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.

Dd3 is 2q she often had a bagel with cream cheese and smoked salmon. She liked it ate it all and was full .. i really dont see the issue there.

I used to have taramasalata in my lunchbox 40 years ago at a pretty normal village primary school!

This sounds fab!
I admit that packed lunches are one of my favourite part of primary school parenthood. Kiddo seems to agree.

I don't know what 5-year-olds eat but I see absolutely nothing strange in any of these foods. Quiche lorraine for me would be a basic cheap packed lunch if I can't be bothered to do better, it breaks down to less than a pound per portion. Cream cheese bagel, similar, easy protein, easy to make, lazy tasty take-to-work lunch.

Salmon is just standard food, as is steak. I had salmon and vedgetable today without giving it a second thought. What's acceptable? Chicken? Turkey? Does one need to go out of their way to stock cheap foods to make an acceptable packed lunch? I'm sorry but I don't put things like crisps, fizzy drinks or processed white bread into my body, so if I had a child, absolutely no chance in hell they'd be getting these foods at any meals for the sake of fitting in.

In fact... What you've described is largely what I eat day to day, greek yoghurt with kiwi and chia for a meal, fish and veg for another. I'm now really puzzled as to what I'm supposed to eat to be socially acceptable.

The school I work at would be thrilled if children brought lunches like that! As it is we have several children bringing in last nights takeaway kebab & chips leftovers (cold) or cold chips. No fruit or veg, maybe a Mars bar if they’re lucky (which they aren’t supposed to have according to school rules) and they refuse school dinners as they aren’t used to pasta, potatoes etc. Its really sad.
I’ve just made my kids lunches for tomorrow, they have cheese and crackers, carrots, peppers, tomatoes and cucumber. They’ll also help themselves to mini cheddars or crisp and a cereal bar. I have the same lunch. We sometimes have quiche or cooked chicken pieces but cheese is a regular feature along with fruit and salad. All their friends eat like this too, sandwiches seem to be a rarity now.

Its healthy. Would you rather a crap lunch? Pepperami, crisps, white ham sandwich & cake?

It sounds like the parents are making it alongside their own. Would you expect parents to make a nice lunch for themselves, then think “best put the good stuff away and get the value white sliced bread and the square ham”?

Mmmm, haven't had that in ages! Love it! 😋

@KillerMounjaroif OP calls it a pack lunch that’s what it is. My DPs family call it a “pack up”.

I love watching Youtube videos of packed lunches (saddo). Some of the lunches the Japanese mamas prepare for their kids are like works of art. 😋

This OP seems incredibly mean-spirited towards the parents of a young child because they've committed the heinous crime of sending their offspring into school with <shock horror> a lovely lunch. Must be nice for parents to know those kind of TAs walk amongst us.

Or was expecting everyone else to laugh along when the bully pointed her finger, and then scuttled off when that didnt happen.

I think its awesome. Treat them keen and always be clean. I wish my Nan and mother did this for me, i had normal school meals. I loved the smell of the dinner hall at lunch time though. Its good to treat children like first class citizens, although i would admit its a bit costly to do this everyday for children. But as you said 6 figure salary.

Are you sure you are suited to your job op?

What are you the food police? This has actually made me feel genuinely irritated.
My child’s favourite packed lunch is a smoked salmon sandwich. They have severe allergies so options are more limited. I’m happy to give this - I’m always reading about how kids don’t have enough oily fish and omega 3s and luckily my kid loves salmon, mackerel, tuna, sardines etc. But that shouldn’t even matter.
perhaps you need to examine why this has bothered you/ made enough of an impression on you that you noticed it at all never mind posted it on here. Ruby Tabdoh has a good book on this. And why should food be ‘too extravagant’ for a child? If they enjoy it? They are a growing human being. Are they worth less?

My daughter has always been a little foodie. In p2 she started taking smoked salmon sandwiches for lunch. She would have little pots of olives and cheese with breadsticks and fig chutney. At 8 she would ask for the duck in restaurants. Some children don’t like rubbish food.

You say he’s a fussy eater, is he a vegetarian as well? Does he like meat?

I used to try and give my son a nice lunch. He refuses to eat 90% of it. Very frustrating. My daughter likes a Chicken wrap and fruit and biscuits

At 5 they are entitled to free school meals which are just awful. How do you know it’s the rich kids anyway? It could all be bought at Lidl and one of the council house kids.

Are you jealous of a five year olds lunch op? ;)

What a judgmental person you are. Each to their own. Maybe worry about the ones with just a bit of bread and marg.

I found this post really depressing to read. Children should be eating this sort of varied diet which is likely to be left overs from a home cooked dinner. Why do people feed their kids dumbed down food?

This is such a British thing. Even lunch boxes are linked to class - in France or Japan healthy lunches like this are the norm. Here it’s something to be sneered at as being posh. It’s a good healthy lunch and we need more of it!

I’d love to be able to send in things like that. My DS7, while he’ll eat like that at home, only wants cheese sandwiches because they’re quick to eat so he can go out and play.

Should children only be fed processed cheese and ham sandwiches then? If I had some salmon and steak in my fridge, I would put those in a sandwich for my child.

I pack similar for my child and we are not rich nor mortgage free. You can chose to feed your kids healthy nutritional meals or you can feed them crisps and ham sandwiches.