lunch box junk

[KristyMum]

At some schools that sort of food is 'discouraged', some teachers even within the same school are more strict than others. Some schools have a better approach to it than others.

We're at a Steiner School, and like Kermi, parents are asked to pack non-processed good wholesome food, full stop, and I think it's safe to say 99% do simply because of some of the reasons they choose our school in the first place.
If chocolate etc comes to school, it goes home again. And usually that's the child themselves, goes to the teacher 'this is in my lunchbox today, I'm not going to eat it I'll take it home' - because generally speaking the kids know why - something has too much sugar, or is too processed, or is not 'healthy'.
The big 'buzz' thing to have in the lunchbox for Brooke (not too long ago) is a boiled egg, yoghurt, mandarines, or fruit tubs/fresh fruit salad. Oh, or those flat breads with stuff in them. There just is no competition over chips and lollies and stuff because they're not there.

Having said that, if I can't get good fruit in season, sometimes we do the 'SPC' style ones, (not sure on brand) with no preservative etc etc, sometimes Brooke will have home-baked stuff (usually organic/wholemeal flour etc) and that's okay too - just not chocolate slices and stuff.
Another one that does okay is (because she's lost 6 baby teeth lol) she likes her apple cut, but doesn't like it going brown, so I cut it and sprinkle some mixed spice on it - she doesn't worry about it going brown and it smells and tastes great.

We don't have a canteen either. When we do you can imagine it won't sell 'that stuff'.

I forget that this isn't the 'norm' for most schools - and Brooke's friends who school elsewhere the comp is always over are you having LCMs or Yogo or Roll-ups or whatever etc etc - for the same price one could buy a bunch of really good fresh fruit/other stuff...

so yes, between shows like 'Honey we're Killing the Kids' (horrid title, only seen the shorts so far), the one that Jamie Oliver did on the schools in England (now THAT was disturbing), what I've seen go to school in lunchboxes and the stories of parents putting Macca's in the lunhbox/buying it at 10.30 and having it sit in the lunchbox 'til lunchtime... you really really have to wonder...
and I don't mean the odd treat, I mean daily, regularly...

JMO

ETA the paediatric gastroenterologist did say once 'you call it a treat... why is giving your child something that's not good for them, a treat? What is that teaching them?'...
and at the time I went wow, yeh, you're right.
However, I do think that a little bit of this or that, as a treat (ie not every other day) is okay...
JMO

[innod]

i'm pleased to see you all agree with me that if it's not there it's not an issue with the kids maybe when we go back to term i will suggest a letter go home to all parents or even try the no junk days once a week so the parents realise that it's not that hard to pack good stuff.
i by all means am not a strict mum but i think it also puts the teacher in a bad position and the worst thing is i had no idea that the lunches and we are nearly into term 3, makes me feel like i wasn't paying enough attention.
ooh i love the quote about why we call it a treat?

[~Princess of Pink~]

That is totally shocking!! Our eldest DD is the only one I have to pack lunch for and she takes a small serve size tin of Tuna, carrot sticks, an apple, rice crackers and a bottle of water. She goes to after school care at the school 2 days a week and the food they give them for afternoon tea is horrible...they do get fruit which she eats...but they also give them cake, fudge, sugary biscuits...which I am thankful to say she always refuses...and tells me about how bad the food is for you! LOL The younger girls go to daycare and they cook good, healthy meals for them!!

[~*Rebecca*~]

I can;t believe your after school care provides that sort of food.

Our after school care which I did help set up provides healthy foods, like fruit, crackers, sandwiches.

[Bec259]

A friend of mine works at the local day care center & she said that they have to have a stash of 'healthy' food such as yoghurt, fruit etc. This is to feed the kids who are sent with 3 packets of chips or lollies for their meals. It makes me sooooo mad. I'm lucky enough to have family to look after Ales for the 4 days I'm at work & I ALWAYS make sure he has a balanced, healthy days worth of food. I really feel some people don't understand or care that they are so lucky to be blessed to have these little people in their lives. That's my vent!

[laura]

dd goes to 'one of those schools' with a healthy eating policy and no canteen. i find the other kids lunches an inspiration, not only for my lunch box ideas for eb, but for our meals at home too! the kindy kids made tofu pancakes on the last day of term - a vegan recipe - so yummo. i also get inspiration from http://veganlunchbox.blogspot.com/

i think with a lot of parents, they simply lack inspiration and know how. i look forward to more ideas and information being put 'out there' so we can make better informed choices.

[Bianca]

There is a policy at Kaitlyn's school with lunches (its a private kindy for 3/4 yr olds).
They arent allowed to take in anything with chocolate,no biccies,chips,cakes,lollies or anything like that,as well as anything with peanuts (muesli bars have just been added to the banned list) and honey.Though birthday cake is allowed.

It doesnt sound like there is much for them to take is there.Kaitlyn takes a sandwich with ham/polony/cream cheese on it (not together),a cheese stick,some celery and carrot sticks,a yoghurt and some saltanas,as well as fruit to share with the other kids for morning/afternoon tea.

I was only saying to DF tonight how I am glad that Kaitlyn has the influence of healthy eating at school now,as hopefully we have made healthy eat habbits for her to continue on in years to come.I actually put a choc chip muesli bar into her lunch box a few weeks ago,she took it out right away and told me she wasnt allowed to have chocolate at school.Wow,i wonder if i can remind her that she said that in a couple of years...lol

[*Tracee*]

It is sad that some parents think that it's ok for their kids to eat that way

At Abbeys party last weekend, I planned to have as healthy/low sugar/preservative food on offer as possible. It was very interesting wacthing what foods the children chose. Abbey and 2 of her daycare friends picked up a plate and went for the carrot/celery/cucmber/mushroom platter and dips, each took a couple of hot chips and then they piled up the fruit. Several other kids went straight to the 'adults' table and took kabana, crisps, hot chips and nuggets, no fruit/veg at all.
The kdis that chose healthier options were all very well behaved and participated in the activities and played nicely. The kids who chose less healthy options were fighting and would not participate.
I was particualrly upset with my FIL who was offering around the platters of food saying 'so who wnats healthy food' and mocking the fact that I didn't just serve up copious amounts of crap for everyone to gorge upon.
Abbeys daycare offer a very nutritious food plan with a hot cooked lunch provided. Her carers tell me every week when I collect her that she has eaten so well and usually had at least 2 helpings when some kids won't even touch it. It's just nice to know that if when she gets home from daycare she doesn't eat much dinner, I know she's eaten well enough that day for me not to stress.

I really hope by the time she gets to kinder/school the food problems haven't worsened and that their will be a lot of strategies put in place to prevent kids from bringing crap food. I don't have a problem with her having the odd meusli bar/biscuit etc as long as she has eaten enough good foods for the day.

[WB]

I packed Skye 2 natural confectionary jelly babies in her lunch box as a once off treat and her teacher sent them home with her and told her to tell me not to pack her junk it's ok to send children to school with chips and roll ups etc though.

Skye is on a diet similar to the failsafe diet, so VERY rarely gets anything "junky" at all, but Breeze on the other hand, refuses to eat anything healthy and brings home her lunched everyday and is starving when she gets home.

It's weird, I can pack some rice crackers and cheese and she won't touch them, but a pack of munchibals with cheese and rice crackers (identical) gets eaten it's all to do with packaging and tv commercials I reckon.

[Aimee]

Originally Posted by Genie

I
It's weird, I can pack some rice crackers and cheese and she won't touch them, but a pack of munchibals with cheese and rice crackers (identical) gets eaten it's all to do with packaging and tv commercials I reckon.

My DS hardly eats dinner, maybe once a week. I dont offer any thing else to replace it because he is obviously not hungry.
That goes for any other meal/snack.
If you dont want kids to eat the bad foods you need to stand your ground.
Dont buy them. This is not directed at you Genie, it just got me thinking.
I know heaps of kids that wont drink water, well thats because the parents only offer Cordial. Hello!! What do they expect???