I’m a school receptionist, here’s what we think about your kids’ lunchboxes – including the stuff we never want to see
EVERY parent knows the pressure that comes with their children’s packed lunch.
Not only do they have to make sure that it’s nutritious and that their kids will eat it, mums and dads also have to comply with the often strict rules set by the school.
And while some mums might get up at 4am to produce bento boxes to put Heston to shame, according to a school receptionist that will do nothing to impress the teachers.
As part of Fabulous’ new back to school series, our secret school receptionist is revealing what teachers REALLY think about you and your little darlings.
This week she sheds light on what staff really think of your child’s lunchbox and why you shouldn’t bother adding more fruit and veg…
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"School dinners have come a long way in the last few years – ever since Jamie Oliver’s one-man crusade against turkey twizzlers and the like – however, packed lunches are still the responsibility of parents and trust me, school staff like to keep an eye on what goes into them."
Don’t bother with bento
We can always tell which parents follow the latest foodie fashions and trends (or who spends far too much time on TikTok) when we spy bento boxes crammed full of sushi and cutesy characters cut into fruit and vegetables.
Seriously, who has the time? You had better hope that your child has the same advanced tastes as you, otherwise most of it is going in the bin.
School staff like to keep an eye on what goes into them
Secret School Secretary
Mix it up
It is always nice to see kids who have a variety of things for their lunch, rather than the same sandwich, crisps, biscuit combo every day.
We know it’s difficult, especially if you have more than one child to make lunches for, but mixing it up with a pasta salad, wrap or even a wholemeal pitta instead of white bread every so often is a straightforward way of exposing them to different foods.
Introduce a variety of lunches when they are young to try and head off any potentially fussy eaters later on!
No chocolate, bar none
A big no-no in lunch boxes is energy drinks and chocolate bars.
Children do NOT need extra energy, they have more than enough already...teachers in afternoon lessons can testify to that!
Also, children who are given too much food, or too rich food in their lunches, can struggle with feeling tired and lethargic – not good when you are asking them to concentrate in double maths.
Please bear in mind the phrase, ‘You are what you eat’; it definitely relates to how children behave if they have had the wrong thing at lunchtime.
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We can spot a DIY job
It is also very evident to staff which children are in charge of making their own lunches.
Not sure whether the giveaway is the wonkily cut sandwiches, the extra crisps / snacks / biscuits they have snuck in, or the glaring absence of any kind of fruit or yoghurt, but if this is your child then you may want to do a random spot check occasionally.
More veg isn’t always better
Then there are the lunchboxes where it is quite apparent that parents have tried to pack in more fruit and vegetables, rather than a sugary snack.
Nine times out of 10 it is left rolling around the lunchbox for the parents to remove, battered and bruised, at the end of the day – either that or swapped with a friend for a more contraband item.
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Speak to us if you’re struggling
The one thing we never want to see is a child going without. It is heart-breaking to see a lunchbox that is virtually empty or that has nothing nutritionally balanced in it.
Parents, if you are struggling, please reach out and speak to your child’s school, they want to help and can point you in the right direction.
Ask kids what they want
Get your kids onside and work with them to discuss what they will and won’t eat, and what they are prepared to try so that we can limit the amount of food thrown away.
Read More on The Sun
Read More on The Sun
Dinner staff have enough to do without picking up food that has been ‘accidently dropped’ by little cherubs who don’t want to eat it – the apple that gets left 90% uneaten because it has a bruise the size of a spot, or the crusts of bread that are ‘too brown’.
However, what you do or do not put into your child’s lunchbox may not even matter in the slightest; there is always the chance that given the opportunity, they will have chips from the canteen anyway.
