Packed lunch is sad

[Ribrabrob]

I went to a theme park with a friend recently, fully prepared to buy lunch when I was there however arrived to pick her up and there she was with a bag full of homemade sandwiches and packet of crips each I was grateful, of course, for the time effort and money on her part but I couldn't help feeling a little dissapointed - what's the harm in buying food out?

Its always been the case that I can't help but feel a little sad when I see families on a day out at a theme park, zoo for example, sat on a bench eating (warm?) sandwhcihes wrapped in foil with a fruit shoot.

I had the type of childhood where this was common place - packed lunch for every occasion, no need to eat out becaus there was 'food at home' or it was 'too expensive' (despite no money worries) etc so I suppose it's kind of stuck with me and I don't want that kind of life.

Aibu to think that if you can afford a day at the zoo etc, then spending a little bit extra on some food is no big deal? Aibu to think that life is too short to spend time making a sand which/salad to take on a day out, when really you can just spend a bit of extra money and have the hassle taken away? It just seems so strange to me and as though people try and suck all enjoyment out of life.

YABU
what a heady post .

what's wrong with a packed lunch .

@Ribrabrob

YABU. We always always always took packed lunches, packs of cheddars, and squash etc, all in a cool bag.

Why wouldn't you? Why would you pay extortionate theme park prices (or wherever you go?) We have saved a fortune doing it ourselves over the years.

How odd to think it's sad and wrong to take packed lunches! Everyone I know has always done this!

My packed lunches are the thing of splendour and raved about amongst friends (probably because I pack enough to feed the 5000) YABVU.
I don't mind having a packed lunch because:

1. Mine are excellent
2. I don't have to stand in a queue with a load of people breathing down my neck.. I hate that people stand so close to me in queues that I can feel their breath. I always take a step back and if I trod on them then that's their own tough shit.
3. I don't like people and having to sit in what is essentially a canteen at a theme park or zoo would ruin my day.
4. It's overpriced shite
5. I can find a nice spot for us to eat in peace without listening to a load of loud people and kids screaming
6. I find it less of a headache all round

I don't tend to go to these sorts of places very often anyway as I cannot stand crowds. Much rather go down the forest with a picnic, build dens, hunt for bugs etc.

I would rather pack lunch it any day, over priced crap food, long queues and it's just hassle to eat there. I think the picnic aspect is part of the day out. I could afford to eat there but like described above i don't want to spend my money on over priced shite which isn't always to my taste and that I don't think us worth the money or the time queuing

OP has fucked off to the zoo bistro for filet mignon, she has no time for your petty, sad sandwich chat.

While I love a picnic, I’m going to be that poster who has a dig about wrapping sandwiches in foil.

You know it’s not good people, and there are plenty of alternatives.

Food and drink are fuel for your body. By saying that not having a particular type of food, bought food, sucks all the joy out a theme park or day out it sounds as though your pleasure comes from the food you eat when out. Do you not enjoy what you are actually doing or seeing or experiencing or the general excitement and having fun with your children? What does it matter what you have for lunch as long as everyone gets enough to eat? How can not paying for food such the joy out of a day out?
We got so l of walking round and round trying to find something all of ours would eat when on a day trip. Now we just pack some of their favourite foods and enjoy the actual day out knowing we don't have to worry about getting everybody something they can eat. Saves a lot of time and hassle.

I prefer food out but don’t have an issue with those who prefer to take a packed lunch either because of the cost or healthy eating or whatever.
But I did know a couple who were going on holiday to New Zealand, so costing a few thousand pounds, but were known for otherwise being really tight. They took their own sandwiches to Heathrow, which is about three hours drive from us, to eat before their flight. That did strike me as odd!

I think the picnic and paying for cake plan doesn't work in all circumstances.

If we go away with SIL and family and go out on a hike, this is what they favour, but it often involves sitting on sodden countryside eating soggy sandwiches when we could be enjoying a nice break in a pub or cafe.

I don't particularly like cake or afternoon tea-and often find by the time we've paid for a cup of tea and a slice of what is sometimes slightly dried up and not so nice cake - that we could have had a nice toastie or baked potato at lunchtime instead for the same price ( as a family we tend to drink tap water because we prefer it to fizzy drinks).

Or I still remember when we went to visit Dcousin at seaside town. We were on holiday and wanted fish and chips and generally to enjoy the local cuisine. They have a holiday cottage there and I'd forgotten she is quite controlling about food and insisted on providing all the meals, then got sniffy when DS. wouldn't eat her curry, even though I'd explained he has quite plain tastes.

Yabu. People on both ends of the financial curve would prefer pack lunch. One end because they can't afford to eat out, and the other end because no way on earth is queuing for an hour for a pile of processed beige crap considered a treat.

Normally take a picnic to avoid queues as my kids are always hungry at the busiest times and don't do queuing well. I get hangry. We have a much better day with a picnic (especially as both kids can be fussy and very few vegan options for me) and it gives us some much needed downtime in the day. Always discuss if going with friends and general concensus seems to be to take food with us.

Packed lunch all the way. Kids love a picnic. Chuck it all in a cool bag with ice blocks - no warm sandwiches. Food is notoriously expensive at theme parks etc. Picnics just add to the fun.

I like a nice picnic! And often the meals at they type of places is a) expensive, b) a bit greasy and nasty, c) involves a very long queue. If I’m short on time or not feeling particularly organised, I tend to compromise by picking up a supermarket meal deal (m&s if I’m feeling flush!) on the way. I’d still buy a cup of coffee or an ice cream at the venue.

Theme park food tends to be rubbish and expensive ... and you usually have to queue for it.

It isn't a treat.

Packed lunches can be more of a pleasure - it depends what you can afford (and perhaps what your children like).

The food on offer in theme parks and the like is better than Azkabahn's finest Dementors for sucking the joy out of food. Yak! Over-priced, processed, tasteless crap.

I've spent years accessing and perfecting our picnic equipment and accoutrements. We are a picnic family and my now secondary school kids enjoy making it all up. We use baguettes or sourdough for sandwiches, make up different kinds of salads, my daughter and I even make up a pissaladiere for picnics when we feel fancy. We have a wonderful picnic hamper that keeps things cool and goes on your back, blankets, all sorts (just put them in a rucksack). We're made our own sausage rolls, done muffulettas, all sorts.

If you're going to eat out, why not actually dine on decent food rather than crap from a factory?

I've decided to eat out places and wished I'd bought a packed lunch. Some aces I know the food will be enjoyable. If I'm not sure or know it will be fried fishfingers and cold chips like at many theme parks I'll take time and care to make something we will all enjoy.

Some of these picnics are really making me laugh to be fair.
Never heard of such outlandish pack lunches. Only on mumsnet 😂

450 posts and the OP hasn't been back.

OP if you seriously believe that overpriced, greasy, repetitive crap served in plastic in glorified school canteens is a treat then you really need some decent picnic/sandwich recipes.

“If we go away with SIL and family and go out on a hike, this is what they favour, but it often involves sitting on sodden countryside eating soggy sandwiches when we could be enjoying a nice break in a pub or cafe.”

See...to me, the point of the outing is the hike, not sitting around in a cafe for an hour. We’re hikers and wouldn’t think of stopping in an eatery and wasting time when you can have lunch on the move with views. They probably feel the same.
Have dinner out later.

We take a picnic now having been to one zoo that didn't have any 'plain' sandwiches - i.e. just ham or just cheese - when DS was younger. He doesn't like pickles, doesn't like mayo so 'fancy' sandwiches as he calls them are no good. So we thought we'd go for a jacket potato. Oven had broken down. No sausage rolls or something similar because they'd had a rush on them because the oven was on the blink so no jacket potatoes...

So DS ended up with loads of packets of crisps, crackers and a mis-mash. So picnic it is now and it's lovely. No queues, cheaper and we take what we want to eat. It's not normally sandwiches by the way - we take pasta salad, sausage rolls or vegetarian equivalents as they're really tasty for a change, quiche, veggie bits, dips, fruit salad and, of course crisps because we have to have them. But we take our favourite, not limited to the ones the canteen sells. We take drinks in a cool bag, water goes in the freezer before we leave so it's lovely and icy all day.

Then we treat ourselves to a piece of cake or an ice cream later.

So YABU in my opinion. It's not always cost that makes people take a picnic. Sometimes it's the sheer boredom with what's on offer and the lack of forethought with cafes regarding their kids bags (half a sandwich, chocolate biscuits, crisps and an apple if you're lucky sometimes and some don't even have kids bags - the issue we had with the zoo we visited a few years ago).

Why are all the sandwiches soggy? What on earth are you doing to them? If you want salad put it in a separate tub. If you take packed lunch you need something that will keep for a few hours and that isn't necessarily the same as what you would make to eat straight away.

They took their own sandwiches to Heathrow, which is about three hours drive from us, to eat before their flight. That did strike me as odd

To me an airport is definitely the place to take a packed lunch as the queues are always long, the food is always expensive and while it might be possible to find something nice, you can't guarantee you'll have time to stop to buy it if you get stuck in a security queue.

I would prefer a picnic of my choice to overpriced, greasy food that is never appealing, always takes ages to come and you have to queue for in a stuffy cafe.

DS2 just called home so i thought I'd see if he feels resentful of the packed lunches we had when he was little or if he is going to hold a grudge from then to forever.
His words ' aye, they weren't so bad! It was the only time you would allow us to have snack jacks and Capri sun' We then went down memory lane for a bit!

Bearing in mind we are northern, ' not so bad' can mean any thing from OK to marvellous I'll take it he's not traumatised and indeed quite enjoyed them as they got treats that I didn't have in on a regular basis!

My mum and dad have annoyed me a lot over the years for various things but having butties at Knowsley Safari park and the like is not one of them.

I think a squashed warm sandwich with crushed crisps is a little sad, and would prefer to grab a cone of chips at a theme park.

But sad sarnies are not a picnic. At Drayton Manor, the parking and picnic area is near the gates, and they will let you in and out once. Have loaded the car before with salads, chicken, pork pies, scotch eggs, obligatory sarnies, crisps and all sorts, sent two to the car to get it and sent two others back to take all the tubs etc back.

Prepped the night before and much yummier than an over priced burger. Get some ices creams late afternoon and sorted.

I ram a ruck sack with capri-suns before going instead of buying drinks there. They're a good "one-sitting" drink, so no holding half empty cans and leaving them next to rides, The rubbish is small and light if there's no bin to hand. The bag gets lighter throughout the day, and they're pretty cheap.

I do agree Op but each to their own. I can understand if things are a bit tight but you are right it just doesn’t seem as exciting!