The Student Room Group

How do you make your lunch healthy?

I was reading this morning how teachers can lawfully 'confiscate, keep or destroy' kids lunches at school.

I think there is still some work to do with kids lunches, I'm not sure if this is the approach.

But it gets me thinking about how parents and ourselves really can make our lunches healthier?

When on a budget of both time and money to prepare a lunch that is both satisfying and healthy, it can become very tricky to not fill it up with cheap crisps and other foods.

What do you make for lunch?

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Anything I want. This "healthy eating" BS always gets to me. Chocolate is morally no worse than fruit and as long as you get the right nutrients in there's no reason to worry about being "healthier" (notice the speech marks, because eating what you think is healthy doesn't make you necessarily healthy!). And as long as it's in the right proportions nothing bad will come of eating "bad" foods.
'How do you make your lunch healthy?'

Spoiler

I have diet coke rather than regular, and don't pick the salad out of my club sandwich.
Original post by dinosaurdoodoo
Anything I want. This "healthy eating" BS always gets to me. Chocolate is morally no worse than fruit and as long as you get the right nutrients in there's no reason to worry about being "healthier" (notice the speech marks, because eating what you think is healthy doesn't make you necessarily healthy!). And as long as it's in the right proportions nothing bad will come of eating "bad" foods.


Obvioussly chocolate is not MORALLY worse than fruit. However, it is not healthy. An apple is healthier than a chocolate bar.

Most people that want a nice body care about healthy eating but obviously some people dont care.
Making a healthy lunch is not expensive or difficult.

This would be a good lunch for a primary school kid:

-Water to drink throughout the day
-Fruit to snack on- raisins, apple or banana
-Nuts as a snack
-Pita bread with chicken/tuna or a chicken sandwich
-Small carton of orange juice
Just eat everything in good proportion! I know this sounds weird but never drink diet coke! The sweetener is a carcinogenic (causes cancers and/or increase dramatically chances of getting cancer)!
Original post by GuppyFox
I was reading this morning how teachers can lawfully 'confiscate, keep or destroy' kids lunches at school.
I think there is still some work to do with kids lunches, I'm not sure if this is the approach.
But it gets me thinking about how parents and ourselves really can make our lunches healthier?
When on a budget of both time and money to prepare a lunch that is both satisfying and healthy, it can become very tricky to not fill it up with cheap crisps and other foods.
What do you make for lunch?


This kind of thing scares me for the future when I have kids. I want their diet to be determined by ME and me only! I was a fussy eater as a child but I've grown into an adventurous one and I needed to learn that in my own time. Luckily for me schools didn't pester in these affairs and my parents were happy as I had boundless energy and was a healthy weight. I can't abide meddling if it's not needed!
Original post by xoflower
Making a healthy lunch is not expensive or difficult.

This would be a good lunch for a primary school kid:

-Water to drink throughout the day
-Fruit to snack on- raisins, apple or banana
-Nuts as a snack
-Pita bread with chicken/tuna or a chicken sandwich
-Small carton of orange juice


The problem my mum found as a child was that the fruit just did not fill me up, she would have to give me l 3 bananas so i would be as full as half a chocolate bar, and it just would end up way more expensive, especially as we were on such a tight budget and me being a fussy eater and not liking school lunches.

Apart from that it is fairly easy, its all about portion control and using the tight foods, but you need the right amount, dont exchange a packet of crisps for an apple, as i gaurentee you will have a child who comes home starving!


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Original post by Natalierm2707
The problem my mum found as a child was that the fruit just did not fill me up, she would have to give me l 3 bananas so i would be as full as half a chocolate bar, and it just would end up way more expensive, especially as we were on such a tight budget and me being a fussy eater and not liking school lunches.

Apart from that it is fairly easy, its all about portion control and using the tight foods, but you need the right amount, dont exchange a packet of crisps for an apple, as i gaurentee you will have a child who comes home starving!


Posted from TSR Mobile


I probably won't let my kid eat too much crisps, they can have homemade popcorn which is way healthier. Also, thhe nuts and chicken should fill them up.

Also, the fruit isn't to fill the child up, the protein and carbs will.
Eat one apple, one banana plus nuts such as walnuts.
It's ironic really, considering that schools serve foods such as cake and crisps, yet they confiscate foods deemed "Unhealthy" by the school, from young students. I get that they need to eat healthy, but what they need more is the energy to continue into the afternoon.

The cheek of it :rolleyes:
This confiscation of unhealthy food has been happening for ages - at least since the Jamie Oliver vs Turkey Twizzlers showdown. I even remember my sister having a fruit bar taken off of her in primary school because it was brown and supposedly looked chocolatey... :K:

I think it's a bit much to take things off of children though, especially if you're not replacing them with something equally filling.

I personally find that healthy eating to an extent that is similarly filling as not-so-healthy eating is quite a bit more expensive... Unhealthy food really is just so cheap (especially when shopping at online stores which bulk stock items about to/have gone out of date).

Oh, and personally for lunch I have recently been having a couple of Ryvita crackers with cheese and bell pepper. Usually I have a sandwich or toastie, crisps, biscuits and tea but currently trimming down (ever so slightly late) for Summer :tongue:
Original post by xoflower
I probably won't let my kid eat too much crisps, they can have homemade popcorn which is way healthier. Also, thhe nuts and chicken should fill them up.

Also, the fruit isn't to fill the child up, the protein and carbs will.


I agree with the popcorn thing, although it must be homemade with no flavourings added as many are jumping on the healthy popcorn wagon and buying store bought popcorn loaded with salt and sugar.

fruits are high in simple carbs, but sadly dont fill up a child very well! My mum tried to get me to eat nuts once, that didnt work out well! still to this day I dont get on well with nuts.

I think its important to have balance, its nice not to be a freaky crazy parent who wont let their kids have anything but healthy food, as a packet of crisps a couple of days a week will not kill them.
My favourite healthy lunch is a hearty salad with very light homemade dressing. :smile:
I use olive oil instead of sunlower oil)) Eat salad, do not eat butter and bread)
Original post by xoflower
Obvioussly chocolate is not MORALLY worse than fruit. However, it is not healthy. An apple is healthier than a chocolate bar.

Most people that want a nice body care about healthy eating but obviously some people dont care.


Ok, define "healthier" for me. Does it stop you getting diseases or something?
nah they don't. I know lots of people with what society calls a bad body who are very health conscious (usually detrimental to how they feel about themselves) and lots of thin or fit people who don't give a crap about their diet!
Original post by sarayak
This kind of thing scares me for the future when I have kids. I want their diet to be determined by ME and me only! I was a fussy eater as a child but I've grown into an adventurous one and I needed to learn that in my own time. Luckily for me schools didn't pester in these affairs and my parents were happy as I had boundless energy and was a healthy weight. I can't abide meddling if it's not needed!


While I agree that parents often have a better idea of what is best for their child than the state, I'm a bit apprehensive on whether they should have sole responsibility for their child's diet. Do the parents' rights to make choices for their children supersede the child's right to a healthy diet and life? If a parent wants to feed their child arsenic (obviously a very extreme comparison, although the 'sugar is poison' brigade would probably disagree :tongue:) should they be allowed to, just because they're their children? Give a 7 year old cigarettes/alcohol?
Reply 18
I buy plain doughnuts instead of the ones with icing or chocolate on it :colondollar:
I guess you could always try to replace things with a healthier choice.
Instead of Coke, drink some water or squash, make yourself some fruit or vegetable juice.
Make fresh food rather than the ready meal crap. don't have enough time or money? search online for easy quick recipes.
Add Vegetables-i hate bland vegetables, but people seem to enjoy them just boiled :s-smilie:
Why not try out different vegetables you've never tried before?

I am no health expert. Just spend some time online look at healthy recipes.

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