How much lunch remains by day's end?
I was visiting another school at the 3pm hour today. I noticed a papa with his two kids packing up on their bikes to go home. Before putting the bags into the cargo bin, the papa rustled through the kids' lunch bags. "What did you eat today?" He sounded exasperated. When I heard him, I felt a bit relieved. I was glad to know that my kids' lunches aren't the only ones coming home almost completely intact. I would say they are anywhere from 60-90% intact, on the whole.
What is it the kids eat all day? How is they get through the day, if all they eat are crumbs and nibbles of bits and pieces? Is it too distracting at school for a proper lunch? I would think that the full day of activity would make for ravenous children. Why is that when they get home, they are suddenly so hungry and tear through the cupboards for that pre-dinner snack? Should I be packing other items, more suitable for hurried lunch hours and distracted mouths? I would like to know: how much of your kids' lunches make their ways back home?
My boy generally does finish his lunch at school; however, our rule has always been that he has to finish whatever remains in his lunchbox after school before having any other snack.
Posted by: Andrea | September 21, 2010 at 06:59 PM
My 1st grader eats most of her lunch too, although I often pack more than I know she can eat at lunch so that she'll have a snack ready for after school. Our general practice too is to finish whatever is in your lunchbox before having another snack. Occasionally she does bring home most of 1 item (I send 3-4 different things), or doesn't eat the veggies I packed.
Posted by: Emily | September 21, 2010 at 07:16 PM
My daughter has a tendency to leave a lot of her lunch untouched (50% on average?) even if it's something I know that she likes. She's very social, so I feel certain there is more talking than eating going on during her short lunch break! I've actually gotten better results only packing 3 different items in any one lunch (not 4) and giving her smaller portions. She usually eats a piece of fruit on the way home, then sometimes another small, healthy snack at home, and THEN a full dinner.
Posted by: Nicola | September 21, 2010 at 07:51 PM
My 1st grader ranges between 25-75% of lunch consumed. I suspect that some of that is due to his anxiousness for recess - I haven't seen firsthand, but suspect that he stops eating the instant he's allowed to go outdoors to run around. I'm glad he's being active, but WISH that schools would do recess, then lunch so that kids wouldn't rush through their food!
Posted by: KarenNM | September 21, 2010 at 08:21 PM
So far our new kindergartner is eating all of his lunch and wants a snack and is hungry after school/aftercare. I am thinking of adding more items to see if he eats them. Parent Hacks has a great conversation on this right now too. See link: http://www.parenthacks.com/2010/09/how-do-i-get-my-kid-to-eat-more-of-her-school-lunch.html
Posted by: Courtney | September 21, 2010 at 08:59 PM
my new kindergartener has taken lunch two times and eaten school lunch the rest of the time. The two times I packed lunch, it was food I *know* he loves--turkey sandwich, grapes, cookies was one, subway leftover of his and cookie was the other. It got eaten. I also volunteer once a week at his school and happen to be there for lunchtime--on the days I'm there, he eats really about what I guessed from the menu he would have eaten, and it's usually a large amount for him.
Posted by: Melanie | September 21, 2010 at 09:05 PM
his school does do lunch before recess, but they don't excuse them for about 20 minutes, and the teacher calls a stop to all talking about 5 mins. before excusing them to call their attention from socializing to finishing food, and also to make any announcements or tell them anything else important. I think that really helps them finish up before they run off to play.
Posted by: Melanie | September 21, 2010 at 09:09 PM
My first-grader's school made a change this year, to having lunch after recess rather than before. It has made a HUGE difference in her lunch consumption! She used to come home with just nibbles eaten; now she eats most of it most days. I'm delighted and convinced this is a better arrangement for kids--spread the word in your own schools?
Posted by: Molly | September 21, 2010 at 10:22 PM
When my daughter was in second grade I packed her a lunch each day because she'd complained so much about school lunches. This was very difficult financially but I stuck with it. At the end of the school year I got a bill from the school for $105 for school lunches. I found out my daughter had been throwing away the lunches I put together and was buying school lunch. Here I thought she was eating all of her lunch (which she helped pick out) and instead it went in the garbage. Needless to say, 4 years later I still don't send lunches from home. :(
Posted by: Krista | September 21, 2010 at 10:44 PM
The parents at my 5th grader's PPS school complained about this so much a few years ago that the teachers now allow the kids a couple of snack times during the day, so kids who bring lunch from home can pick at it throughout the day (parents donate snacks for kids who buy cafeteria lunch). It's made a huge difference in my son's energy level (the teachers say it's great for all the kids) and his lunch bag nearly always comes come empty. I think most schools provide just a 1/2 hour for lunch/recess and that's just not enough time for most kids to eat and run around.
Posted by: momof3boys | September 22, 2010 at 08:33 AM
I am discovering that my kids' are usually having so much fun chatting with friends at lunch that they don't allow themselves the opportunity to eat it all. Sometimes I save the really healthy stuff for their afterschool snack when they'll literally eat ANYTHING. because, at school, if they're limited on time, they'll eat the fun stuff first and then oops! lunch is over.
Posted by: mammamia | September 22, 2010 at 08:41 AM
My "boy" is 26, but eating was a HUGE issue for him in school. He had ADHD (and later we found, bi-polar also), the atmosphere of any lunchroom is like a wild primate house...*I* couldn't even stand it. They had very little time to eat under very loud, distracting circumstances and he never ate. He was NOT a morning person, so getting food down him in the morning was nearly impossible unless it was some crap you couldn't fuel anything on. I'm of the mind, that within reason, without too much mess or fuss, kids should be permitted to graze on healthy things all day long, not just cram it in in a few minutes of mayhem. Being taught to take care of your physical needs quietly and efficiently seems prudent. Having a few healthy, high protein snacks in your desk to eat at will doesn't seem that unreasonable to me. The school thought otherwise...but since he was on an IEP, I fought to have it written into his plan that due to meds and his size, he needed to be permitted to eat on demand.
Posted by: Cherrie | September 22, 2010 at 09:12 AM
My second-grade daughter has lunch after recess and I've noticed she does eat a bit more now. We've also shifted to a heartier breakfast in the morning; she eats a snack in her classroom mid-morning; we pack a lighter lunch with several snack-sized portions; and we make sure she has a protein-rich snack right after school-- when she is usually tired and/or grumpy. Are you guys feeling like you're in a routine yet? We're getting there...
Posted by: Hayley L. | September 22, 2010 at 09:39 AM
We have dealt with this issue for years. Both my kids (4th and 6th grades) come home with a fair amount of lunch still in the lunch box. They claim they are not given enough time to eat, but I think they get distracted and chatty. We have a rule now that if they don't finish their lunches at school, there is no dessert after dinner. I refuse to waste food or have them eat all their lunch when they get home at 3 something, only to have them not be hungry at dinner time. Maybe if they had recess first they would be less likely to chat at lunchtime and more likely to eat all of their food.
Posted by: nepdxmomof3 | September 22, 2010 at 10:03 AM
This was a real problem for my son when he started kindergarten. All of a sudden he had only about 15 minutes to eat and all of it was taken up with chatting and wishing for recess. A big change from day-care. First grade wasn't much better. Finally this year his school switched to recess first and lunch second and he's been eating nearly everything I pack. Also, his teacher this year lets them have a mid-morning snack and water all day. These two things have made a HUGE difference. I was so frustrated with the short lunch period and got no traction at all with the idea that kids shouldn't have to cram down food in 10 minutes. Am so happy they switched the recess/lunch order finally.
Posted by: Maggie | September 22, 2010 at 10:53 AM
I am adding to the previous comment on having recess first and then lunch. This year our school did and her lunch box has been empty every day, I think every school should push for this.
Posted by: Parent of two | September 22, 2010 at 11:54 AM
I was told that my kindergarter's school does not do snacks during the day due to an ant problem, and all lunches are kept in a bin in the hallway for lunchtime. The K classes eat at 11:30, and the after school program has snacks, but it seems like a long time for a 5 year old to have to wait to eat!
Posted by: Debby | September 22, 2010 at 01:28 PM
Another recess first then lunch parent here. It makes a huge difference for my son. They started it last spring and have kept it going this year. I also have implemented the finish your lunch box contents before any other snack after school plan. That might be a factor as well. I think maybe fewer options in his box helps. Makes it easier to focus on eating something rather than being overwhelmed about where to start. I could be wrong, but it makes packing easier so I'm sticking to it!
Posted by: mom22 | September 22, 2010 at 06:34 PM
My 2nd grader eats all of his lunch except for maybe some scraps. I also attribute it to recess before lunch! Though, he seems to be growing and hungry all the time. He has also been pretty much been eating all of his dinner.
Now the Kindergartener is a nibbler and always ravenouse when I pick him up. I do bring him a snack but general rule is that what's not eaten at lunch becomes his snack after aftercare.
Posted by: hau | September 22, 2010 at 08:31 PM
My new kindergartner gets 15 minutes for lunch. He never gets through his lunchbox. And he is HUNGRY! We have been calorie-ladening his breakfast, and he finishes his lunch at after-school care. He seems to have plenty of energy, so it must be ok.
Posted by: sarah | September 24, 2010 at 09:10 AM
Our neighborhood school provides free breakfast to all students during class time when the bell rings. Since I feed her a nutritious breakfast before she goes, I am hoping that will discourage eating much of the often-processed food served. I send her with lunch, but am finding that my social girl isn't so hungry two hours after eating double breakfasts! Most of the lunch becomes an after school snack.
Posted by: Kirsten | September 24, 2010 at 02:39 PM
we've had a lot of leftover lunch, too. so many days of getting almost *everything* back at the end of the day -- though they chose the items themselves and said that's what they wanted -- and we sat down with the school lunch menu and picked a few days a week to have school lunch. they've reported that their very favorite was last tuesday: brunch for lunch! lots of enthusiasm about that meal.
I've been trying the strategy of giving them smaller portions; of opening the lunchbox once we get home for snacks; and sending things again the next day (and the next and the next) if they're not spoilables. those raw almonds are still there two weeks later :) hopefully I'll find the magic formula eventually...
Posted by: sarah gilbert | September 26, 2010 at 07:09 PM
I read this thread as I was thinking about lunches for my almost-3, who started Montessori today. At his age, he's not the greatest at manipulating his tableware under the best of circumstances, so these posts made me think long and hard about what to pack. Today I gave him 4 potstickers, some lightly cooked carrots sticks, and a container of cherry tomatoes, ground cherries, and grapes.
He ate everything but the carrots! So far, so good! They do lunch after recess, so perhaps that helped.
Posted by: Camellia | September 27, 2010 at 03:05 PM
I just had lunch with my son in elementary school. He often comes home with 60% or more of lunch and eats on our walk home. I would say the reason is short lunch (about 20 min I think) and this included getting punch card, getting in line for milk, and sitting down, opening up items, being interrupted by principal via microphone to discuss something....felt very rushed. Especially if you plan on talking while eating.
Posted by: mcarse | September 28, 2010 at 01:02 PM
Very, very nicely done!
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