Mum's lunch box for 6yo sparks backlash from thousands of parents

At face value, it seems like a nice balanced lunch… so what's all the fuss about? 

Ever tried packing the 'perfect' lunch for your child, only to be told you're doing it all wrong? Welcome to the club. 

One mum recently packed what she thought was a pretty good lunch for her primary schooler and ended up sparking a massive debate after sharing it to a lunch box inspiration Facebook group.

At face value, it seems like a nice balanced lunch… so what was all the fuss about? 

Well, some parents are saying it's “too healthy” (if there's such a thing), while others reckon it's packed with “too much food” and contains “too much sugar.”

Can you ever win?!

(The answer is no. No, you can’t.)

Let’s dive into the lunch box drama that’s got over 9000 parents talking. 

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Image: Facebook

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The controversial bento-style lunch

Mum-of-two, Sofeeya, shared her six-year-old’s lunch box with the Kids Lunch Box Australia group recently.

She posted a quick snap of the lunch, which was packed in a Bluey Bbox, alongside a simple caption that read: “Today’s lunch box.”

In the largest compartment, the mum had packed a delicious-looking fruit salad, which included diced mango, strawberries, blueberries and dragon fruit. 

In another, she packed two small egg and hummus wraps, four cubes of cheese and sliced cucumber. 

She also included four homemade chicken nuggets and two mini brownies. 

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“Too much food”

Everyone gave their two cents in the comments, meaning there was roughly a million cents in total. 

“That’s a lot of food for a six-year-old,” wrote one.

“No way a six-year-old would eat all that for lunch,” claimed a second.

Another agreed, saying: “My kids would struggle to eat all that - maybe my 15-year-old would.”

Then this person even admitted that they would “struggle to eat all that as an adult,” and another said it’s “more than what I would eat in a day.”

“Regardless if it’s healthy, this is way too much food for a child. It stretches their stomachs and promotes overeating. They don’t need adult-size portions,” chimed in a different commenter.

“Is that all for lunch?!” another asked, likely knowing the answer. 

And another mum said: “That’s a lot of fruit which is loaded with sugar. How is this balanced?”

Calls to uncomplicate lunch boxes

Others thought it was overly fussy and perhaps forgot they were in a group for lunchbox inspiration not 'boring old sando' inspiration.

“Please. Just make a cheese sandwich for goodness sake,” wrote one. “That’s all they need,” agreed someone else. 

“You clearly have time to wake up an hour earlier to prepare this,” said another. 

“We had Vegemite sandwiches, a muesli bar and an apple. That’s ridiculous,” said someone else. 

“Homemade nuggets… really?!” another dryly stated. 

“So much pressure these days… good old peanut butter sandwiches, a bit of fruit and cheese is fine. Some people can’t do all of this stuff, maybe because of money or time,” concluded another.

Image: Facebook

The issue of keeping things cold

Meanwhile, others had food safety concerns.

“Unless this is being kept in a fridge, I wouldn’t be sending egg or chicken,” one wrote. 

Another said, “Seriously, this is not a realistic option for families with kids attending school in the heat. Bags outside, often in the sun. This is only achievable where a lunch box is kept inside in air con or a fridge.”

However, Sofeeya replied to these concerns, writing: “The bag is insulated and an ice pack is included,” along with photos of the lunch box. 

“Winning at lunch boxes”

Thankfully, there were plenty of users who came to Sofeeya’s defence and praised her for the creative lunch box ideas. 

“I think that's one of the best lunch boxes I've seen, nice colours, got some carbs there in the wrap, the brownies and the fruit, some protein in the chicken, egg and hummus, some dairy, fibre in the fruit and veg. Well done!” one fan wrote. 

Another said, “Winning at lunch boxes! This is goals right here! Well done mum! This looks amazing. So good to see homemade lunches.”

Another said, “Aussie kids are eating well! Nice work.”

Originally published as Mum's lunch box for 6yo sparks backlash from thousands of parents