Children should be more involved in making their own lunch, experts recommend

One area in which food waste could be reduced through planning and consultation is the lunch pack that most kids take to school every day

Stephen Gadd

If there is one thing that really divides the waters amongst school children, it is the packed lunch.

It is often a bone of contention at home as well, adding to the general stress level when Mum, Dad and the kids all have to get off to work and school in the mornings.

READ MORE: Still Adjusting: Back off rugbrød fascists

One thing is indisputable: it is usually Mum or Dad who ends up making it. A new survey carried out by the Arla Fund reveals that only 12 percent of Danish school children make their own lunch packs, reports TV2 Nyheder.

The survey also found that only 50 percent of the children felt sufficiently well-fed after lunch because a lot of them had not eaten all their food.

READ ALSO: Parents or schools – who should be responsible for school lunches?

“The lunch pack is an important source of energy for learning and play during a long school day. Parents really need to tackle this issue,” contended the report’s co-authors – Sanne Winther from the Arla Fund and Karen Wistoft, a professor in health sciences – in an opinion piece in Kristeligt Dagblad.

More consumer input needed
Their solution is to involve children far more in the making of their own lunch. This does not necessarily mean the children being totally responsible, but rather that they should take part in shopping, chopping the fruit and vegetables, buttering the bread and packing the lunch. They should also be involved in deciding what goes into the lunch pack.

“That is important because involving the children greatly increases the chance that the food will be eaten,” said Wistoft.

If parents are afraid that giving their children choice will mean a packed lunch full of unhealthy food such as Nutella or chocolate sandwiches, Wistoft’s experience shows otherwise.

“My advice to parents is that however busy their daily routine is, they talk about this with their children,” she added.

TOP STORIES

  • Three new countries recognise Palestine as an independent state – Denmark holds back

    Three new countries recognise Palestine as an independent state – Denmark holds back

    Norway, Spain and Ireland have announced that they will formally recognise Palestine as a state. A furious Israel has recalled its envoys from Dublin, Oslo and Madrid for emergency consultations. Denmark says it will only recognise Palestine under a two-state solution.

  • Digitization is the secret ingredient in Chinese restaurateur’s growth adventure

    Digitization is the secret ingredient in Chinese restaurateur’s growth adventure

    Publisher Jesper Skeel and Korean BBQ restaurant chain owner Zen discuss the ups and downs of independent entrepreneurship and how to crack the Copenhagen market, from both an international and Danish perspective.

  • Pro-Palestinian demonstrations divide Copenhagen society

    Pro-Palestinian demonstrations divide Copenhagen society

    As popular protests of the Israeli offensive in Gaza erupt around the world and in the media, from university campuses to the streets of major cities, discord is escalating between demonstrators, the general public, authorities and politicians.

  • Huge fire at Novo Nordisk – building “cannot be saved”

    Huge fire at Novo Nordisk – building “cannot be saved”

    A fire broke out at a Novo Nordisk site in Bagsværd on Wednesday morning. There have been no casualties, but the fire is “extensive and spreading”, and Novo’s administrative building “cannot be saved” say emergency services.

  • Denmark leads 15 member states in call to outsource EU migration policy

    Denmark leads 15 member states in call to outsource EU migration policy

    Just one day after the EU finally landed its New Pact on Migration and Asylum following four years of tough negotiations, a group of 15 member states, led by Denmark, issued a joint call for greater efforts to outsource migration policy and  prevent migrants from arriving at EU borders in the first place.

  • How to lead Danes IV – Cultural Bypassing

    How to lead Danes IV – Cultural Bypassing

    Many of us Danes, despite being well-educated and well-travelled, often lack experience in navigating cultural differences at work. This can lead to ‘cultural bypassing’, where we believe we are at a level of enlightenment where we no longer are burdened by the risk of making cross-cultural mistakes. As their manager, you can help your Danish colleagues by acknowledging cultural differences in the workplace.

Connect club

Connect Club is your gateway to a vibrant programme of events and an international community in Denmark.

Sign up here

Career

Want to advertise your job with CPH Post?

Contact us

Jobs