Pack lunch advice

[LauraLouLouLaura]

Hi, my daughter is starting to have pack lunches this week and going forward, can I please have some advice. She is 9 and in year 4.

Currently I do:

-A wrap of some kind (eg chicken breast with yellow peppers or plain ham)
-Some cucumber or carrot sticks
-Fresh fruit section
-Something diary eg, greek yoghurt with jam or a cheese string
-Then a little 'treat' eg a chocolate bar, flapjack or fruit twist

Am I missing something here, should I be adding a 'crunch' element?

Would providing crisps and a chocolate be too much? Should the crunch be something else eg pretzels, bread sticks or crackers rather than crisps?

Am I giving too little or too much? I am new to the pack lunch life.. I'm conscious of ensuring I give a range and meet the protein, diary, fruit, veg ect groups

Does the school allow things like chocolate? Ours doesn't. Also nothing with nuts. Is she hungry? A small wrap wouldn't be enough, but a big one would be. Or just make with bread.

I would check your school policy on packed lunches - ours has very strict guidance about what they are and are not allowed to take with them. So no chocolate bars, crisps, flapjacks or cakes would be allowed at ours. Nor anything with any type of nuts in it due to allergies. I think cucumber and carrot sticks have a good crunch factor? My experience is that my boy will pick at his lunch as he just wants to get out and play to be honest so I don’t bother packing a massive amount.

Sounds good to me! You have “crunch” in a carrot stick or an apple. Sometimes dd would take mini breadsticks and a tiny pot of hummus or some mini rice cakes.

Bread sticks? You could supply a little pot of hummus too.

I'd also be encouraging her to pack her own, supply the different elements and let her pick what she wants (with guidance if required).

Other things I would consider - boiled eggs, pickles like gherkins, cream cheese, oat cakes, rice crackers.

Looks good to me. I wouldn't add more junk food to it, completely unnecessary.

I'd maybe swap cheese string for some slightly better cheese if she'll eat other cheeses.

That looks like roughly what I send DS with. Today was

• roast chicken in a seeded roll
• baby bel
• cucumber and pepper sticks
• a satsuma
• a penguin biscuit

plus he’d had a mini soreen and an apple for breaktime

I think that’s fine

What are her likes/ dislikes?

Remembering back to my packed lunches which consisted of a sandwich and something else, the something else that worked for me back then would be a pack of mini cheddars and a piece of fruit - no refrigeration and no cool bags back then

Id stick to protein and fibre, with a portion of vegetable or fruit. and a snack pack of crisps or a biscuit

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