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.

‘Absurd’

its just food

Of course. As the OP knows. As she knows the majority of MN will immediately get frothed up. Just because a point is valid doesn’t mean that it’s not been made with the purpose of being inflammatory. As is the way with most of MN nowadays.

I believe you mean pedant ....😀

I don't think points on here have been inflammatory. I think they've been well balanced and evidenced.
I think the OP was goady, though.

Unfortunately DDs won't eat smoked salmon but I reckon with the price of a packet of smoked salmon trimmings and some own brand cream cheese to bulk the filling out.....it would probably work out about the same cost as a ham sandwich.

Apologies, I was responding to the poster that felt they might be perceived as a pendant, whilst ridiculing reference to pack lunch ...😀

That’s probably what I meant. Goady OP as she knows the responses she’s going to get.

Ok. I think you're probably right.

OP you are not unreasonable suggesting steak and salmon may be slightly OTT for a child of this age, but it IS unreasonable for replies to assume you are therefore, advocating cheap bread sandwiches and crisps. Some of the replies have been deeply personally insulting as well. I have always been able to afford Waitrose for the weekly shop (I even buy their chicken fillets for my 2 dogs), but take the view that a sandwich or pasta salad, plus fruit and yogurt is more of a standard packed lunch for this age group of children and does not make a parent less caring. A packet of crisps now and again is not a crime either.

@Daisydoodlepoo , I think many posters have effectively challenged that salmon, in particular, is not "OTT" for a child's lunch.

Of course it is. Smoked salmon and cream cheese sandwiches are available in every supermarket meal deal for gods sake. A packet of smoked salmon is similar in krice to a packet of ham or the equivalent weight of tinned tuna.
Thin frying steaks are sold as sandwich steak for the purpose of having a sandwich with steak on. It's no different to roast beef slices in a sandwich. Some people prioritise decent nutrition. The OP sounds ridiculous.

Think this is great!

The time we instill healthy habits is in childhood. Is it not better to spend more (if the parents can afford too) on healthy nutritious food to in-still in them this is normal from a young age? rather than having them break bad habits in adulthood?

Also this is the time their brains are growing as well as bodies, so giving them salmon etc is brilliant at this point and super beneficial.

My son has smoked salmon and avocado on toast every morning. He is 8, at nursery his nursery teacher always used to laugh at me (jokingly, she was great, loved her) for giving him this. However to this day it remains his favourite food.

He eats way more healthily than me. I love beige food and sugar. I believe this is because that’s what I had in childhood. I have a battle with food now and ‘food noise’ and trying to make good decisions. My son however shows me up because all the ‘good stuff’ is his norm.

Smoked salmon and cream cheese bagel is a pretty standard lunch and smoked salmon isn’t expensive in most supermarkets. They sell them at my kids secondary. I am more interested in how a TA knows if someone is on 6 figures and mortgage free. I don’t even know my own friends mortgage status or income let alone people i only have a passing acquaintance with

Also…you only get like 5 slices of smoked salmon in a pack. Are people spending their lives in the supermarket replenishing stocks for lunch? (And breakfast, dinner, etc). I’m not sure I could be arsed with that!

My initial reaction is that it's a bit fancy for a 5 year old. However, things like that should really be the norm! Well done to the parents for making an effort to ensure their child eats a healthy and varied diet. Too many kids these days that only eat bland foods like chicken nuggets and chips!

It is not about the salmon, steak or guacamole for that matter. My point is really that some views on this thread have made unreasonable assumptions about OP's motivation for the post; have been quite unpleasant and judgemental whilst accusing OP of the same. Of course everyone has the right to make choices for their children and spend their income they wish - I choose to give my dogs fresh chicken fillets rather than Bakers Complete - but I do not judge others for their choices, what they can afford it whether they refer to a pack lunch.

What a daftvthingvto say. Why would they be spending their lives in the supermarket replenshing smoked salmon any more that they would ham or chicken or beef sliced meat? Most cooked deli meats come in packs of 5 slices. Surely people just buy what they need for the week.

Ok. If that's your opinion, take it up with those posters rather than just make generalisations.

Sounds amazing. How lovely for that child. A nutritious and delicious lunch should be the norm. Why shouldn’t they give their child good food? Perhaps they are wealthy or perhaps they prioritise decent food over other things. I’m way more angry that it’s just accepted that some parents can’t feed their kids so rely on FSM. What kind of country are we living in when people can’t afford to feed their kids?

Not at all - they are lucky ! I'm more concerned that a TA calls it a "pack lunch" ... instead of a packed lunch though ! Hopefully just a typo 😅

Righto OP. Can of Monster, bag of Takis, some dodgy Haribo knock-offs and a vape from the local minimart instead, then.

I see we have met 😉
make the monster munch beef, that’s the best one

I hope I wasn't the only one who packed their kids an extra bougie lunch today in honour of this thread.

Indeed, plus the absolutely dreadful "I'm sat..."

My daughter doesn't eat bread. Dunno why, she just won't eat it. I often send her in with sushi, it's her favourite food. I've no doubt she gets judged, but she eats intuitively and very healthy. I've struggled all my life with weight and my relationship with food. So I'll give her what she enjoys, which is usually seafood of some description and I don't care how it's perceived.
My son, on the other hand 😬 beige, and sweets 🤦‍♀️