AS we’re sure all mums will agree, it’s a nerve-wracking time when your little ones start school – so it’s only natural to want to feel as prepared as possible.
With this in mind, one mum has revealed how she sent her four-year-old daughter in for her first day of school with not one – but THREE lunchboxes.
3
Unsure how much to give her daughter, the nervous Australian parent posted on the Facebook group Lunchbox Mums to ask for advice.
Sharing a photo of her three perfectly packed lunch boxes, the woman wrote: “It’s my daughter’s first day of [nursery] tomorrow – do you think this is too much?
“She eats so much at home and always complaining she is hungry even though she just ate.”
In the first box, the mum has packed a sandwich and the second contains chopped carrots and cucumber with hummus, apple slices, a slice of apple cheesecake and a rice crispy slice with sprinkles.
3
What the NHS recommends children have for lunch:
The NHS gives a number of suggestions and guidelines on their <a href=”https://www.nhs.uk/change4life”>Chnage4Life</a> website.
- Base the lunchbox on foods like bread, rice, pasta and potatoes – wholegrain ideally – too keep kids fuller for longer
- If your child isn’t keen on wholegrain, try making sandwiches with one slice of white and one slice of wholemeal bread
- Try to keep lunchboxes interesting by using a variety of shapes like bagels, pittas and wraps
- Make food fun as lunches can be more exciting if the child has to put them together, like having foods for dipping and makes a change from sandwiches every day.
- Opt for low fat foods, like lean meats or fish.
- Cut down on the amount of spreads you put into sandwiches
- Always add a bit of salad and vegetables to the meal
- Cut down on the crisps
- Chop up some fruit or peal satsuamas and add those instead of sweets
- Cheese can be high in fat and salt so pick strong tasting ones or go for low-fat varieties
- Get the kids involved in making the lunch – they’ll be more likely to eat it if they helped make it
And in case that’s not enough to see her through the day, the third box has a chopped up hot dog, portion of macaroni cheese, chocolate brownie, a protein ball, and two servings of cheese.
The mum hopes the three lunchboxes brimming full of snacks will see her four-year-old through her morning and afternoon breaks as well as lunch.
She added: “Think maybe I’ve gone overboard but I’d rather her have too much than not enough.
“At least what she doesn’t eat at school, she can eat when she gets home.”
3
However, other parents suggested she could cut it down a little to avoid overwhelming her daughter.
One replied: “At home, a lot of the eating is boredom. Just pack enough for morning and lunch – it’s only six hours, most are in such a hurry to play they don’t sit down and eat for long.”
Another added: “I think that’s probably too much. She might struggle with what to what to eat first. I’d keep it simple. Sandwich, fruits and a favourite snack.”
Speaking from experience, a third wrote: “Kids only get 10 minutes to eat lunch – some schools 15 – and kindergarton kids, all they want to do is play and socialise.
Vote for your Fabulous Mum of the Year and WIN
DO you know a mum who deserves some extra recognition?
Whether she’s overcome adversity, dedicates her life to help children in need, works long hours to support her family or is just an all-round supermum, we want to hear your stories.
Nominate her for our Fabulous Mum Of The Year Award and she could win an overnight stay for two at a Champneys spa of her choice complete with a Bronze treatment package, which includes a full-body exfoliation and cocoon wrap.
Two runners-up will take home goodie bags worth hundreds of pounds including an afternoon tea with bubbles thanks to Buyagift, plus all three will have a makeover and appear in a gorgeous Fabulous magazine shoot.
Meanwhile, you could win a Samsung TV worth £499 or fashion vouchers for £100 or £50 from Next, Marks & Spencer, F&F at Tesco and George at Asda simply for nominating her!
If you want to nominate a mum then fill in the form here.
To enter, upload a photograph of the mum you are nominating and explain why they deserve to win.
The deadline for entries is Sunday, February 23, and one winner and two runners-up will be announced on Sunday, March 22. Good luck – we can’t wait to hear from you!
“My son was like this constantly ate at home but didn’t even eat a quarter of what I packed for school , by the end of first term they tend to eat more.”
“No one can really say since every kid is different,” one user replied. “My son would be lucky to eat just the sandwich. You just have to see how much is eaten then adjust.”
For more parenting hacks, this mum-of-16 showed off her gigantic £232 weekly food shop – including 72 eggs, 36 litres of milk and 30 chicken drumsticks.
And this mum used a 75p B&M spray to get rid of grimy mould stains on her blinds in MINUTES.
Plus this mum shared her “life-changing” trick for keeping her children’s packed lunch sandwiches fresh for a whole WEEK.
