...to think that this is an appropriate packed lunch for an 8yo

[sashangel]

My DD is is going on a school trip today so have had to put a packed lunch together. She is very tall and thin for her age. She is also very active doing lots of different sports through the week. It consisted of

A ham and coleslaw wholemeal wrap with watercress salad.
A pot of Carrot, cucumber, baby tomatoes and olives
A pot of Strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries and kiwi
Light Babybel
Mini Pepperami
Pot of ambrosia rice pudding
With water.

I was speaking to another mum who looked completely horrified (not joking) that she didn't have crisps and at least one chocolate bar to go with it and if she had only gave what I had to her DD she would get a telling off.

I thought what I have put together was a healthy and appropriate amount of food for an 8 year old. Is that right or have I completely fucked up and have a very hungry and grumpy DD later.

It's plenty! I would not be putting crisps or chocolate in a school lunch box. Mini cheddars at an absolute push! I had a similar experience with a parent who said I was being cruel not allowing a bar of chocolate. Cruel! 😂

Jeez that is a lot of food in lots of different containers.

Nothing wrong with it but my DC would come back with half of it squashed and uneaten.

OP, I think you must have little to worry you. How do the rest of us manage to feed our kind without posting about it on the internet? Surely you must know that the lunch you packed is suitable for your own child if you made it for your own child? Can't you ask her when she comes home, instead of strangers on the internet???

Mine get a ham sandwich, cheese string, apple and either a cereal bar or some baked crisp/snack.

They wouldn't have time to eat the amount of food you sent and wouldn't even consider the veg pot or peparami.

I have questions…

1. why were you discussing the contents of your child lunch box? This is odd behaviour.

1. Why are you asking the internet if your 8 year old will be hungry and grumpy later? You have been her mum for 8 years, I'm guessing this isn't the first time you've made her lunch.

Is your school playground so dull you have to resort to discussing what's in your kids packed lunch?

You should have told her you'd given her a mars bar and a packet of skips.

I generally prefer to stick to full fat foods but I actually prefer the texture of Light Babybel over the normal ones, they're more squidgy.

Sounds fine OP

Sounds fine to me (I could only dream of my kids eating that much/that variety) but where will she heat the rice pudding up? That might annoy the teachers.

Packed lunches aren't allowed at our school so when we go on trips the school kitchens provide the lunches. For 8 year olds it is always:

• 1 bread roll with a choice of ham, cheese, tuna, egg or chicken
• 1 packet of crisps
• 1 apple
• 1 bottle of water From Year 5 up it's the same but they get 2 bread rolls.

I'm not being funny, you may as well have popped a chocolate bar in - the rice pudding contains shitloads of sugar.

How on earth did you get to the point where you were describing the contents of your kids lunch box to another adult?

It's a lunch box, since when was that entertaining conversation for adults

On a more serious note, I think for a school trip that's a perfectly good lunch with treats.
If DD or DS have a packed lunch at school, they don't get crisps or very sugary things and only take water but then I'm happy for them to take as much sugary shit and treats in their packed lunch for a school trip :)

It seems to balance things out. But yes I've heard of children who have crisps every day. Tbh, which is worse - crisps of a sugar-loaded yoghurt? I think I'd rather mine have the crisps.

Why didnt you just give a normal person answer like "a wrap, some fruit and veg, a snack and a drink"???

Even if she'd said that the other mum would still have said "what no crisps or chocolate biscuit, there'd be hell to pay in our house".

I love babybel lights, they taste better than original.

Not very helpful of me to post this!!

I really dislike the word "wholemeal." Though I think technically it's two words.

Next time just keep repeating:-

"It works for us"
"No problems here"
"We're both happy"

No further discussion needed, no matter what she says in response. Just keep repeating one of these bland phrases.

My DS would love that, minus the coleslaw and rice pudding as his meals need to be dairy free. But I do sometimes put some baked cracker crisps or crackers in depending on what his main food is (ie. If it's chicken pieces then he gets cracker crisps, if it's pasta salad he doesn't get extra carbs - he needs protein to fill him up). He'd demolish the veg (minus carrot and olives) and the fruit and usually has at least 2 types of fruit in his lunch box.

I do include a 'treat' item, but because of him being dairy free it's usually a dark chocolate kallo rice cake, so there's actually very little sugar in it, much less than a chocolate biscuit anyway. It helps him feel a little more normal.

I think it sounds reasonable depending on portion sizes. DS is the size of an average 8 year old (at 10) and would eat all that if the portions weren't too big.

When I was on a placement at a school nursery a 4/5 year old had a chocolate spread sandwich, a chocolate mousse/yoghurt, a chocolate bar, an apple and a panda pop to drink. They left the fruit.

The child also came into school one morning and they and their sibling had gotten hold of a massive bottle of lemonade and drank it between them and they were bouncing off the walls.

Pretty normal lunch I think.One of my kids would love it, the other would want more carbs!

Crisps, chocolate, juice and fizzy drinks are forbidden at every school I know around here thankfully apart from one in a rough area and they can bring in any sort of junk

"Back when they were a child, half a sprout and a some forraged berries was considered quite sufficient"

Snort!

If it isn't a blatant stealth boast* then I think it's a mum who got over excited by packed lunch for a trip. I'm guessing your 8yo has school dinners and you enjoyed doing this lunch.

*i think it might not be - who would boast about giving crap like Pepperami?

What no Stella?
Mine always has a Peppa Pig bottle of Stella to help him relax before afternoon lessons, and a Woodbine on Fridays.
No nuts though. You can't be too careful.

I think it's really funny that it was critical for the OP to say "whole meal wrap"

It's the sort of thing I'd take for my lunch. It's fine. Fruit/Veg/Protein/decent carbs plus more "treat" like indulgence foods like the rice and pepperoni (nommy!). I wouldn't take a telling off from a kid for not putting chocolate in!

Obviously a stealth boast, but enjoy it while you can... soon your DC will be a teenager and wolfing down any old crap - hopefully not drugs.