# Kids Throwing School Lunches



## RaewynNZ (Jan 30, 2017)

I'm a mom of a 6 and 8 year old child.
I pack them lunches for school, and I have recently found out that they threw out some of the sandwiches that I pack (I asked them and they admitted it) :frown: . We live in NZ.

Has anyone else had this problem- where do you live? I know that in the US that they have cafeteria lunches, and even then, kids tend to throw away a lot of food & lunch. Are they actually eating their lunch?

Cheers!


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## lauren (Nov 20, 2001)

My kids have done that a bit. What helped us was to involve them more in the selection and packing of their lunches. They were given a selection of choices that they liked (that were still healthy) and picked what they wanted. As each got older, they began to pack their own lunch more frequently, and I just had to give it a nod in the morning. 

Schools here tend to have this snack time that be kind of late. The point of the snack time here is to make sure low income children are eating breakfast, so everyone is eating at the same time. The result of it though is that kids who had a late snack aren't very hungry yet by their sometimes early lunch time. I'd ask more questions about that sort of thing to see if it is a contributing factor. Your kids might like more of a 'grazing' approach (lots of smaller items) than a big lunch?


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## mumto1 (Feb 17, 2016)

*lunches*

This isn't going to be particularly helpful, but my son hates packed lunches. HATES THEM. With a passion I do not understand, and he doesn't like sandwiches. It could be the timing, it could be too much food, it could be the condition they get to by the time they are eaten (mushy, warm/cold, slimy, dry, bruised?) The only thing that saved us was cafeteria prepared warm meals which only lasted very briefly, and pizza lunches when the pizza they were ordering was of a decent quality. My son will eat pizza any time anywhere. It could also be they are jealous of other peoples "lunches" which we went through a bit, cheese strings, "Packables", Dunkaroos, meal kits etc. Or embarrassment that their lunches are "different". Have you asked them what would make lunches better? It got to the point with my son that I would mostly only pack "unspoilables" like apples and oranges so if he didn't eat them he could bring them home. We are currently in high school, trying to get him to pack a damned lunch as paying for meals out every day is ridiculous and very nearly adds up to a family vacation or other things we may be doing without.


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## MargaretDennis (Mar 10, 2017)

My kid had never done this. He always finishes his lunch.


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## Marilyn765 (May 9, 2017)

I remember absolutely hating my mom's lunch growing up. it was always similar, and bland. until i developed a system of bartering with my friends and we all get some sort of variety. maybe that's the strategy? 

and yes, i end up throwing the food away too. >


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## SherryGonzales (May 25, 2017)

I think if you make some interesting recipes for your kids than the usual ones, they will develop an eager to eat.


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