Lunch Packs Research Articles

Balancing acts:

While Canadian policy makers are considering expanding school food programs in Canada, parents remain primarily responsible for packing lunches. Although women perform disproportionate amounts of foodwork, including feeding their children on school days, little research has investigated mothers’ experiences of packing school lunches in Canada. Drawing on 14 interviews with mothers of elementary-aged children in British Columbia, this study explored how mothers experience and make meaning of packing school lunches. Mothers described lunch packing largely as an individualized responsibility for children’s nutritional health and general wellbeing. Mothers strived to enact largely unattainable ideals about packing a “good” school lunch and engaged in diverse forms of physical, mental, and emotional labour to do so. When mothers were perceived to fall short of elusive lunch packing ideals, mothers judged themselves and other mothers, and also reported feeling scrutinized by other parents, teachers, and their children. While assuming the bulk of labour related to school lunch work, mothers also forged connections with their children through lunch packing, which they viewed as emotionally meaningful and a symbol of their care, love, and parental responsibility. These findings show that mothers’ experiences with lunch packing are complex and wrapped up in notions of “good” mothering and feeding ideals. For mothers, a “balanced” lunch requires not only a nutritionally adequate meal, but also involves balancing various forms of labour and contradictory emotions about food work. Understanding mothers’ experiences of lunch packing is pivotal for successfully developing school food programs that meet the complex expectations of Canadian families.

Balancing acts:

While Canadian policy makers are considering expanding school food programs in Canada, parents remain primarily responsible for packing lunches. Although women perform disproportionate amounts of foodwork, including feeding their children on school days, little research has investigated mothers’ experiences of packing school lunches in Canada. Drawing on 14 interviews with mothers of elementary-aged children in British Columbia, this study explored how mothers experience and make meaning of packing school lunches. Mothers described lunch packing largely as an individualized responsibility for children’s nutritional health and general wellbeing. Mothers strived to enact largely unattainable ideals about packing a “good” school lunch and engaged in diverse forms of physical, mental, and emotional labour to do so. When mothers were perceived to fall short of elusive lunch packing ideals, mothers judged themselves and other mothers, and also reported feeling scrutinized by other parents, teachers, and their children. While assuming the bulk of labour related to school lunch work, mothers also forged connections with their children through lunch packing, which they viewed as emotionally meaningful and a symbol of their care, love, and parental responsibility. These findings show that mothers’ experiences with lunch packing are complex and wrapped up in notions of “good” mothering and feeding ideals. For mothers, a “balanced” lunch requires not only a nutritionally adequate meal, but also involves balancing various forms of labour and contradictory emotions about food work. Understanding mothers’ experiences of lunch packing is pivotal for successfully developing school food programs that meet the complex expectations of Canadian families.

A Qualitative Evaluation of Social Aspects of Sugar-Rich Food and Drink Intake and Parental Strategies for Reductions.

Danish children have a much larger intake of sugar-rich foods and drinks than recommended. This study aimed to (1) explore social aspects and practices of pre-school children’s intake of sugar-rich foods and drinks and (2) evaluate barriers and parental strategies to reduce their children’s intake of sugar-rich foods and drinks employed in connection with the 3.5-month family-centred intervention trial ‘Are you too sweet?’. Intervention components included communication of the recommended maximum intake and reduction strategies, supported by resources encouraging and facilitating behavioural changes. A random sample of families (n = 24) from intervention schools participated in post-intervention semi-structured interviews. A thematic content analysis was conducted, revealing three main domains of social practices: (1) ‘family treats’, including the weekly Danish concept ‘Friday sweets’, (2) ‘everyday treats’, such as sweet snacks in lunch packs, between-meals snacks and soft drink habits and (3) ‘socialized treats’, including treats at special occasions. Parents employed several strategies, most often substitution and portion-size reduction, but also limiting home availability. Families most frequently made changes that were easily adoptable and close to existing routines at home. In conclusion, the intervention components provided families with knowledge and strategies that facilitated behavioural changes towards reducing the intake of sugar-rich foods and drinks.

Impact of COVID-19 School-Related Policies in Ontario on Parents' School Lunch Packing Habits.

Purpose: COVID-19 has disrupted the daily routines of many Canadian families. In Ontario, provincially mandated public health measures have resulted in significant changes to school policies, including those related to food. The impact of COVID-19 related school food policies on parental lunch packing habits is unknown; therefore, this study investigated how school-related COVID-19 policies have impacted parental school lunch packing habits.Methods: Parents (N = 287) of school-aged children were recruited from parent-specific Facebook groups across Ontario, Canada, to complete an online survey regarding lunch packing habits. This survey was developed based on findings from a previously conducted scoping review. Open-ended survey responses were inductively analyzed.Results: Three over-arching themes were constructed: (1) Food Programs and COVID-19; (2) Schedule Changes; and (3) School Policy Changes. Parents explained that the cancellation or modification of food programs at schools, changes to the length of time children are given to eat at school, and removal of access to microwaves, garbage cans, and teacher assistance during lunch have forced parents to change their lunch packing habits.Conclusion: Findings from this study demonstrate a need for better support to help ease the burden parents experience when packing their child's school lunch, during an already extremely stressful time.

Microbial Quality of Industrially Processed Sachet-Packed Fruit Drinks Consumed Mostly by School Children in Nigeria

Fruit drinks are often packed as accompaniments with school children’s lunch packs in Nigeria. In recent times, reports from consumers stated that a lot of these drinks when opened up and poured into cups before drinking, fungal mass was present and this has queried the safety of consumption of these drinks. The aim of this study was to determine whether commercially packed fruit drinks consumed majorly by school children were microbially contaminated. Twenty (20) samples of sachet packed fruit drinks comprising of 4 different flavours precisely orange, pineapple, apple and multivitamin flavours were analyzed for their microbial quality. The total bacterial and fungal counts in the samples examined did not exceed the regulatory microbiological criteria for fruit drinks. Lactobacillus, Bacillus, Staphylococcus aureus, Rhizopus, Aspergillus and Penicillium species were isolated from the samples. Lactobacillus poses no health risk to the consumer however, the incidence of Bacillus and Staphylococcus aureus in the drink samples is quite worrisome as they have been implicated as potential pathogens. The fungal species isolated are of public health concern especially as some have been implicated as mycotoxin producers. The presence of these organisms in the drinks may be attributed to indigenous microflora of fruits or concentrates used, poor hygienic practices during production and low pH of the drinks. It is therefore necessary that fruit drink manufacturers adhere strictly to microbiological quality standards and specifications during production especially for foods to be consumed by children with developing immune systems.

Children's experienced and imaginary stories about lunch packs and lunch breaks: Associations and perceptions of school lunch among primary school students in Norway

This article examined Norwegian students' associations with lunch packs and lunch breaks in primary schools, highlighting the Norwegian school meal system. Empathy-based stories were used; that is, participants were asked to write on a story about a good or a bad school lunch, either based on actual experiences or imagination. The data included stories from 181 fifth graders (105 girls and 76 boys) aged 10–11 years. Additionally, this study employed a social-constructivist approach. The analysis of the stories on the lunch packs resulted in four sub-themes: food and sensory properties of food; food norms and the violation of the norms; physical and psychological consequences of (not) eating lunch; and expressions of peer-relations and family bonds. The analysis of the stories on lunch breaks resulted in two sub-themes: social interaction and simultaneous activity, and contextual factors. In the stories the lunch pack was found to evoke both enthusiasm and discontent. Students' associations and perceptions of the food were often related to how it looked, smelled, and tasted. Furthermore, a clear feature of the stories concerning lunch break in the classroom was that the students were concerned with the social aspects of the eating situation, such as interacting with classmates by chatting, watching television, or listening to music together. This study can contribute to a deeper understanding of children's experiences with a school meal system used in countries within and outside the Nordic region.

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

Research indicates home-packed school lunches are lower in nutritional value compared with school-provided meals. Due to the lack of a school lunch program, most of what Canadian children consume during the school day is determined by parents and caregivers through packed lunches. Despite this, little research has focused on the school lunch packing habits and attitudes of parents. The purpose of this scoping review was to improve understanding of parental perceptions, experiences, and habits with respect to home-packed school lunches. We conducted a scoping review of peer-reviewed and gray literature. We reviewed only studies published from January 2000 to January 2019 with a focus on parents' lunch packing habits for their school-aged children. The review included 7 studies, with articles from the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada. The studies identified 6 themes influencing parental decisions regarding what to pack in their child's lunch-school environment, food as fuel, convenience, child's influence, cost, and the lunch experience. The decisions that influence what is packed in a school lunch are complex and indicate the need for support. Parents, schools, districts, and government policymakers need to work collaboratively to improve the healthiness of home-packed school lunches.

Alimentos seleccionados por los padres para los refrigerios de sus hijos en etapa de educación básica en Reynosa, Tamaulipas

Los refrigerios que consumen los niños durante el recreo complementan su dieta diaria, y pueden representar un riesgo de obesidad si los padres los preparan con base en alimentos procesados, elevados en azúcar, sal y grasa. El objetivo de este estudio fue identificar el contenido de los refrigerios empacados en casa, así como el estado nutricio de escolares de Reynosa, Tamaulipas, México. Se realizó un estudio descriptivo y transversal. Se trabajó con 769 niños de 12 escuelas públicas de educación básica. Se tomaron peso y talla. Se registraron durante una semana los refrigerios por observación directa, mediante una lista de cotejo. El 44.7 % de los escolares presentó sobrepeso u obesidad. Los alimentos contenidos en los refrigerios fueron el sándwich (50.0 %), tacos (29.5 %) y tortas (14.5 %). Las bebidas azucaradas incluyeron jugo (44 %) y agua saborizada (38.2 %). El 18.8 % llevó frutas, 13.5 % verduras y 31.6 % agua. En promedio, el contenido de energía fue de 327 kcal, por lo tanto, sobrepasaron la recomendación de calorías, e incluían alimentos no saludables (alto contenido de azúcar y grasa en relación a su aportación nutrimental), siendo necesario realizar intervenciones de educación nutricional para promover el consumo de agua y alimentos saludables dentro del entorno escolar, para mejorar la calidad de los hábitos alimenticios, tanto en escuelas de medio tiempo, como de tiempo completo, las cuales, brindan el servicio de alimentación.

Parental and family predictors of fruits and vegetables in elementary school children's home-packed lunches across a school week

Home-packed lunches have been found to be of lower nutritional quality than school-bought lunches, yet little is known about family-based factors associated with lunch packing. The current exploratory study examines parental and family predictors of fruits and vegetables packed in lunches, hypothesizing parents' nutrition knowledge and authoritative parenting as well as children's involvement in lunch decisions would relate to packing more fruits and vegetables, while financial difficulties would relate to packing fewer. Ninety parent-child dyads from 4th-6th grade participated for 5 consecutive school days. Lunch contents were recorded using a digital imaging procedure to capture the number of days a fruit or vegetable was packed, and servings of fruits and vegetables in lunches each day. Parents completed family and parenting questionnaires and daily reports of child involvement in lunch decisions. Count-based regression models and longitudinal analyses within a multilevel modeling framework were used to examine predictors of lunch contents. Higher nutrition knowledge was associated with packing more fruit across the week and more vegetables on Monday. Authoritative parenting was associated with packing fewer vegetables on Monday, but more servings across the week. Financial stress was related to higher rates of never packing vegetables and when vegetables were packed including fewer servings, while child involvement in lunch decisions was associated with packing more fruits across the week, packing vegetables on more days and more servings of vegetables on Monday. Findings suggest parental and family factors impact the foods in packed lunches, with implications for children's dietary intake at school. Outreach programs can help parents pack more fruits and vegetables by providing nutrition education and suggestions for affordable, healthy lunch options as well as encouraging child involvement in the lunch packing process.

Parental Reports of Lunch-Packing Behaviours Lack Accuracy: Reported Barriers and Facilitators to Packing School Lunches.

Parents influence the foods their children consume and often provide proxy reports of this intake. One way parents exert this influence is by providing home-packed lunches. This study compared parental reports of foods packed in children's lunches with what was actually packed and identified parental barriers and facilitators to packing lunches. Grade 3 and 4 student-parent dyads (n = 321) in 19 elementary schools in Ontario participated. Parental reports and actual packed lunch contents were collected via self-administered surveys and direct observation, respectively. Parental barriers and facilitators were obtained through open and closed survey questions. Median portions packed were significantly higher for sugar-sweetened beverages and snacks and significantly lower for fruits, fruit juice, vegetables, milk/alternatives, and meat/alternatives than parents reported. Packing a healthy lunch was "important/very important/of the utmost importance" for 95.9% of respondents, and 97.5% perceived their nutrition knowledge as "adequate/good/very good". Barriers to packing a lunch included: child's food preferences, time, finances, allergy policies, and food safety. Nutrition resources, observing other children's lunches, child's input, and planning ahead were identified as facilitators. Strategies to improve packed lunches should move beyond parental nutrition knowledge and importance of lunch packing to address parental barriers and facilitators.

Measuring the impact of classmates on children’s liking of school meals

In this paper we investigate how children respond to a new type of school meal and ask whether classmates affect meal evaluations. The study is part of a school meal intervention which tested health effects of the New Nordic Diet. Over two separate three-month periods 834 pupils (age 8–11) from 9 schools (46 classes) were given either meals based on the Nordic diet or their usual packed lunch. The children rated their regular lunch packs and the Nordic meals on a five-point smiley scale when they reported their lunch intake. Ratings were done at home by the child, alone or with the help of a parent. The results show that the classmates influenced children’s ranking of a new type of school meal but did not influence rankings of familiar lunch packs. These results are important not only because they add to our knowledge of the social dimension of liking, but also because they show that we should attend to social mechanisms when implementing new health-promoting food initiatives among children in schools.

The Effect of Job Training Program Based on Learning Materials/Tools Production on Lunch Packing Task Skill of Individuals with Developmental Disabilities

The Effect of Job Training Program Based on Learning Materials/Tools Production on Lunch Packing Task Skill of Individuals with Developmental Disabilities

School meal sociality or lunch pack individualism? Using an intervention study to compare the social impacts of school meals and packed lunches from home

The present article specifies and broadens our understanding of the concept of commensality by investigating what it means to ‘share a meal’. The study utilizes a school meal intervention carried out in Denmark in 2011/2012. It shows how different types of school meal arrangement influence the social life of a school class, and how these arrangements involve strategies of both inclusion and exclusion. Two types of school meals are compared in the intervention study: a hot meal based on Nordic ingredients and the normal Danish school meal arrangement in which children bring lunch packs to school. The study discusses commensality by examining and comparing lunchtime interactions within the same group of children in the two contrasting meal situations. The results fail to confirm the conventional view that shared meals have greater social impacts and benefits than eating individualized foods. The article argues that the social entrepreneurship involved in sharing individual lunch packs might even outweigh some of the benefits of shared meals where everyone is served the same food.

Nutritional contents of lunch packs of primary school children in nnewi, Nigeria.

Background:Lunch packs play a significant role in the nutritional status and academic performance of school children. Available data show a high prevalence of malnutrition among school-age children.Aims:The aim of this study is to document the nutritional contents of lunch packs of primary school children in Nnewi, Anambra state, Nigeria.Subjects and Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted among 1018 primary 1-6 pupils selected by stratified systematic random sampling from six primary schools, two each of private, – mission, – and government (public) – owned schools in Nnewi metropolis with the aid of the semi-structured questionnaire. Lunch packs of the pupils were examined.Results:Majority of the pupils (77.8% [792/1018]) had lunch packs although about half of pupils in public schools had no lunch pack. Only 12.4% (98/792) and 19.2% (152/792) of pupils with lunch packs had balanced meals and fruits/vegetables in their lunch packs, respectively. The odds of not coming to school with packed lunch was about 13 and 12 times higher for mothers with no formal education or only primary education, respectively, compared with those with tertiary education. Type of school had a strong influence on possession and contents of lunch pack (χ2 = 2.88, P < 0.001, phi coefficient = 0.72). Pupils in private (97.5% [198/203]) and mission (94.4% [388/411]) schools were more likely to have a lunch pack compared with public schools (51.0% [206/404]). However, pupils in private schools were most likely to have a balanced meal (32.5% [66/203] vs. 5.8% [24/411] in mission and 2.0% [8/404] in public schools) and fruits/vegetables (48.3% [98/203] vs. 10.2% [42/411] in mission and 3.0% [12/404] in public schools) in their lunch packs. Mothers’ educational status and parents’ occupation were significantly associated with lunch pack contents.Conclusion:Majority of the lunch packs of primary school pupils contain poor quality food especially in public schools. Mother's educational status and parent's occupation are important determinants of the nutritional contents of lunch packs.

Programs aimed to increase the nutritional content of lunch packs; systematic review

It is recommended that a healthy lunch packs (LP) should include fruits, vegetables and whole grains, but LP have been found to be unhealthy. Several studies have explored the efficacy of promoting the inclusion of fruits and vegetables in the LP. We have not found published systematic reviews of randomized intervention trials that assess the efficacy of these interventions. The aim of this study was to analyze randomized clinical trials assessing the effect of interventions addressed to improve the quality of the content of LP and the consumption of fruits and vegetables. An electronic search was conducted in /PubMed and Ebsco data base, of randomized intervention trials published up to April 2013. Five studies met the inclusion criteria, which included 2.5 to 11 yo children. The time of intervention ranged from 0.5 to 10 months, and the retention rate was ≥ 75%. In all the studies a significant increase in the quantity of fruit and vegetables in the LPs and their consumption in the intervention group was observed. This review shows a consistent and positive effect of intervention programs addressed to improve the quality of the LPs and the consumption of fruits and vegetables among school age children.

Unhealthy and Healthy Food Consumption Inside and Outside of the School by Pre-school and Elementary School Mexican Children in Tijuana, Mexico

Food from lunch packs (LP) or food available inside and outside of school can play an important role in the development of obesity. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the LP of elementary school (ES) and preschool children (PS) in Tijuana, and the foods available to them inside and outside of school. Eight public schools participated in the study. A random sample of all the groups from a school district was conducted. A questionnaire was administered to children in first through sixth grade (ES) and to the parents of PS. LP and food available inside and outside of the school were classified as healthy, unhealthy, and adequate according to the guidelines set forth by the Secretariat of Health. A total of 2,716 questionnaires were administered and the content of 648 LP was assessed. It was observed that 99% of PS had LP prepared at home, a higher percentage than ES. None of the LP of the ES was classified as healthy, and 1% was classified as adequate. Among PS, 21% of the LP were classified as healthy and 6% as adequate. More than half of the children recognized the brand name of foods high in fat, salt, and added sugar available inside and outside of school grounds. Most of the LP of ES and PS and the foods available inside and outside of school were unhealthy and inadequate. A strategy to prevent the availability of unhealthy and inadequate food in LP and foods available inside and outside schools is recommended.

Unbundling Outcomes of a Multilevel Intervention to Increase Fruit, Vegetables and Whole Grains Parents Pack for their Preschool Children in Sack Lunches

Background: Packing fruit, vegetables and whole grains in preschool children's sack lunches is a powerful way for parents to teach their children eating habits and food preferences to support a lifetime of good health. A multilevel intervention pilot-tested in childcare settings increased servings of vegetables and whole grains, but the lunches still fell short of the intervention goals. Purpose: Secondary analyses were conducted to identify specific behavior changes underlying achieved increases in servings of vegetables and whole grains. Methods: Food records from direct observation of 769 parent-packed lunches were investigated to unbundle and measure multiple aspects of lunch packing behavior. Changes from baseline to six week follow-up for the intervention (N = 81) and comparison (N = 51) parent-child dyads were evaluated in multilevel modeling. Results: The increase for whole grains was explained by more parents packing whole grain items whereas increase for vegetables was explained by parents packing vegetables on more days. Discussion: Tailored options were identified for further strategies to increase vegetables and whole grains in parentpacked sack lunches. Translation to Health Education Practice: Linking achieved outcomes to specific behaviors can be an aid in assessing needs and designing interventions to maximize the chances for success.

Nutritional quality of the lunches of children in day care in Osun State of Nigeria

Food patterns and dietary quality in the early years of life are usually determined by&nbsp;parents and other primary caretakers. Unfortunately the diets commonly offered to&nbsp;young children are of low quality and often lack variety, which is the key to specific&nbsp;nutrient adequacy. They are usually of low energy and nutrient density and as a result,&nbsp;multiple nutrient deficiencies are common in this age group. This study investigated&nbsp;the nutritional quality of the lunches of children in day care in Osun State of Nigeria.&nbsp;A structured interview schedule was used to collect data from 180 mothers randomly&nbsp;selected from the study area. Mothers were interviewed about their children�s eating&nbsp;habits, lunches and snacks packed for school. Descriptive statistics, such as&nbsp;percentages and frequency, were used to describe data. The results of the studyrevealed that 76% of the children ate breakfast before going to school. Almost all&nbsp;(91%) mothers gave their children lunch packs for school. The majority (72%) of the&nbsp;children went to school with additional mid-morning snacks, such as biscuits and&nbsp;pastries, and 12% took fruits. Few children (16%) did not take snacks to school. The&nbsp;socio-economic status of mothers was also considered and its effect on type of meal&nbsp;packed was examined. Results showed that 44.4% of the meals packed by mothers&nbsp;included carbohydrate-rich foods; 33.3% were partially balanced diets; and 22.3%&nbsp;packed a balanced meal for the children. Lower class mothers (15%) gave&nbsp;carbohydrate-rich food, while those of the middle class (21%) gave partially balanced&nbsp;diets. The percentage of mothers that packed balanced meals was not significantly&nbsp;different for the three socio-economic groups. It is recommended that mothers shouldhave access to nutrition information about recommended dietary practices for children&nbsp;and should be educated on how to use the four food plan group in planning meals for&nbsp;children through nutrition education programmes.&nbsp

Improving Parent's Lunch Packing Skill with Lunch Is in the Bag

Improving Parent's Lunch Packing Skill with Lunch Is in the Bag

P8: Lunch Packing for Preschoolers in Child Care: Parents' Needs Assessment and Newsletter Evaluation

P8: Lunch Packing for Preschoolers in Child Care: Parents' Needs Assessment and Newsletter Evaluation