave 3. I don’t send wraps every day because I feel bad that they’re an UPF. Sometimes I’ll send a quinoa salad or a pasta salad instead, but the wraps are their favourite. How often a week do you think it’s okay to eat wraps?

I also put in a small bag of mixed nuts and seeds, a yoghurt, a piece of fruit (as well as an extra fruit for their mid-morning snack), some chopped veg (usually carrots or cucumber) with a little tub of hummus or another dip.

Have I missed anything important? Does the portion size sound too big or too small for a child of 4 and 6? Does anyone have any good recommendations for nice pasta salads or any other lunchbox fillers I could add?

I’m aware I’m probably overthinking this but I just want to be sure that I’m giving them the healthiest possible option and need a bit of reassurance as nobody else here eats packed lunches so I’m doubting myself by not seeing what they have!

Thank you so much!

Many schools have a no nuts policy. Worth checking.

Re: wraps you are massively overthinking. Buy better quality ones with less additives if it makes you feel better and let them have them in their lunch as often as they fancy. It’s a perfectly healthy option.

What you’re sending sounds like quite a lot (purely because usually kids are pushed for time or too busy playing around to eat very much!) but it’s all nutritious and balanced, if the current portion size works for your DC then leave it be.

DD’s lunchbox mains (lifelong sandwich hater!) were usually on a rotation of:
Chicken pesto pasta salad with peppers and spinach
Tuna, mayo + sweetcorn pasta salad
Hummus, pitta + crudités
Chicken Caesar wrap or salad
Various soups/stews in a flask (minestrone, tomato, vegetable etc) usually with baguette slices or breadsticks
Cheese, ham + crackers

Always also had a piece of fruit on the side and a snack for break time like pretzels, rice cakes, banana bread, pain au chocolat sort of thing. Usually a yoghurt too.

If you can get them Crosta and Mollica wraps are not an UPF

2 wraps sounds fine. If they are eating all of the food you provide and are a healthy weight then they’re eating the right amount.

Are they allowed nuts? Schools in the uk have a no nuts policy due to allergies.

Tbh I think you’re massively overthinking. The lunches sound great, let them eat wraps. My autistic kids will only eat ham sandwiches! If they eat I’m happy. 🤷🏻‍♀️.