Mum shares the VERY grown up school lunchbox she prepares for her four-year-old daughter – before parents slam it as ‘inappropriate’
- An Australian mother has shared the contents of her daughter’s lunchbox online
- It contains a ham sandwich, pistachio nuts, pretzels, snow peas and fig crackers
- While it may have looked like a 12-year-old’s lunch it’s actually for a four-year-old
- Some have asked how her daughter shells the pistachio nuts on her own
- She put it down to ‘fine motor skills’, muscle strength, and the use of teeth
An Australian mother has shared the very grown up contents of her daughter’s school lunchbox, which contains pistachio nuts, cheese on crackers and snow peas.
The doting parent, from Perth in Western Australia, was excited to share her little girl’s gourmet lunch to Facebook, saying that she is ‘smashing’ the lunchbox competition.
But there were plenty of surprised responses when her followers found out her daughter was only four years old.
‘My four-year-old girl has recently started school. She’s getting cheese and ham sandwiches, tomatoes, snow peas, some yoghurt with fruit, and a range of crackers and nuts,’ the mother wrote alongside a photo of the bento box container.
The doting parent, from Perth in Western Australia, was excited to share her little girl’s gourmet lunch to Facebook, saying that she is ‘smashing’ the lunchbox competition
‘My four-year-old only eats chicken nuggets,’ one person said.
‘Just wait until you have teenagers and send them to school with a lunchbox like this. How embarrassing mum,’ said another.
A third added: ‘All I can think is the yoghurt is going to slide about and crush the pretzels’.
Another person wanted to know how a four-year-old is able to shell their own pistachios, with minimal upper body strength.
But her mother had a clear response: ‘With strong fine motor skills, some muscle strength, and occasionally the use of teeth’.
According to the Australian government children aged between four and eight years old should be eating 1½ serves of fruit, 4½ serves of vegetables, four serves of grains, 1½ serves of meat/poultry and 1½ to two serves of dairy every day (stock image)
According to the Australian government children aged between four and eight years old should be eating 1½ serves of fruit, 4½ serves of vegetables, four serves of grains, 1½ serves of meat/poultry and 1½ to two serves of dairy every day.
Parents.com said that lunch could consist of half a turkey and cheese sandwich on whole wheat bread, hummus and vegetable sticks, a small box of raisins and half a cup of sliced strawberries.
Many Australian schools don’t allow nuts on the premises because of allergies but it’s up to the individual educators to make that decision.
Nutritionist Lee Holmes (pictured)
Nutritionist Lee Holmes has previously spoken about the ‘perfect’ lunchbox and how it should be filled with plenty of different, natural colours, have separated dry and wet ingredients and plenty of fruits, vegetables and protein.
‘A nutritionally-balanced lunchbox should contain an array of food from various food groups,’ Lee told FEMAIL.
She recommends plant-based treats like fresh juices and smoothies, chopped-up vegetables and hummus and seeds, as well as blueberries and strawberries over jelly and rich jams.
‘Use different types of fruits and vegetables, seeds, coconut flakes, full fat calcium rich dairy foods, protein rich foods such as meats, eggs, seed butters, pulses and tuna and oily fish,’ she advised.
They will need some form of carbohydrates and healthy fats to ensure they stay full through the long day.
Things like sunflower seeds, avocado and pumpkin seeds can increase satiety, help to stabilise kids’ moods and boost their concentration.