I received a 'warning' note about my son's snack box

"Can someone enlighten me about the problem here?"

A mum has been left shocked after finding a 'warning' note from her son's teacher in his school bag.

Taking to social media, she shared that it apparently was a "gentle reminder" about the contents of his morning snack box.

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Image: Facebook

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The lunch box 'warning' 

"Can someone enlighten me [as to] why teachers think it's too much for a snack if he eats it all?" the mum-of-two asked on Facebook, attaching a photo of her child's food.

She packed him half a ham and cheese sandwich, raisins and almonds, sliced cucumber and a small pot of yoghurt.

But the teacher warned her to "pack snacks and not lunches" for his snack breaks.

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"It's messing up the schedule"

In the comments, fellow parents weighed in on the note, saying there's a few possible reasons for the teacher taking issue with the snack box.

"That's a lunch-sized portion of food, not a snack.

"They have a policy of not taking food away from kids who are still eating so he's holding up class," wrote one.

Another echoed: "I'm thinking he probably takes longer than the other kids to eat. It's messing up the schedule."

However, others reassured the mum that they saw no issue with the portion sizes and told her to keep on doing what she was doing.

"You know your son's appetite better than anyone," someone assured.

"You pack what works for your son," commented someone else.

"If you child is eating it all, then he needs it. Trust you!

"Keep rocking it mamma," a third added.

Image: iStock

Nutritionist's warning to school parents

It comes after Kidspot recently chatted to a nutritionist about why you should stop packing bento boxes for your kids to eat at school.

"Nowadays our toddlers and children are lovingly packed a box filled with an array of brightly coloured and appealing snacks they are free to graze on throughout the morning or afternoon," says Susie Burrell.

"While such boxes are Instagram-friendly and appear to offer our little ones a great range of delicious, wholesome food, there is a downside to this style of snack grazing which may be having significant implications for their nutrient intake and long-term eating habits.

"If you take a closer look at the foods that are commonly added to a snack box, most likely you will find that chopped fruit and dried fruits feature frequently, as does rice based chips and crackers, biscuits, sometimes cheese and occasionally a few vegetables. 

"While most of these are ‘healthy’ options, most of these foods are carbohydrate-based, and refined processed carbohydrate options. While small children do need energy for growth and development, they do not need a constant stream of sugar for 2-3 hours each day, as they munch through a snack box."

She also says that their grazing habits could be affecting their appetite.

"In many cases, toddlers and small children are identified as ‘fussy’ by parents as they regularly reject their balanced, healthy meals, when in reality they are simply not hungry as they have munched on enough calories through the morning and afternoon, before lunch and dinner when nutrient-rich, protein and vegetable-based meals tend to be offered."

In addition to this, it also teaches kids to eat all the time. 

"Ideally, all humans will eat a meal and then wait at least a couple of hours before eating again, when hunger strikes and the meal beforehand has been digested.

"Grazing can impact the link between eating when we are hungry and stopping when we are full, and program small children to seek out food for a number of reasons other than hunger, including boredom or sadness, which can ultimately lead to overeating."

Originally published as I received a 'warning' note about my son's snack box