New research reveals lunch box fatigue can kick in after just ONE week of term. Read on to know if you’re suffering from packed lunch fatigue already.
Just 6 days into term and the new research is out already. According to the latest research* it only takes just 6 days for mums and kids to get bored of packed lunches.
So how do you know if you are suffering from lunch box fatigue?
Key symptoms:
- bored of preparing lunch boxes – the enthusiasm is already dwindling
- packed lunch comes home uneaten
- kids are bad tempered, suffering from food rage at school pick up
- kids whinge about their packed lunches “Oh not that old packed lunch AGAIN!”
What does the research conducted by Cheestrings reveal?
65% of mums get lunch box fatigue just 6 days into the new term and the variety of items in the lunch box already starts to dwindle
Kids throw away on average half of their lunch box every day – the contents are considered to be “dull, uncool and unappealing”
That’s £40 worth of food a term, almost the cost of the average family weekly shop*1
1 in 50 mums admit to spending over £30 a week on their child’s lunch box – a staggering £1140 p.a and half of this is thrown away!
1 in 10 mums admit to smuggling in healthy items disguised as a treat
Nearly half of mums confessed they would like help to make their kids’ lunch more exciting and 22% of kids would eat more lunch if it looked more “playful and fun”
So what items get thrown away?
Top Lunch box losers are:
- vegetables
- home-made leftovers
- the wrong flavour
Top Lunch box Loves are:
- yoghurt
- cheese snacks
- sweet treats
The solution to lunch box fatigue?
Top nutritionist Dr Evelyn Hannon suggests the following:
find a way of creating a variety of lunch box options, that look appealing, save time and money and ensure nutritional balance. Follow simple tips such as including healthy food in a FUN way!
Our hints and tips section for more lunch box ideas, and our Lunchbox A-Z here