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.

Well maybe she is broke and does not want to eat out. If I'm going in a short trip with ds I bring crackers and bananas for everybody. If I feel extravagant we will buy a bottle of posh lemonade to go with it.

Because my nice homemade food is loads better than the mass produced overpriced unhealthy shit you get sold at most theme parks and attractions in this country. I look at people buying the shitty good in these places and think isn't it sad they don't care enough about their health to invest the time to pack something nice.

You are so right Bloomburger. People taking their children to expensive theme parks with big queues for exciting rides should make them sit down for a nourishing picnic while they watch other children getting on the rides. That's what priorities are all about.

I had a childhood where money was tight and we ate nutritious packed lunches in the park if we went for days out.
I would have loved a Macdonalds instead back then. (When I was 8).

Now I'm an actual grown-up I much prefer the taste of homemade food, and am always jealous of people eating packed lunches when I queue up for the horrible over priced, processed and unhealthy food on offer at most theme parks etc. I am a food snob now!

YABVVVU we always bring a packed luch, picnic is part of the fun, saves money, usually better than the overpriced crap an offer. Will buy ice cream or twisted fries etc for treat though

Like OP and some others, days out when I was a child always meant warm, foil wrapped cheese sandwiches and a flask of tea. When dcs were little, we would take a picnic with a few little treats, as we simply couldn't afford to eat out as well as pay the entrance to many places. Now it's just Dh and I again, a day out means eating out as well. We may take a few snacks items and find a decent pub on the way home, but we certainly do not lug a picnic box around all day.
A proper picnic lunch , for a day at the cricket, for example, is a completely different proposition to a lunch packed for a day at a theme park or zoo. I love a proper picnic - am renowned ed for them within the family, but the sandwiches for a theme park is just like the packed lunch I take to work everyday, so not a treat afaiac.

I always take picnics, because I can't be arsed to queue at these places. There's nothing sad about my picnics If I'm passing a supermarket on the way, we might get a freshly roasted chicken and some baguettes & salad.

Much cheaper than buying fast food for a large family and means we can more days out with the money saved

*Because my nice homemade food is loads better than the mass produced overpriced unhealthy shit you get sold at most theme parks and attractions in this country.

I look at people buying the shitty good in these places and think isn't it sad they don't care enough about their health to invest the time to pack something nice.*

Wow, your even more stuck up and judgemental thank the OP.

I would prefer to eat a sandwich I had made than spend loads of money on hideous beige food that I don't like.

Sounds like a heads up for the packed lunch! I agree.
I get the points about the car being too far away to leave it there but neatly packed sandwiches and some fruit or whatever can go into a decent sized tote bag plus a bottle of something and paper cups. You won't need to cart around loads of other stuff like make up as if you were going to work.

It's a long time since I went anywhere with home prepared food but now we've talked about it, I quite fancy it! Might venture out somewhere next week.

People taking their children to expensive theme parks with big queues for exciting rides should make them sit down for a nourishing picnic while they watch other children getting on the rides. That's what priorities are all about

Why aren’t they spending the same time eating as people buying food there

One of the little joys in my life is not having to tote around a lunch when I go to the zoo or a theme park. The fact that I can buy my dd an ice cream has actually made my eyes well up with tears. I have built a life for myself that is very different than my childhood.

Part of it for me wasn’t that my family was poor. We actually weren’t. I think I would have felt differently if my parents had struggled to get us a day out and we had to pack a lunch to make it feasible. We always had enough money, but my father was painfully cheap and only willingly spent money on his own hobbies and alcohol. Meanwhile we went without necessary clothing, school supplies, and the groceries purchased for the kids were a constant source of contention.

So that crappy cheeseburger at the amusement park will never just be a crappy cheeseburger to me. It’s the sweet taste of getting myself an awesome career and securing my freedom from an abusive a@$@“

My mum was a fantastically good cook - not fancy, but plain and nice. But in a theme park or zoo she'd have said: 'Let's eat in McDonalds and get on the rides or see the giraffes because that's the priority. Plus, I have a six pack of crisps.'

Off the back of this thread, I've just made egg mayo sandwiches.

Now I just need to stick them in some foil, bash them about a bit, add a kit Kat, sausage rolls and a Capri-sun and I'll be reliving my 80s youth!

I love picnics at theme parks!

I just coopt the kids' packedunch bags for days out at places with long queues for overpriced mediocre food.

I'd rather stop off at Gregg's than repeat the last flamingo land meal I had.

I read this thread this morning and it inspired me to cobble together a packed lunch from the fridge and go to our local National Trust place.
I'm sure it wasn't the OP's purpose but I decided we can afford to go out this weekend!

We had an impromptu picnic today. Stopped by LIDL, picked up pretzel rolls, German sausage slices, miniature cheeses, piccolo tomatoes, olives dressed in lemon and oil, salted crisps, sour cream and chive dip. Cold coffees and fruit juice to go with it. Basically just whatever bits we fancied. We would have got some melon too but we’d had some this morning.

Went to the lake, found a place to sit and enjoyed our meal in the beautiful sunshine! It was lovely.

I actually love eating out, it’s one of my favourite little treats, but theme park food? No thanks! Unless it’s Tivoli back home in Copenhagen...

So many people seem to think making a packed lunch and having it at a theme park or something is such a hassle or effort. 😂

It's not hard to make a decent lunch that doesn't weigh ten stone. We usually get to a theme park for about 10 and are ready to eat lunch by half twelve so it's gone by then, one of us will take the bag back to the car (even if that does mean a half hour walk there an back - so what) and get on with the day.

It's not really a massive effort. Though I get so many people want to do fuck all for themselves. 😂

Exactly, it's no effort and really doesn't weigh much. It's eaten shortly after arriving. We take a picnic but still buy a "treat" like an ice cream for the kids. Our food is much nicer than the cafe stuff.

For me it’s because I make them in the week so making them for a special day out is dull. I do often take a packed lunch but don’t want to join in with the chorus of how marvellous they are because they’re not and think op does have a point

I sort of get your point, OP, but having been to Alton Towers recently - the food is absolutely dire, I'd have killed for a picnic on Day 2 - yes, my husband booked a two-day trip to Alton Towers, we stayed at an Alton Towers hotel (grim, grim, grim).

I'm American and our amusement park food is amazing junk food. You'd never want to picnic at Disney.

Used to have legoland annual passes- the food is awful! Plus if you queue to buy food and sit down you can’t spend time queuing for rides. My kids would eat the picnic in the queue! It’s not sad, it’s essential!!

OP I think you just like junk food, and that is why you felt disappointed. We don’t eat that sort of food at all, so would always take a packed lunch.
It also saves a lot of money, although comfortable we are not rich, and I have a hundred better uses for the money than greasy overpriced junk food.
We take picnics everywhere unless actually going for a meal out, in which case we would pick our restaurant/ cafe carefully. I hate paying lots for food that is such poor quality, someone should be paying me to eat it! We make our picnics from high welfare, organic etc.

I prefer to be self sufficient. I hate the idea of relying on buying food from a place that may be closed/too busy/unappetising.

My God, the sanctimony on this thread. Look - I think the OP was just looking forward to having a bit of junk food as a treat, as part of a day out, and was therefore slightly disappointed when her friend turned up with sandwiches. It wasn't a huge organic, locally-sourced picnic, it was some sarnies and a bag of crisps. The OP hasn't said she lives off crap food all the time, just that she enjoys having lunch out as part of the overall experience, and now 600+ posts have appeared where people are falling over themselves to decry her for not putting together a vast hamper full of naice ham and some "deli bits from M&S" whenever she leaves the house. I should know better than to get involved in food threads on here.

But Gracemarks she said she felt sorry for people with packed lunches, that it was sad and she judged them. Frankly she can do one!