Mumsnet users share their favourite childhood lunchbox items with Soreen

[JustineBMumsnet]

This sponsored discussion is now closed.

The way parents and schools think about the contents of children’s lunchboxes has changed over the years, but the excitement of realising mum or dad has given you a favourite treat remains the same. With that in mind, Soreen would like to hear about the school packed lunch inclusions you fondly remember from your childhood.

Here’s what Soreen has to say: “We all want our children to enjoy their school packed lunch and feel full and energised for the afternoon of learning ahead.

But we know it can be tricky finding that sweet spot– those healthier lunchbox items that you’re happy to give your children but which won’t come home in the lunchbox untouched! Then there are the school food guidelines to think about too!

That’s why we’re introducing Soreen Lunchbox Loaves, the healthier snack that is squidgy and delicious. Each individually wrapped mini loaf contains a source of fibre and is low in saturated fat. They also contain over 50% less sugar and 70% less fat than the average cake bar and are available in 4 deliciously fruity flavours – banana, apple, malt and strawberry. Not forgetting that they’re nut free and suitable for vegetarian diets.

Plus Soreen Lunchbox Loaves are school compliant so will keep the teachers happy too!“

Perhaps you remember homemade treats making you smile? Maybe a slice of malt loaf brightened up your lunchtime? Is there anything you had for school packed lunch that you give to your children today?

Whatever the school lunchbox items you remember being your favourites when you were a child, share them on the thread below to be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £100 voucher for the store of their choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck!

MNHQ

Insight Terms and Conditions apply

[buckley1983]

I still love a packed lunch.. but mine are much healthier these days! Back in the late 80s my lunchbox would consist of peanut butter sandwiches, a piece of fruit, a Tracker bar or if I was really lucky I might get a toffee Trio (yummy!!) instead of a Tracker! Me & my brother were both also partial to a slice of malt loaf with a wedge of butter on top, or a hunk of Jamaica Ginger cake - they'd be an after school treat though, too messy for lunchboxes!

[caringcarer]

My Mum put in cocktail sausages and Dailylea triangle soft cheese spreads and cream crackers. Sometimes she would make a sausage roll or a pasty and pop in and always fruit of some kind. Satsumas were my favourite.

[flowerpower32]

Has to be cheese and marmite sandwiches! My friend used to always bring Fruitini, was v jealous

[jacqui5366]

Ham and tomato sandwiches, when the tomato had 'soaked' a little into the bread made the taste just perfect for me. Along with a banana and a yoghurt (ski yoghurts - remember them ? ) and a bottle of cola. (not allowed now I know)

[ohdannyboy]

For me it was tuna and sweetcorn sandwiches - on brown bread (quite radical in the 1980s) flapjack, orange juice and a small square box of raisins (I wish I had soreen back in the day - it would have filled me up until I got home for tea)

[thismeansnothing]

I absolutely hated packed lunches as a kid (and still ain't keen now) warm sweaty sandwiches turns my stomach so I just didn't eat them would rather go all day hungry. Much to my mum's annoyance. For my daughter now I make sure her lunchbox has an ice pack in to keep everything cool and I try not send her with sandwiches every day. But her faves are 'home made lunchables'. Just Hovis crackers some cheddar and ham🤣 quick to make to so no faff! Popcorn cereal bars are a hit but nothing beats treat Friday for her where she has peanut butter and cheap strawberry jam on white bread. Maybe this will be something she will carry on when she had kids at school as it's something she remembers. But as a kid of the 90s when there was no lunchbox police there was regularly a stream of 'new' pretty unhealthy snacky type stuff that my mum would pick up when it would inevitably be on an introductory offer. I remember a split pot of strawberry mouse with those ice cream straws to dip in. The first release of fruit winders. And Echo bars. Yum yum yum. Not healthy. But it's what I remember and enjoyed at the time. (Once I'd binned the manky sandwiches)!!!!

[PooterLoop]

Space Raiders!

[lovemyflipflops]

Peanut butter and jam sandwiches, a packet of beef monster munch, a wagon wheel and a bottle of pop - not the healthiest.

[MojoJojo71]

My packed lunch wouldn’t have made the grade with the lunch police these days. Sandwich, crisps and a chocolate biscuit (orange club were my favourite) with squash to drink. These days my daughter takes hummus, cucumber and cherry tomatoes, chicken satay sticks, fresh fruit, yogurts, flapjacks and yes malt loaf but she prefers slices of the large loaf with butter on rather than the mini ones.

[utterlynutty]

I never had packed lunches at school.
I went home for lunch every day as did my friends.

[NerrSnerr]

Had to be a carton of Ribena and I also loved sandwich spread sandwiches.

[emphasisofmatter]

I remember quite a lot of jam sandwiches as a child! My daughter gets popcorn in her lunchbox which I think is a great treat for a pack lunch!

[seriousandloyal]

Cheese salad filled roll, salt and vinegar crisps and a Viscount for pudding! Fabulous!

[ODFOx]

Showing my age here but when I was at primary school everyone had school dinners or went home. I don't remember anyone at all with a packed lunch....until the strike (late 70s) .. when we all had to take sandwiches for a while. I can't remember what I had except one special day: my parents had hosted a party ( might have been a sibling's christening) a few weeks before and my Mum has frozen all the leftovers: so one glorious day I had smoked salmon sandwiches and 2 buttered scones. 45 odd years later I still remember it. T'was such a treat! She'd added a little pot of tinned mandarins. Years later she told me she'd been suffering pnd and had forgotten the lunch so just put anything she could find that might be vaguely suitable in a tin box for me.
It was the best.lunch.ever.

[MrsMouse03]

Egg mayo and cheese sarnies or sandwich spread! Always had crisps and a penguin biscuit or sometimes a wagon wheel. Lovely.

[SoCrimeaRiver]

We used to bring chocolate bars such as Penguins as DSis and I were underweight so mum was always keen to get us to put weight on. Loved peanut butter sandwiches too.

DC at my son's school can't have either of these, as no chocolate or nuts. I saw the thread and came on to suggest wraps over sliced bread as he prefers it. He also has malt loaf or brioche rolls as a "treat" because their packed lunch options are much more restricted now. Shame.

[pushchairprincess]

I used to feel embarrassed with my school lunches - my mum used to make home made bread, and bake a cake every Sunday, so I had a 2 uneven slices of bread with dairylea cheese. (in waxed paper to be reused - she was ahead of her time on that one) , a slice of Victoria sponge - and a banana. It did taste good (it was only years later that my friends told be how envious they were of my home made lunch - and theirs were the generic 'sunblessed white tasteless loaf' ) I must admit I did always look forward to it - even the crusts (and the thought my mum put into making it)

[MrsLJ2014]

I used to love salmon paste sandwiches!

[Pillowaddict]

Loved a packed lunch - still do! Usually ham or dairylea sandwiches, fruit, wee packet of crisps, and something sweet. My kids love banana bread or biscuits, trying out the lunchbox loaves this week!

[lillypopdaisyduke]

I hated school dinners- and always took a packed lunch, tuna and sweetcorn on a brown roll was part of my daytime ritual for a couple of years, carrot sticks, a babybell cheese circle, cake . (we used to swap our lunch box items if we took a fancy to a cheeky kitkat

When in 6th form I made my own soup and took a flask of soup with some crusty bread (tiger bread was the best).

[CommonFishDiseases]

Homemade marmite snails or jam tarts were a special treat I remember

[8elate8]

I usually had some form of sandwich and and fruit but my favourite was when we had leftover waffles to take to school! They can also be made healthy with wholegrain flour and can you most sandwich toppings with them. Think I'm going to have to make some waffles now..

[ILovesPeanuts]

I always wanted white bread. Never got it. My Mum insisted we had wholemeal so I was delighted with anything a bit less healthy. Once or twice I persuaded her to give me chocolate spread sandwiches and that's my best lunchbox memory!

[danigrace]

I used to love it when my mum cut my sandwiches into shapes or better yet rolled them into spirals lol

[RomaineCalm]

Yes, 1980s lunchbox here - cheese or ham sandwich, bag of crisps, an apple and a penguin/club biscuit.

Sadly I can't remember ever getting anything different - the highlight was probably a purple fruit Club instead of an orange one.