...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.

mind you, my 4 yo is a fluent reader and was potty trained at 1.6. So nerr

I swear to god, lunchbox threads are my absolute favourites! Never do you see such a load of absolute shite as in one of these threads.

I've just made DS's lunchbox.

Bagel with sliced chorizo. (processed death meat)
Frube (Satan's sugary saliva)
A packet of Frazzles (ye gads the salt content in them fuckers)
Mr Kipling Angel cake (eeeeeeeek)
Blueberries

He's 13 and in my defence he does usually have a pretty healthy lunch but I've got fuck all in the house and it won't kill him for a day. He'll think it's Christmas when he opens his lunch box tomorrow because I'm not trying to give him healthy crap...

It is a healthy and well rounded lunch.
As a parent if my child is going in a school trip it is the o my occassion I would put in crisps and a cake. No other time. Just because that's what I had as a kid and I remember the excitement.

Sounds perfect to me

Dear Mumsnet,
AIBU to think grade 8 piano practice is a suitable hobby for my 6 year old dd? .....

Some schools ban crisps and chocolate on trips...I've seen it actually confiscated before the kids left school, so that child will go hungry. On the flipside, anything your child doesn't eat will probably get binned and that's a lot of food! I'm not sure I would have bothered with the pepperami, babybel or rice. One school trip only gave us twenty minutes for lunch!

OK lunch , apart from the fruit. I hate out of season soft fruit! Give her a lovely sweet juicy blood orange instead.

Your packed lunch sounds very healthy and nutritious. Puts most to shame!

Sounds blooming exhausting to make. Mine had to make do with ham sarnies. Do remember son envying the Japanese kids' lunch boxes. They were truly amazing.

That is a nice lunchand would be perfect on a normal day but as a general rule on trips we ask lunch is in disposable bags so we don't have to carry it round all afternoon, so pots of fruit and veg are a nuisance if you used decent pots, and things like peperami are slightly annoying if your dc can't open them themselves because there are no dinner ladies/lunch cover on school trips so staff are trying to eat their food in between sorting the children out/opening things etc.

My 8 yr old DD would love that lunch, apart from the the rice pudding which she hates, and it would be plenty for her.

Do mums get to school pick up super early so they can talk about their dc's lunch boxes? I have 3 dc and in 5 years of primary school pick ups and drop offs I've not once had this conversation - why would I care what another mum put in her kid's lunchbox? Totally bizarre- we talk about work, weekend plans, coffee and plan nights out

I hope you've had sufficient pats on the back for a good lunch which is clearly why you posted. Ffs

We live in Australia, but I am British (and we are moving back to the UK soon) so I can tell you what the Aussie perspective is (or NSW at least). They are expected to take fruit break, which is a pre-peeled ready to eat piece of fruit or some veggies, which they have about an hour into the school day. They have recess about an hour later, which can be anything, from fruit or veg, a biscuit or two, a muffin, yoghurt etc. Lunch is just a sandwich or roll, sometimes I do bolognese with pasta or a taco, but they only have five to ten minutes to eat, so there can't be anything else. For the remainder of their lunch hour they're expected to play outside. Oftentimes they bring their lunch home uneaten because they've not had time. Seems funny to me, being British, but my girls seem happy and healthy.

I would class Pepperami and ham as junk food - processed meats.

I'm enjoying this thread.

Bingo! Processed food = junk. We've had sugar, we've had fat, we've had carbs. This thread is classic. Fags and Red Bull for all!

That's pretty much what i give mine (though i do full fat cheese). Mine never have crisps or junk in their boxes, that's for treats not school.

Ignore the other woman you packed a tasty healthy lunch. What you feed them now builds them for the rest of their lives - you're doing a great job.

Kids cant focus loaded with sugar and the teachers dont need a class of hyper kids pinging off the walls on sugar then the kranks as the sugar low hits..

There's a lot of processed food in that lunchbox. The ham, the babybel, the mini pepperami and the olives are also quite high in salt. Whilst there is a lot of healthy food in there too, I would perhaps look at decreasing the amount of salt.

Not convinced pepperoni counts as food

Twice the sugar of a chocolate bar.

Intheknickersoftime (Me too! )

Is that right or have I completely fucked up and have a very hungry and grumpy DD later.

I assume this is the first time you have made such a lunch for DD then or otherwise the question would be redundant.

(if you are) stop worrying what other parents think and just provide what you feel is a sensible, balanced, healthy lunch for your DD. Your DD's feedback from the question did you enjoy your lunch will help but in the end you are charged with providing the content.

note to all the anally retentive folk.....

There is no such thing as the immortal diet!

Next you will be taking the kids to those golden rainbows for a "treat". Junk food as treats, Oxymoron if ever there was one.

I hate these threads. My ds is extremely fussy. There are only about 10 foods he will eat. Lucky you OP having a child who will eat a packed lunch that looks healthy. Well done you for making such a lovely packed lunch.