“That's His Choice Not Mine!” Parents' Perspectives on Providing a Packed Lunch for Their Children in Primary School

Abstract

This study highlights children's growing authority over everyday food decisions. Further research is needed to explore children's perceptions of their role in food provision. The study's findings have implications for school food, nutrition education, and school-based interventions. Frameworks that look to improve children's nutrition in this area should reflect children's growing status as food decision makers and consider how this can be employed to support and sustain positive changes.

What's for Lunch? Investigating the Experiences, Perceptions, and Habits of Parents and School Lunches: A Scoping Review

“…Much of the literature reviewed highlighted the lack of time children have to eat their lunch at school and its impact on parental lunch packing habits. 15,[19][20][21] For example, children rushing from lunch to recess caused parents to prioritize packing foods that are quick and easy for their child to eat. 15,20,21 Furthermore, parents reported receiving requests from their children to alter the lunchbox contents, 21 decrease portion sizes, 19 and exclude fruit 19 so children could eat quickly and go out to play.…”

“…15,[19][20][21] For example, children rushing from lunch to recess caused parents to prioritize packing foods that are quick and easy for their child to eat. 15,20,21 Furthermore, parents reported receiving requests from their children to alter the lunchbox contents, 21 decrease portion sizes, 19 and exclude fruit 19 so children could eat quickly and go out to play. School food regulations such as allergy policies and healthy eating rules influenced parental lunchpacking decisions [20][21][22][23] ; however, many parents felt that ultimately the decision to pack certain foods was their own, and routinely defied school food rules.…”

“…15,20,21 Furthermore, parents reported receiving requests from their children to alter the lunchbox contents, 21 decrease portion sizes, 19 and exclude fruit 19 so children could eat quickly and go out to play. School food regulations such as allergy policies and healthy eating rules influenced parental lunchpacking decisions [20][21][22][23] ; however, many parents felt that ultimately the decision to pack certain foods was their own, and routinely defied school food rules. 20,21,23 Lastly, food safety concerns prevented parents from putting healthier items into the lunchbox 19,22 as parents preferred to pack pre-packaged, temperature stable foods because refrigeration was not available to students.…”

“…15 Being mindful of children's preferences while trying to provide a healthy meal often resulted in parents checking the lunchbox at the end of each day to assess what was eaten and adjusting the contents accordingly. 20 The literature also suggested parents consciously allowed their children to be active decision-makers in preparing school lunches. 20 As such, the conversation around school lunch contents was often a negotiation process between parents and children, 19 with children most often requesting ''cooler'' unhealthy foods, such as candy, cookies, or chips, in their school lunches 15,19 over healthier alternatives.…”

“…Many parents indicated prepackaged lunch products are expensive, and as a result, some chose to save those foods for special occasions. 20 The Lunch Experience A final theme identified in the literature was the concept of school lunch as not just a meal, but an experience. Rooted in the belief that lunchtime is a break from the school day and packed lunches provide a connection to home, parents sought to make their child's lunch something to look forward to as well as an enjoyable experience.…”