Kids February 2009 5
Tough lessons on
packed lunches
I
t's estimated that 1.2 bil-
lion packed lunches are
prepared for school chil-
dren every year, for nearly
half of all pupils.
But children will no longer be
able to fill up on a cheese sand-
wich, crisps and a chocolate bis-
cuit if the School Food Trust
(SFT) has its way.
Last year, the SFT � an inde-
pendent body set up by the Gov-
ernment to improve the quality of
food in schools � drew up a
Packed Lunch Policy schools
could use to advise parents on
what should and should not be
included in their child's lunchbox.
The policy � which isn't manda-
tory � includes suggestions that
packed lunches should always
include one piece of fruit and one
vegetable, and shouldn't include
crisps, chocolate biscuits or
chocolate bars, among other
things.
However, a new survey suggests
parents resent such intervention,
with 64 per cent saying schools
should not tell them what to put
in their children's packed lunch-
es.
The Mintel poll found that nine
out of 10 parents pack a mix of
healthy food and treats in their
children's lunchboxes � and the
treats are often crisps or chocolate
biscuits which, of course, would
be frowned upon by the SFT.
However, the SFT stresses that
the Packed Lunch Policies are
simply "clear guidance" to sup-
port healthier eating, and should
only be implemented after consul-
tation with pupils, parents and
staff.
"The Packed Lunch Policy is all
about how schools can work with
parents and come up with a policy
that suits their needs, and means
that as many children as possible
are getting the food they need,"
SFT spokesperson Chris Wain-
wright says.
"There are still children whose
packed lunches are just filled with
stuff that's no good for them.
"That creates problems because
they're not getting healthy food,
and that affects their wellbeing
and their ability to fulfil their
potential, and because other chil-
dren see them eating rubbish and
want it themselves."
He points out that the survey
found parents had been giving
children healthier packed lunches
since the SFT published its guide-
lines � in 2006, before they were
introduced, 66 per cent of mothers
said they tried to give their chil-
dren a mixture of healthy food
and treats, and this has now risen
to 86 per cent.
Wainwright stresses that any
school's Packed Lunch Policy will
only work if it's developed in con-
junction with parents.
"It might be that there are some
conflicting views, but the fact is
that parents need to feel involved
and be a part of it," he says.
"Our advice to any school is
that if they do have a Packed
Lunch Policy they have to com-
municate that to parents, proba-
bly at the beginning of each
term."
He says the SFT sample Packed
Lunch Policy was issued in
response to a number of schools
asking if such a policy existed.
"It's an example of some of the
things that schools could do if
they're thinking about this issue,"
he says.
"Schools will take bits from it
that suit their needs, and of
course it's not mandatory �
schools can choose not to have a
policy.
"But our advice is if you want
your children to eat as healthily
as possible, and in our view that
means performing as well as pos-
sible, then it's probably worth
having a policy which ensures
guidance about what's brought
into school."
He concedes that there's noth-
ing wrong with children having a
chocolate biscuit occasionally, but
stresses: "The reality is that there
are examples where children have
had nothing but chocolate biscuits
in their packed lunch, and we
have to try and meet that chal-
lenge.
"So we try and offer sensible
advice. It doesn't suit everyone �
we know that.
"Of course, occasionally there's
nothing wrong with a treat, but
it's all about balance.
"No one's being puritanical
about this, we're just trying to
find a balance that meets the
needs of children, and we think
this is a sensible step in that
direction."
Children's food writer Annabel
Karmel, author of Lunchboxes
(Ebury Press 2003, �6.99), agrees
that what goes in a packed lunch
is indeed all about balance.
"As long as your child has a
healthy lunchbox, it's fine to let
them have a treat as well."
K
armel suggests that
one way of ensuring
children get the right
sort of food in their
packed lunches might
be for schools to monitor
lunchboxes, and if a particu-
lar parent repeatedly gave
their child lots of crisps,
sweets and biscuits, to have a
word with them about better
choices.
She points out that eating sweet
treats is better during a meal,
rather than as a snack, as more
saliva is produced when eating a
meal and the teeth are better pro-
tected.
"There's no point putting some-
thing in a child's lunchbox if they
don't like it and won't eat it," she
says.
"It's about striking a balance,
and using your common sense."
Of course, most parents want
their children to eat healthily
most of the time, and Justine
Roberts, co-founder of the parents'
social networking site Mumsnet,
says: "Most mums don't have a
problem with bans on fizzy
drinks, crisps and sweets in
school, nor do they have a prob-
lem with schools promoting
healthy lunchbox choices through
education.
"But the majority on Mumsnet
are completely against blanket
dictats about what should be in
their children's lunchboxes, not
least because of the hypocrisy of
it."
Roberts says this "hypocrisy" is
because children can sometimes
be served sweets such as chocolate
sponge pudding as part of their
school dinner.
"Is that really any better than
an oatmeal and raisin biscuit in a
lunch box?"
She says many parents are also
unhappy about the Packed Lunch
Policy because "schools have no
idea what the child eats at home".
"The general feeling is that
teachers should teach and parents
should parent," she says.
Whatever the perceived merits �
or faults � of the policy, it's cer-
tainly a contentious issue, and in
an online Mumsnet discussion
about it, one mother says: "I
would explode with fury if I was
told there must be fruit and veg in
my son's lunch. A packed lunch
represents five out of 35 meals a
week.
"My son eats fruit with his
breakfast and loads of cooked veg
with his tea.
"How dare they tell me exactly
how to feed my child when school
dinners include a horrible pud-
ding?"
And another comments: "I am
the parent, I will decide what to
feed my child.
"School is there to educate my
child. not to police her food
intake.
"Encouraging healthy eating is
fine, but that should be the end of
it."
Few on Mumsnet agree with the
Packed Lunch Policy, although
one says: "They should issue
guidelines and police lunchboxes.
Some people are far too ignorant
about healthy eating and need to
be told.
"It's too difficult to pick out one
or two parents and talk to them."
But the final word goes to one
wry Mumsnetter who simply
states: "Letting parents put rub-
bish in their children's lunchbox-
es is part of the evolutionary prac-
tice called 'thinning the herd"'.
SCHOOL FOOD TRUST
SAMPLE PACKED LUNCH
Lunches should include:
At least one portion of
fruit and one portion of
vegetables every day.
Meat, fish or other
source of non-dairy protein
(e.g. lentils, kidney beans,
chickpeas, hummus, peanut
butter and falafel) every day.
Oily fish, such as salmon,
at least once every three
weeks.
A starchy food such as
any type of bread, pasta, rice,
couscous, noodles, potatoes or
other type of cereals every
day.
Dairy food such as milk,
cheese, yoghurt, fromage
frais or custard every day.
Only water, still or
sparkling, fruit juice, semi-
skimmed or skimmed milk,
yoghurt or milk drinks and
smoothies.
Packed lunches should not
include:
Snacks such as crisps.
Instead, include nuts, seeds,
vegetables and fruit (with no
added salt, sugar or fat).
Savoury crackers or
breadsticks served with fruit,
vegetables or dairy food are
also a good choice.
Confectionery such as
chocolate bars, chocolate-
coated biscuits and sweets.
Cakes and biscuits are
allowed but encourage your
child to eat these only as part
of a balanced meal.
Meat products such as
sausage rolls, individual pies,
corned meat and sausages/
chipolatas should be included
only occasionally.
`A fruit, a vegetable, but no crisps, chocolate biscuits or chocolate bars,' please

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