To just send what he eats to school?

[Millennialpause]

So my son, aged 7, just eats a sandwich and maybe a piece of fruit every day, meaning I’m sending in snacks every day that don’t get touched. Aibu to just send in a sandwich and a piece of fruit? He says he doesn’t have long to eat lunch, so the snacks just come home untouched (and often if it’s a yoghurt or something it needs to go in the bin which seems a shame)

It is a full size sandwich that I would serve for myself or another adult. They aren’t allowed to have snacks outside with them at lunch playtime, and there are a lot of restrictions, like no chocolate, nuts, biscuits or crisps. I have been putting two snacks in, usually a cheese snack and a yogurt as struggle to think what else. I might just put one of those snacks in instead, although he almost never touched them. He always finishes his sandwich, and that seems like the healthiest bit anyway and then usually has his fruit. I don’t think they are particularly well supervised, like there is somebody in the room with them but not monitoring what they are eating etc.

If they aren't well monitored what they are eating, could you put in some chocolate or biscuits?

I'd be tempted to put in a freddo or box of raisins

I think its fine. Im an active adult and I eat a sandwich and a piece of fruit for lunch.

If you feel you have to give something to leave, add a wrapped nut free cereal bar that can travel back and forth.

I think a sandwich and a piece of fruit is fine, unless he is complaining of being hungry later. I'd try to make sure that the sandwich is filling enough - good quality bread, something with protein in it etc.

We do put individal bags of popcorn in DD's lunchbox or just in DS' school bag - that way they're fine unti lthey decide they DO want to eat it, whether that's today, or next week!

Bloody hell, I don’t believe the stereotype that lunchtime supervisors aren’t very bright, but if you think “only” having 2 items in a lunchbox is some sort of safeguarding issue that you need to waste someone’s time with... 🤪

@SriouslyWhutNow when you work in a school in a deprived area with a high percentage of looked after children or those with intervention, such a small detail may help get a child and their family the help they need. I also think your comment proves that you believe the stereotype.

I think that a substantial sandwich and a piece of fruit is a decent lunch, and nutritionally possibly better than a ‘half slice’ sized cheese spread or 1 slice of wafer thin ham sandwich plus highly processed snacks.

I’d just really pack that sandwich - so rather than giving cheese or veg snacks separately, incorporate them into the sandwich filling, and use good quality bread or eg bagel, roll etc. Ham and cheese sandwich (good slices of each) with cucumber or tomato and lettuce; hummus & sliced falafel & grated carrot; sliced egg with lettuce and mayo; tuna, sweetcorn and lettuce etc etc.

Of course he has enough time to eat a decent lunch.

Just a sandwich and a piece of fruit isn’t enough food for a child to eat during a whole day at school.

If anything I’d be contacting the school and explaining the issue about your son rushing through lunch so he can go and play and they may be able to put something in place or keep an extra eye on him so he actually eats a decent amount of food.

It absolutely is. Our supervisors would absolutely flag this too.

Is he eating something at morning break snack time?

One of mine is like this, she doesn’t eat massive amounts at home either though so that would be enough for her at lunchtime. I send in raisins, cereal bars or those fruit bars that are like fruit in a cracker type thing along with her lunch. That way if they don’t get eaten it’s not wasted or she can have it to eat on the way home.

I've started doing this too because I can't afford the food waste. It looks better to have a full balanced lunch but when the same things return home uneaten day after day, there's no point.

Two sambos and two pieces of fruit and if he doesnt eat the fruit send it the next day and give him the extra sambo if he doesnt eat that after school instead. Honestly the policing is mad in schools. I have one child that brings an apple to and from school each day like its on a day trip when he finally might eat it on the friday and he is a teen.

I think this falls under twas ever thus. I used to take in a sandwich, apple and snack of something like a club biscuit bar. The apple would go on a Monday to Friday commute to school and back, then get binned at the end of a week or 2 when it was too bashed up to be edible any more. Some kids just don't need that much.

If you want to add something that makes up items and is still fine to eat very squashed a week later, something like fruit winders or individual soreen loaves are good.

my DD3 is a picky bugger and will happily live on fresh air and raisins. For lunch she likes crackers, hummus, a yogurt and some raisins. Anything else I send comes back.

Nursery insist we send fruit in - she will only eat blueberries and only likes them whole, nursery want me to cut them but they will just come back.

So I have resorted sending the same satsuma to and from nursery for the past 2 weeks, as soon as it starts looking a bit sad I will eat it and swap it for a fresh one.

In our school that would only be fruit, and if he’s too busy playing with his friends he likely won’t eat it anyway.

Is soup in a thermos still a thing? Does he like soup? That was one of my favourite parts of lunch when I was a kid, and there is a large variety of instant soups available. A very German snack is a hard-boiled egg, which has the advantage of keeping a long time out of the fridge.

Sandwich and fruit is fine. That's all I get for lunch and my stomach is bigger than a 7 year old's. Especially if he gets a snack after school and a good dinner.

At 7 you should be guided by him.

def stop sending food in that you bin.

don’t worry about what school will think. They’ve got at least 30 kids and won’t be flagging a kid who has both a sandwich and a piece of fruit.

some variety might be nice to encourage trying things but stick to food that you can send in day after day. My kids love Nairns cheese crackers that are a pack of 6. Or a cereal bar. Or a few dried apricots/cranberries/raisins in a tub. Although I personally hate the individual packaged items and try to batch bake and freeze to cycle through oaty biscuits, flapjack, banana muffin, etc I realise this isn’t practical to lots of people.

I was never deprived but for me lunch was a sandwich, 1 slice of bread, and a plain biscuit. Exactly the same as my size 10 mum. I was never hungry.

If its expected kids have a minium of 4 things, it really is no wonder obesity is an issue in the UK. Because you can guarentee it will be 1 sandwich, and 3 bits of sugary junk.

BTW it also cracks me up that Playtime, has been renamed Snacktime.

When did snacking become a thing, there was the odd day I'd have a sweetie for morning break but it certainly wasn't every day or expected.

An adult sized sandwich and a piece of fruit is an adult sized lunch and plenty for a 7 year old. People seem to be obsessed with eating snacks these days it's ridiculous, the child knows how much he wants to eat, its a proper sized meal, dont overthink it op.

I'm 35 and morning break was also snack time at school. It was fruit in infants and pretty much anything goes in juniors, usually crisps!

How about carrot sticks, a home made mini muffin, mini quiche?

Put in non perishables that you can re-use