Extravagant Pack Lunches

[Diadrie]

I am a TA in a primary school in the middle of a town, real mixed background from families who are mortgage free making well into 6 figures and families living in council homes, earning minimum wage.

As part of my job I supervise the infants half at lunchtime and I have seen the more absurd pack lunches recently from one child. It’s a bento box format, very normal fruit and veg, then greek yogurt and compote, a dip (guacamole/tzatziki/hummus). The main is really star of the show though with: salmon and cream cheese bagel, steak and onion focaccia sandwich, quiche Lorraine etc.

I’m now sat thinking what a totally over the top pack lunches recently for a 5 year old, admittedly the child does finish it, but salmon and steak in children’s pack lunches??

AIBU thinking this is totally over the top, extravagant and slightly absurd.

I WISH my little boy would eat a lunch like this instead of insisting on subsisting entirely on jam sandwiches and crackers! :(

Also I am not wealthy, or with loads of free time, but my DS has a bento-style box for his lunch. If I have to do this extra chore, I might as well make it fun for myself (and him).

My son loves salmon and avocado bagels. Is it really that different from tuna and cucumber in a roll?

This post is all kinds of weird. Processed food is awful, and you're judging for parents doing better? Wow. Maybe time for a career change. Ps. Quiche is basic, cant even fathom why that would be an issue for you.

Good. Better than the disgusting slop served with no care or nutrition by most achool lunch providers commissioned by LAs. Let the kids enjoy their bloody food. Mine have chorizo and haloumi kebabs tomorrow and hummus and pitta. And so what?

YABU (as are so many others on other threads) to call it a ‘pack lunch’. It is a packed lunch, ie a lunch that is packed. Sounds tasty though, better than my own lunch!

what a strange post???

OPs not coming back is at epidemic levels in mn these last few months. It’s really making me wonder how many OPs are genuine.

Sounds like a lovely nutritional packed lunch, don't know where the problem is!

YABU for calling it a “pack lunch”, it’s packed!

I have no rational reason why this riles me so much, it has the same effect as people who called mashed potato “mash potato” 😂

But yeah, stop judging the kids food. Sounds healthier than most packed lunches, might ask kid’s mum to make my lunch for work! 🤣

Sounds yummy to me. Better than a lunchable or slice of plastic cheese

I’m more concerned about the fact that you work in a school and don’t know how to spell packed lunches.

It's not about envy, it's just asking for fairness.

Post and Run ?

I think it sounds lovely tbh. My dc love a bento box, oatcakes with cream cheese, smoked salmon, cucumber slices, cherry tomatoes and they make their own. I do think children are more likely to have a broader palate these days. Mines are very judgey if it’s beige stuff from freezer.

You’d love my son’s packed lunches - he’s partial to homemade sushi. And no we’re not rich - I just like packing lunches he enjoys, that are healthy. I’ve also been known to pack focaccia, quiche, cold marinated salmon with salad, quinoa and miso roasted veg... all of those can be made for cheaper than the price we’d be paying for school dinners.

This is really true. I think I can do a really nice lunch with 3-4 fruit / veg, protien for 1-1.50. School lunch is 2.50 for mainly beige and massively overcooked veg.

Not a single thing in that lunch sounds odd to me

Sounds absolutely unremarkable to me

As an unqualified teaching assistant, how do know if a family is mortgage free and making well into six figures? Do you have access to their bank accounts? Do the infants tell you that mummy and daddy have no mortgage? I really wouldn't want any child of mine coming into contact with you in the classroom. You lack any sense of discretion and are unprofessional.

Why is it absurd?

You say yourself the kids eat it, so they are fed.

It's not processed crap and sounds like a healthy balance, that's a good thing.

It's what the family have at home. Wouldn't it be more bizarre for the parents to enjoy steak and smoked salmon but feed the kids on cheap upf rubbish?

When my eldest was little a friend seemed horrified that he was eating asparagus tips and parma ham. Apparently kids should only be allowed prescribed kid food like nuggets and cheese and tomato pizza.

my youngest far prefers the crap but never mind

Since when is a quiche extravagant?

A bagel with smoked salmon & cream cheese isn't either really

I've sent leftover steak sliced up on a bagel for lunch before! Its just normal food

A salmon and cream cheese bagel is hardly extravagant? My daughter loves salmon and if we where not completely skint she would have it more.

You are there for the benefit of the children not as a critic or a chef. Your comments about "mortgage free' etc says it all.

So, the mum loves her child and is super thoughtful about their lunches. Why do you seem so, so bitter about it? A bit jealous maybe? Does it make you feel inadequate? What a ridiculous post, would you be happier if the kid had a packet of crisps and a chocolate bar?