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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To hate pack lunches

32 replies

maGicGift · 30/03/2011 15:50

AARRRHHHH I hate pack lunches, whatever I pack they seem so boring, I dont like to put sweet things in, just the occasional treat but after doing them for 2 years I'm done with it, although I'm not switching to school dinners because they are a bit pricey.

I tend to do sandwich, 2 pieces of fruit, yoghurt, sometimes a treat - biscuit, cereal bar etc, oh and sometimes a cheese stick.
About once or twice a week I do a cold pasta type thingy.

Whats in your pack lunch?

OP posts:

Ormirian · 30/03/2011 15:51

2 years? 2 years! Try 10 years before you moan

I hate them too but for 3 DC school lunches are too pricey every day.

PortBlackSandwitch · 30/03/2011 15:55

Sandwich, fruit, crisps, pack of raisins, small choc bar every day....

....Sausage rolls, scotch eggs, cold pasta or mini sausages on occasion.

PortBlackSandwitch · 30/03/2011 15:57

Sometrimes we vary what DS2 has in his sandwich - but DS1 has to have jam every day

Tis one of the most monotonous parts of the day i agree....

GrimmaTheNome · 30/03/2011 15:58

The pedant in me is screaming packed lunch

My DD rarely has to have them, only if she's got a lunchtime club. She won't eat an actual sandwich so typically its some bread (homemade wholewheat pitta or bagel if she's lucky; 3 slices of milk loaf if not); then some sort of cheese (string, baby bel etc) and a mini peperami or one of those mattesons chicken stick things. Some fruit, all slung in a bag because she never brings boxes home.

That makes your lunches sound better, doesn't it?

Original poster

maGicGift · 30/03/2011 15:58

My daughter likes tuna sandwiches, the fridge/kitchen stinks of the bloody stuff for days, nice...

OP posts:

Bearcat · 30/03/2011 15:59

So glad don't have to do them anymore (must be 8 years now) and were able to get rid of those 2 big boxes and various drinks containers that took up a whole bloody shelf in one of my kitchen cupboards. Not to mention retrieving them from rucksacks and having to empty the detrius and clean them out!

Original poster

maGicGift · 30/03/2011 16:00

lol Grimma, I thought it didnt look right! I usually say pack up but thought I'd get slated for using an americanism, pitta is a good idea, its on the shopping list!

OP posts:

longislandicetea · 30/03/2011 16:08

Hummous and bread sticks, cold pasta salads (pesto pasta always works well), hard boiled eggs, cheese straws (the pastry kind), cold chicken nuggets, hot cross buns, scones, little sausages, scotch eggs, sausage rolls, yogs, cold pizza slices, mini quiche,fruit or fruit cocktail in a small tub, cold chicken drum sticks and crackers with cheese

Hope this helps. Was a nanny before I had DS so been doing P.Lunches for nearly 15 years! I feel your pain

thinkingkindly · 30/03/2011 16:17

I bought a small thermos flask so DD can have hot pasta (with butter or pesto) plus a small pot of Parmesan. Also do cucumber and carrot sticks or celery, apple, yogurt or fromage frais or fruit bar, plus drink. Sometimes I do pitta with cream cheese or grated cheese, but it is pretty much the same each day. She has finally decided to have school dinners when, and only when, it is pizza day. Feels like a holiday!

amyamyamy · 30/03/2011 16:21

Couscous and roast veg.
Cold chicken fajitas and roast peppers in a tortilla wrap.
Mixed bean and olive salad.
Grated carrot. Pepper sticks. Egg and cress baguette. Cold Spanish omelette. Pitta sticks and hummus.

...... are all things I have tried. Um, none of them have actually been eaten, you understand, that would be tuna sandwiches and a packet of crisps.

Yes, boring, but who am I to criticise as I always eat the same sandwich most days too - avacado, mozzarella and tomato with mayo and basil leaves. Yum.

ragged · 30/03/2011 16:49

DC don't like variety; they whinge & simply don't eat if I vary the contents. At the moment they have:

6yo: ham sarnie, mini pepperami, apple juice carton
9yo: ham sandwich, 1 small pepperami
11yo: ham sarnie + Nutrigrain bar

They want cheese strings but I am holding off for them to go on offer again.

Mayqueene · 30/03/2011 18:59

Oh God I HATE the tyranny of packed lunches!!

We all take packed lunches in our house-2 adults and 4 children.

That's 6 packed lunches per day, 5 days a week.

sometimes it drives me to drink

marl · 30/03/2011 19:59

Have just gone on strike about these after spending too long each evening having to make them and then reemptying a load of it on return from school including bruised expensive fruit and would then be rejected the following day. Added to which there was occasional moaning about quality of my buttering skills, things that used to be liked now in the 'not like' category etc. Sigh. After years of moaning that he wanted to have school dinners, DS is now incensed that I am not making packed lunches, is moaning about the quality and portion sizes of the school dinners and is begging for packed lunches again. I am now free of the tyranny and not going back to them.

Fresh2death · 30/03/2011 20:02

It's hardly a huge chore ...

bakingday · 30/03/2011 20:47

I do my dc's packed lunches for the next day while they're eating breakfast! We come downstairs, I transfer all the prepared lunchbox bits from fridge into boxes, put them by the door so they're ready to go when we are. They take 10/15 mins to eat breakfast which is the perfect time slot for me to do next day's lunches while having a coffee. I figure that sandwiches with contents such as cheese/peanut butter/jam that need to be in the fridge anyway will stay fresh in there until next day, and it's not too much effort that time of day to chop fruit, slice cake and portion out mini sausages. That's one less thing I need to do when I finish work, and if I left it until evening I'm sure it would take me a lot longer when I'm trying to do dinner, help with homework etc!

thinkingkindly · 30/03/2011 20:50

er, baking day, why not just do that day's packed lunch in the morning and give your dcs fresher food?

ShinyMoonInAPurpleSky · 30/03/2011 21:08

Despite how much I hate doing packed lunches for me and dh for work, by the time ds is in school I am planning on writing down all the horrible school dinner related memories dh and I have and sticking them on the fridge to motivate me into doing ds's packed lunch!

MikeRotch · 30/03/2011 21:09

packed

not pack

poopnscoop · 30/03/2011 21:21

I make DH one every day - I LOVE making them

These are things I most often pop in his lunch box. I get a 'thank you' text every day, bless him. He loves them.

A ham/cheese/lettuce sandwich on whole grain bread (4 slices), dried apple pieces, biltong pieces, an actimel yoghurt drink, 2 bananas, 2 clementines/mini orange easy peelers, small bar turkish delight (his fav), shortbread biscuits, babybel cheeses x 2, a small fairycake/muffin, loveheart sweets ;)

PortBlackSandwitch · 30/03/2011 21:23

On the odd occasion mine have had school diners they come home starving ....not sure if this is due to portion size or them not eating it.

Last year DS1 was the only kid in school not to have the Christmas dinner (i did put him a tree choccy treat in it). He hates them and thinks they're too 'sloppy'

PortBlackSandwitch · 30/03/2011 21:24

Awww poop - can i be your DH? (said in the style of the kia ora ads natch)

Ragwort · 30/03/2011 21:30

poop - love the idea of your DH having easy peeler oranges! You sound a lovely wife

I do my DH a packed lunch most days as well - two sandwiches and a piece of fruit is all he gets .

poopnscoop · 30/03/2011 21:32

'Awww poop - can i be your DH?'

I'll make you a virtual one!

ddubsgirl · 30/03/2011 21:34

i get the boys to help with thiers,i make the roll/sandwich and they put the rest in,saves alot of time then,i have 5 to make every night as dh has pack lunch too.

Soups · 30/03/2011 21:35

Both my kids like the same thing over and over again. My eldest has pretty much had ham sandwich for the last 6 years, in winter he'll have the odd cheese one!

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