Last word on packed lunch items comes from child, study claims

06 Apr 2018 --- The study concluded that children, not their parents, are often the primary decision maker of whether they will eat a school lunch or what is packed in their lunch. Children have an active role in dictating what goes into their packed lunches, the study suggests, through means of reporting what other children are eating and making specific requests whilst out shopping. The study was published in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior.

“Children’s role in their packed lunch provision highlights their growing authority over everyday food decisions. Packed lunches provide a unique medium because they connect the school, parent, and student. There is limited research, though, on parents’ perspectives and perceptions related to packed lunches, specifically the role of children in food choice and preparation,” says lead author Hannah Ensaff, PhD., School of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Leeds, UK.

Study participants were twenty parents providing a packed lunch for their children (aged 5 – 11 years) attending four urban primary schools in the UK.

Focus groups were conducted to promote discussion among parents to gain an understanding of contrasting viewpoints. Key topics explored included reasons for selecting a packed lunch, foods and beverages included and their selection, role of children in preparation, and packed lunch policies.

Four key themes emerged from the data. These were children as decision makers, priorities when preparing a packed lunch, parent’s anxieties and reassurances and school factors.

Even though parents preferred taking advantage of school lunches that are provided at no cost to some lower-income families, they were unwilling to force this decision when their child disagreed. The child’s food preferences also took precedence when the packed lunch was prepared. Children themselves made specific requests when shopping or the parent packed what they knew would be enjoyed and eaten. 

The ability to monitor whether a lunch been eaten was cited as a benefit of a packed lunch over a school lunch and providing a treat in the packed lunch was also important to parents.

The inclusion of treats and other items such as chips, chocolate, and soda is often prohibited by packed lunch guidelines, but parents questioned whether enforcement is possible. They also reported children trying to persuade parents to ignore the policy by reporting on what other children had brought to school.

Researchers assert that children’s growing authority over food choice has implications for staff involved in providing school food and presents an opportunity to develop initiatives to promote better food choices and subsequent nutrition.

“This is particularly important as schools are being used for public health interventions,” adds Ensaff. 

Therefore, further research is needed to explore children’s perceptions of their role as active decision makers in food choices both in packed lunches and school meals.

Questions concerning children’s nutrition are ever present in society, due to the importance of receiving adequate nutrition in early life stages. NutritionInsight has previously reported on the role that mandatory interventions from state levels can play in regulating children’s nutrition, particularly in regards to sugar intake.

Furthermore, studies have also indicated that children should play a more active role in their food decisions from an early age, and preschool teaching programs should apply these methods to create a more holistic and active approach to teaching kids about food and healthy choices.