Ever been in a rush in the morning and shoved a packet of crisps in your child’s school lunchbox? Ever slipped in a sneaky chocolate bar to say “I love you” when they have been having a bad week? I certainly have. And I’m pretty sure tens of thousands of other parents have done the same.
My own kids are now 17 and 12 and well past the lunchbox age. But there was a time when they were younger that a school lunchbox was a taste of home, a reminder of a mother who had lovingly packed it and chosen food they liked.
Now self-appointed guardian of the school lunch table, celeb chef Dame Prue Leith, has called for them to be banned in a bid to stop parents putting in treats, arguing that school meals should be mandatory. Leith, 86, told the Press Association: “I’m being much more draconian… I think we should ban lunchboxes because you can’t police what parents put in.”
The lunchbox is one of the few areas where parents have some control over what happens to their child when they are at school. You can’t control the syllabus, or what is taught on many topics, but you can have a say over what your child eats.
Whether it’s a favourite sandwich, a sneaky couple of biscuits or a homemade cupcake (can’t say I’ve ever done that one), the lunchbox is the one way parents can ensure their child is eating something they like. It can be an opportunity to drop in a little treat when they are having a bad day, or a taste that reminds them of home if they miss you.
The former Great British Bake Off host argues that school dinners are healthier, and that in learning that healthy food tastes good, children will gravitate more naturally towards healthier choices. Of course, in an ideal world, that sounds wonderful. But what if your child doesn’t like school dinners? What if they are neurodivergent and can only eat certain foods? What if – God forbid – they want to be a bit different, show off a snazzy lunchbox, eat something that reminds them of home? What if they are vegan or vegetarian, or just very fussy eaters?
And it’s not like my era in the 1980s, when a packed lunch consisted of wet cheese sandwiches and a packet of ready-salted. Thanks to social media, parents are well versed in making interesting and exciting lunches, from healthy wraps to cold pasta salads. My reaction is so visceral because it all feels rather patronising. Many of us parents are perfectly aware of what constitutes a healthy meal and are able to put it together just as well in a plastic tub as a school dinner lady can on a warm plate.
I know some parents will think I am over-reacting. After all, eating healthily should be taught young. But I am not advocating filling your kid’s lunchbox with crisps and junk food.
Parents are not idiots. We know our kids need fruit and veg. And who’s to say they’re not having an amazing evening meal at home? Does it really matter if they have a squeezy yoghurt at midday instead of some celeb-chef-endorsed platter?
Forget the Great British Bake Off, Prue. I’m here to defend the Great British Lunchbox.
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