"Only 1% of kids packed lunches healthy" says BBC breakfast news - surely this can't be true?

[Littleknight]

Just saw an article on BBC breakfast news that only 1% of children have healthy packed lunches. I can't believe this - surely it's more.
Come MN's lets set the record straight!

Here is the Californian recommended lunchbox. I scanned this off the school newsletter.

Fuyu persimmo, dijon vinaigrette dressing, 'pan grilled baby summer squash with blossoms'

BLOSSOMS?

Today DD1 has:
Ham and salad cream sandwich on best of both bread
Yogurt
Box of raisins
Apple
Mini chocolate crispie cake
Water.

I would have her on school meals as I loathe making up lunch but it's too fricking expensive I agree about kids getting bored of eating sandwiches. I try and vary with wraps, slices of French stick, crackers and crispbreads.
DD1 usually doesn't eat everything but the cast- iron rule is you eat your fruit in the day or you don't get the 'treat' the next day, even if it means finishing up on the way home.

My lunchbox as a kid was unwaveringly the same.
Sandwich (usually Mighty White bread- WHY is that not available now?!)usually cheese or luncheon meat.
Crisps
Yogurt (usually one of those 'French set' ones)
Penguin/Yoyo/Trio/Club (I have a longstanding dislike of Penguins after having them so bloody often)
Piece of fruit, usually ignored unless the dinnerlady saw and made you eat it.
Orange squash.

Snow, I think a slice of cake is actually part of a healthy diet for a child.
And bread. What's wrong with bread?????????????

bibbitybobbity yes they need to give some more normal approachable ideas.

As I always argue, the people who send their kids in with a mars bar are not suddenly going to start providing home-made quiche and mixed salad beans. What they might have a go at is putting in a handful of cherry toms, switching from white bread to one with more fibre, including an apple etc.

The proposed menus are doable, obviously, but only by someone who would probably be providing a pretty good lunch already.

Bread is EVIL because it doesn't take 30 minutes to prepare

I don't give meat because the lunchboxes are kept in a warm classroom

I don't give warm food like soup because flasks are banned

dd1 rattles on about healthy food sometimes

i tell her that everything in moderation is fine

she is fit and healthy, a good weight for her height

her teeth are in good condition

so a bit of sugary food every now and again is clearly doing her no harm imvho

she eats a very balanced diet, far better than mine

so i'll be carrying on with the cheese butties, regardless of what the lunch box police tell me

if anyone ever tells her that cheese is unhealthy i shall be cross. she needs the calcium as she isn't keen on milk (loves cheese and yogurt though)

... surely you have a bread machine MP?

my ds has a taken a packed lunch to preschool today containing:
A marmite sandwich
carrot sticks
raisins
grapes (about 10)
A slice of fruit loaf
a carton of apple juice
a yogurt

The preschool staff said that the lunchboxes I provided for ds, were the healthiest

How can a sandwich, yoghurt and fruit be unhealthy
Poncetastic article

you are right morningpaper, it usually takes more than 30 min

oooh i rather fancy a marmite sandwich now

and an apricot frube

Avocado would be brown by lunchtime really unappetising.

The menus read like the person has gone to M&S in their lunchbreak and gone round the office lunch aisle and written down what they have found. They ran out of time before they got to the bit with the sandwiches.

You've hit the nail on the head there ImSoNot.

Can't we get the clowns who dreamt this up in to have a "round the kitchen table chat" at MNHQ instead of David Willets.

They can prepare the lunchboxes whilst also doing breakfast, showering and getting dressed and getting at least two children ready for school in an hour and a half. If they also manage to feed and change a baby in that time they get a big gold star for effort!

I'll make you a marmite sandwich, tiger feet! I have some left over from this mornings packed lunch fest!

There isn't anything wrong with a sandwich, fruit and yoghurt - in fact if you look at the suggested menu plan, one of the lunches is just that (ham baguette with slad, fruit and yoghurt!). It's just that most people (including myself) can't be bothered to vary the packed lunch much beyond that.

I don't think there's anything wrong with it, although it may be a bit boring. Although my ds would happily eat the same thing every day if it was something he liked.

Btw Franca, your school lunches sound lovely - think I will move to Italy....

Ha yes.

Second the vote for school food trust people in for a webchat.

presumably they will refuse all offers of biscuits

Of course it's rubbish. And who's to judge what is healthy or not? In the context of a whole diet. Is a lunch box healthy if it contains only hummous, fruit and wholemeal bread? Or is it healthy if it a bit more balanced?

But I have to say my DC would lose weight very quickly if I gave them most of the suggested lunches. They simply wouldn't eat them! Which is a result of sorts

those menus also are a bit crap for the veggie children what with all that meat

it's all a bit brave new world for me.
next thing we know they'll be wanting to have our babies for us, just in case we can't manage to do that right either,.

in fact, i don't know why they don't just open huge children's institutes everywhere, then take all babies away as soon aas they're born so that they can bring them all up the right way and feed them the right food.

clearly we are not capable

I want to know how you can do falafel pitta with avocado tomato and onion salad, a pear, a yoghurt and a bottle of mineral water for under £1.50? ridiculous.

No orm your hummus bread fruit is deffo not healthy.

It needs to be hand crafted organic 3 bean salad with a light soy vinigarette, drizzled handsomely over a slow poached monkfish fillet on a bed of artichoke hearts. that might pass muster.

that menu is hilarious- why are they called 'orange segments' why not just call it an orange for the love of god.
I still don't think my DD's school dinners are that healthy- yesterday was pizza which she picked the peppers off, potato wedges and lemon sponge cake. Hmmm my packed lunches are healthier even if they are as humble as a ham and cucumber sandwich, some cherry toms and a handful of grapes oooh and a kit kat or the suchlike (strike me down)

Hmm ds1 is very set in his ways about his lunch boxes

He has
marmite sandwich every day!!

then varied fruit/dairy/treats

Today he had

marmite sandwich
breadsticks and cream cheese
carrot sticks
banana
raisins

yesterday was

marmite sandwich
cheese
pear and grapes
h/m fairy cake