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.

It's interesting that this is the packed lunch you chose to deride rather than the sort of packed lunches I regularly see in school of:

Jam or cheap ham sandwich
Packet of crisps
Chocolate bar or biscuit
Frube
Juice carton

A lot of children in the UK eat absolutely terribly and a huge amount of ultra processed rubbish. Judging a steak sandwich or some quiche in comparison seems ludicrous.

It must cost the parents a fortune!!

@Diadrie I was sending my DCs to school with packed lunches you describe as ‘over the top’ 20 plus years ago. It was the food we ate at home so why would I not let them have the same at school? Oh and for the record at that time I had a mortgage to pay as well.

Why? The only expensive item on there is smoked salmon, but even that can be brought pretty cheaply on offer or reduced.

If that's what their kids will eat and they can afford it more the power to them for doing their children such lovely lunches. My childs packed lunch will consist of Lunchers (she won't eat sandwiches or school dinners), a yoghurt, a cheese string, a mini pack of biscuits (like maryland minis), bag of crisps, raisins, yoghurt covered fruit piece things, an apple, an orange and a pear. That's what my child will eat everyday for lunch.

@Cherrytree86 if they are mainly using leftovers they are not buying different foods for the packed lunch

Not really. It sounds like possibly they're eating leftovers, which is very economical. None of those ingredients are particularly expensive, especially if you're buying ingredients to cook with. All these things are available in supermarkets.

YABU - it's not exactly champaign and caviar

My son used to take sushi rolls he'd made with me sometimes. He's nearly 29 now so not a new thing. Bento boxes are fab for those of us who don't like our crisps and grapes touching.

Give it till half term and it will be a sandwich, packet of crisps and a satsuma..its early term enthusiasm. 😁

My DD loves a steak sandwich/baguette. What I usually do is if dh is having a steak for dinner is to carve off a couple of pieces and use them for it.

😂

What a goady post ... what would you be happy with the child eating? Because she's 5 she should eat rubbish lunchboxes? As you say she finishes it so mind your own.

There's a kid in my son's class who regularly has no packed lunch, and no money to buy lunch. That's the type of lunch you should be worrying about.

Its probably left overs from their dinner the day before. That's how they live. No problem with that.

TA sits moping in the corner with her cheese and pickle sandwich and a packet of salt and vinegar crisps whilst salivating over pupils lunches.

That's just so sad, isn't it? Yes, that's where @Diadrie 's concern should be

The question is less how you judge it and more about how much of it the child in question eats and/or enjoys.

I think the world has moved on from a jam sandwich, hula hoops and a club biscuit to be fair

I'm mostly confused how you have seen enough lunches with enough variety from one child to annoy you when for most people today is the first day back?

Even if they started yesterday at your school, that's only two lunches this year so far?

Not for some. One child at my school has chocolate and sweets for lunch. They also pack 4 tiny ham sandwiches ( the size of a square on a chess board) with crusts removed ( white sliced bread) and he refuses to eat them despite encouragement to eat them. He is then handed a bar of chocolate by his mum on pick up. He is year 1!

Mine usually have a bagel with hummus or cheese, crisps, some kind of biscuit, some kind of fruit or veg. The lunch described sounds much nicer.

Think is sounds lovely.

Agree it is packED lunch. And “I’m now sat thinking”😫

Maybe education isn’t the best setting for you OP!

Mmm... good points 🤔

So, healthy leftovers then?

Also, particularly as a TA, YABU not to call it a "packed lunch", because I've no idea why you're calling it a "pack".