Cut lunch: kids miss play time as they chew through enormous school lunches
There’s no time for play time at school for some kids, who are battling to get through their groaning lunches before heading back to class, dietitians say.
Education
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Some children are bringing so much food to school that playtime is over by the time they’ve gotten through it.
Dietitians are urging parents to go easy and avoid cramming huge amounts of food into youngsters’ lunch boxes.
The enormous size of some food containers is exacerbating the problem.
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A primary school principal in Melbourne’s southeast this month urged parents to stop going overboard.
“Some of our children are bringing so much food to school, all they seem to do is eat and eat and eat and not have much time to play,’’ he wrote.
Dietitian Kate Di Prima, speaking on behalf of the Dietitians Association of Australia, said parents often fell into the trap of overfilling big lunch boxes because they didn’t want it to seem like their child didn’t have enough.
“The problem is that a lot of these lunch boxes look like tackle boxes,” Ms Di Prima said.
“They’ve got so many compartments that parents feel compelled to fill them all.
“If a child is trying to make their way through a lunch box it is going to impact playtime.”
Mother-of-three Megan Mallen was so amazed at how many parents were overpacking lunch boxes that she set about finding one designed to help.
Ms Mallen said families often didn’t know the correct portions to feed kids.
Ms Mallen now distributes the Yumbox lunch box, which includes labels to show how much of each food group to pack.
“Not all parents know the recommended portions of the five food groups,’’ she said.
“Without this knowledge they generally overpack or pack the wrong food.”
Nutrition Australia Victorian Division chief executive officer Lucinda Hancock said more work was needed to promote healthy eating in families.
“Schools can promote healthy eating habits by supporting parents to pack a healthy lunch box.’’ Ms Hancock said.
“Schools can also help children recognise when they are full by encouraging them to eat mindfully.
“This includes eating while sitting, in a calm environment so they can enjoy their meal free from distractions.”
Mum Suzie Lou, who has three children, said she used to overfill her five-year-old daughter Bella’s lunch box so she had a range of food choices.
Ms Lou eventually gave up trying to fit it all in, instead asking her daughter what she wanted to eat.
“Then I halved the servings … and now she eats it all,’’ Ms Lou said.
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