To think this packed lunch is fine?

[Lunchwoes]

So about a month ago DSD switched from hot lunches to packed lunch. She goes to school from our house Monday and Tuesday so I pack her lunch.

Today her Mum has text DH and said she's always starving when she gets in Mon and Tuesday so she needs bigger lunches. He said no problem we will make them a bit bigger or pack an extra snack for later as she has netball on a Tuesday after school.

Now this is the crazy bit, she said she just buys her Tesco meal deals as they fill her up and asked that we do the same!

For info she had a cheese and tomato omelette with a slice of toast for breakfast. Her packed lunch was a roast chicken and salad wrap, apple slices and peanut butter, a Greek yogurt and some celery sticks with hummus.

I will obviously very happily pack extra if she's hungry but a tesco meal deal?!

I don't think it's far off being enough food.
DS used to have pretty much the same thing everyday.
Wrap with chicken, sweetcorn, tomato, cucumber, peppers and mayo or chicken Caesar salad wrap or a tuna sandwich.
Fruit
Yogurt
Nuts, chocolate bar or biscuits
Crisps

He rarely ate the crisps.

I would also check she is actually eating things like the yoghurt. Can you eat that whilst standing up int he middle of the field whilst talking?

If you replaced the celery with breadsticks or something it might be more filling too.

I would think your lunch contains more food than a meal deal unless apple slices means 4 and celery sticks similar? Is your DSD eating everything, or at least most of it? She might prefer less variety and just more straightforward food, eg just 2 wraps and an apple. Anyway, ask her what she wants.

If it isn't filling her up then it's not 'fine'. I agree you shouldn't give her junk but there are healthy options you can add to that to make it more filling such as an extra wrap or a banana

It’s fine to be hungry when you get home from school after netball. You’re ready for your dinner.

To be clear the issue seems to be coming home hungry not necessarily being hungry in school.

However yes of course if she needs a bigger dinner that's absolutely fine. Going to ask her what she would prefer in her lunch but I'm sorry I can't bring myself to do the meal deal 😂

Does she come home to you hungry on a Monday?

The lunch you’ve packed for her is exemplary X

peanut butter allowed at most secondary schools

Just normal after school hungry was my opinion. Tends to have a snack and then dinner about 6pm. She hasn't mentioned any issues to us.

She does have netball on a Tuesday to be fair though.

What about "I couldnt possibly eat all that without feeling bloated for a week!"

Don’t forget “we’ve lost sight of what healthy portions are” and similar!😂

you are making a healthy lunch but it isn’t substantial enough for a 12 year old with a love of sport.

All the extras sound delicious but one chicken salad wrap at the core of the meal isn’t enough complex carbs or protein. Kids need a different mix of nutrients.
Ask her what she has in her meal deal: my youngest DD at that age would have chosen hard boiled eggs with mustard mayo dip or chicken fillet as the snack component to bulk up a sandwich or pasta salad ( and she is tiny). You can use that answer to switch up her packed lunch a bit.

It looks like what my primary kids would have,maybe increase it and perhaps it's because it's not grown up enough looking compared to friends if they just take a meal deal.meal deal makes no sense but you could chat to her about it.

respectfully, because the lunch does sound like an exceptional lunch. It’s feels like a primary school lunch situation. I wonder if actually what she is trying to say ( and I think a poster said it earlier) that the lunch is all a bit ‘cringe’ compared to her friends. My kids certainly wouldn’t be full or entertaining eating some of those things during the lunch break… it’s super healthy I get that , but do her peers all have sandwiches and crisps and therefore her lunch has become a talking point? It’s just a thought you might want to talk to her to see what the actual issue is. That might be why she prefers the meal deal ( and it’s defo not as tasty ) ?

I'm more surprised she's allowed peanut butter in school...

I think your option is fine. I certainly wouldn’t be buying meal deals

i would maybe make something like blueberry muffins on Sunday so she still gets a ‘treat’ and it’s filling. And Maybe banana as well. Easy to eat before or after sports

All kids are different of course. But maybe she needs more carbs. My 6 year old's typical lunch would be pasta, risotto or something like that - definitely more than a sandwich or wrap - plus chopped fruit with cheese, breadsticks / carrots and dip plus a yoghurt. Then a snack at 3pm, usually something like a savoury muffin and some more fruit. Then dinner is at 6. Less than that and he'd faint (or act as if he were about to). So maybe she really is just starving. At 12 she'll be starting to go through hormone cycles too, whereby she is hungrier at certain points of the month so you may need to be adaptive to that.

The lunch is v similar to what I give my same age child, although I'd often also put in a flapjack and/or a few crackers or oatcakes too.

It could well be the "uncool" factor of the lunch but her mum is trying to spare your feelings..?

Meal deal isn't awful depending on what you get. No need to demonise it.

That is a fair point and I maybe haven't quite got the transition to secondary and how different it is.

Definitely taken from this thread to just let her have more input in it. Maybe just simplify it with a couple of sandwiches and some crisps. Can I sneak a little bit of fruit though? 😂

Your meal is fine.

however she may need more carbs currently so perhaps switch wrap to a sub roll? That’s what ds gets if we get a meal deal!!

Id also consider a fibre brownie or flapjack or cereal bar or something but choose a filling one rather than these surgery ones that make you feel worse 10 minutes after you eat them!

I'm sat here wondering what's wrong with a meal deal.

We have already had "hunger is not the enemy", dabbers at the ready for how we have lost sight of a healthy weight and/or no wonder there's an obesity crisis.

Sounds like DSD just wants a Tesco meal deal to me 🤣

Anyway, I'd say that lunch is a bit too 'faffy' for secondary school. They want to be like everyone else so I'd get her to pick what she wants to solve the issue. Maybe stick her some money on her school account so she can grab something else from the canteen if she's still hungry. I put £10 a week onto parent pay and still make my 12yo a pack up.

He's a sporty lad so his is generally something like:
Wrap/bagel with meat and salad
Crisps
Frube
Piece of fruit
KitKat

Usually also takes a protein bar with him as well.

I did assume it was for a primary age child when you listed it, until I read the age

Wrap on a Monday then and do a nice pasta salad on a Tuesday to fuel her through netball.

A Tesco meal deal is very vague. Could be a chicken and bacon triple sandwich, crisps and a coke. Could be a wrap, carrot sticks and water.
If the latter, she doesn't like your food 🤣 if it is the former then obviously she can't have that every day (not to mention the cost).

Maybe she just tells her mum she's starving to pacify her mum in someway. You never know.