Mum says parents who don’t pack a healthy school lunchbox are ‘FAILING’ their kids – as she whips up fish tacos and Thai green curry
MAKING the kids’ packed school lunches is a chore every parent hates.
Dreaming up exciting, healthy meals for your children without slaving away for hours in the kitchen and spending a fortune is hard work.
“When I see kids and they’re not getting everything [in their diet] they should, I do think it’s a [parental] failing,” the single mum-of-two exclusively told The Sun Online.
“My oldest son was born prematurely so I’ve always been aware about the importance of nutrition.
“It was really highlighted to me to make sure he is growing and developing properly.”
Paloma, who has two sons, aged two and four, always makes sure she send her boys off to class with “a protein, carbs, two or three vegetables and then two or three fruit bits”.
She believes preparation is the key and she spends an hour every Sunday evening sorting meals for the week ahead.
Paloma “tries to making everything from scratch”, and whips up a variety of balanced meals including Thai green chicken curry with coconut rice and sugar snap peas, egg muffins filled with spinach and tomatoes, and fish tacos with mixed pepper slices, corn on the cob and fruit.
“Fish tacos are a big favourite for them, plus anything with carrot,” she said.
“You can be creative if you put your mind to it. I wouldn’t say I’m creative at all.
“The fish tacos were just two fish fingers cut up in a soft taco and put in the microwave for 30 seconds. It’s not that impressive or amazing.
Paloma’s lunchboxes look like colourful works of art. She sources many of her ideas online.
“I came across Japanese Bento boxes where people do cute faces out of food,” she said.
“I can’t really do that but I bought a couple of bits online and over the summer holidays and I practised to see.”
And, she thinks it’s nonsense parents don’t have the time or money to feed their kids healthy grub.
“Not to be harsh but I think it’s rubbish, it’s easily done,” she said. “I’ve always tried to make sure my boys are healthy, from a younger age.
“I shop at Lidl because I found I was saving about £30 compared on my shop in Tesco.
“Each lunchbox will probably cost less than £2. The most expensive thing is the yogurt pouches, they’re about a £1 for four, but I’d rather get them as they’re easier for him to eat.”
She added: “For a snack you can easily have a carrot or an apple. It’s usually just stuff I have in the fridge that I’m putting together.
“Sometimes it is last-minute leftovers and I don’t think about it too much and it doesn’t take a lot of time.
“The time for me is because I like to do a bit of decoration but that’s not necessary.”
Earlier this week, Shirley Manor Primary Academy in Bradford banned parents from putting sausage rolls and other “unhealthy” foods in pupils’ lunchboxes.
The new policy has divided opinion, and Paloma thinks it’s daft to single out certain foods.
“As long as they’re not having it every day, I don’t see the issue. It’s about having balance,” she said.
“What’s wrong with parents giving their kids a treat one day a week? It’s too easy to just pick on one item, they need to look overall. Is it balanced? Is it meeting all the guidelines?
“I looked on the NHS website and it says something carby and a protein, well a sausage roll ticks that. What’s the issue? Just don't have it every day.”
Paloma says her sons “do appreciate” all the effort she goes to – but often request simpler lunches.
“His absolute favourite is a jam sandwich. I do all this stuff and he says, ‘Mum, can I have a jam sandwich for lunch?’” she laughed.
“But today, he’s excited. He’s taken chopsticks in even though he doesn’t really need them.
“He comes home and says, ‘Mum, I have the best packed lunch’. He does love it."
Earlier this month, we revealed how creative mums have been sharing snaps of their Disney-themed packed lunches.
Meanwhile, this is how school lunches compare around the world… from tofu in South Korea to popcorn chicken in America.