Kids buy junk food with lunch money

by Nicole Weston, Posted Sep 17th 2006 @ 4:03PM

It is probably not surprising to hear that kids often use money they are given to purchase school lunches to buy junk food, either on campus or after school. What is surprising is the number of students who do it. Researchers in the UK found that more than 2 million students, about 25% of all students from 4 to 16, skip lunch and buy junk foods with the money, and roughly 1 million students in the same age range "fib" about the amount of fruits and vegetables that they eat.

If there was ever a good reason to take the time to pack a lunch at home for kids to take to school, and to make sure kids are eating healthy at least while they are at home, this is it. Kids can still have cookies, chips and candy sometimes, but the report indicated that "some [students] even cheat by throwing away oranges and bananas in their lunchboxes but bringing home the peel." Kids should also to learn to eat - and appreciate - the foods that are good for them to develop healthy eating habits.

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Filed Under: Cooking With Kids, Did you know?
Tags: british isles, children, did you know, junk food, kid, kids, lunch, lunch money, lunches, money, school, school lunch

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Reader comments (Page 1 of 1)

9-17-2006 @9:13PM dlz said... we waged the battle with our kids a few years back over lunches. we would pack the things they specifically requested and always the lunches came home uneaten. finally, after realizing that we couldn't win the battle if it meant them going hungry for most of the day. they wanted school lunch because most of their friends had it.

our school's lunch program has gone out of it's way to make sure parents know what is being served and payment can be made on line into a child's account. you can log in and see how much money is being deducted daily and at least know they are picking up a lunch. right now they are young enough not to lie to us about what they did or didn't eat, and we're working hard to make sure they understand good nutrition. they know enough now to make good decisions and we aren't too worried about the future.

still, it's hard for a kid with a good home lunch to compete with friends at the table eating oreos and doritos and (i have seen) leftover taco bell. the social pressures are hard to combat, so unless there's a wholesale change in the way american parents feed their kids this battle will continue to rage.
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9-17-2006 @9:50PM Finished Law School said... The problem definitely starts and ends with the parents.
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9-18-2006 @12:56AM Adriane said... left over taco bell?! blerch. It's tough because I'm sure it's not just as simple as "pack a better lunch. I should think quite a few households just eat junk in general and what was once a simple lunch turns into a revamp of the whole family eating plan...a pretty major undertaking.
Also,the bad lunches may attribute to an economic problem...junk is (or can seem) a lot cheaper to buy than healthy snacks such as fresh fruit.
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9-18-2006 @12:42AM covai said... Hai !
I'm just wondered on tasting Indian foods
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9-18-2006 @8:26AM aurora said... "lawschool"--such a simple, pat answer.

You obviously do not have kids in school. At my daughter's elementary school, parents specified when they paid into the child's lunch account whether or not the child was allowed to buy "extras". Guess what? In 5 years and after multiple complaints about kids being allowed to buy these "extras" anyway nothing was done. Why? Understaffing. A different cashier every week is not going to, or want to (you know what these people make an hour?), check EVERY CHILD'S tray as they move through the line--600 to 800 a day. You can train one, then 3 days later that person's gone and you start all over.
The district's done away with sugary snacks and "extras" so now kids are spending their lunch money on pretzels and goldfish.

I have 2 kids that have so far been through 4 different schools and while the snacks might be different, the kids will buy *anything* except the set lunch. Especially when the kid sitting next to them has brought, from home, a "lunchable" complete with candy and soda--also against school rules, but I'll give you one guess what happens when an administrator requests parents not send things like that to school...
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9-18-2006 @8:37AM Mega Munch said... I used to spend my lunch money on baseball cards. I'm not sure which was worse for me.
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9-18-2006 @11:52AM B said... When I was in elementry school I sold my halloween candy to classmates. At least I did untill the principal found out, then I got in trouble for "soliciting."
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9-18-2006 @3:37PM calamari said... Kids ignored, sold, traded, or otherwise avoided their healthy lunches 30 years ago when I was one, and getting our hot little hands on junk food was quite the achievement. It's part of establishing independence from parents.

Feed 'em healthful meals/snacks while they're home; get 'em out running around instead of sitting. If the kids don't have special health issues and are getting their schoolwork done, I don't see the point in micromanaging their every choice.
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9-19-2006 @12:20AM Adriane said... Well said, calamari...I think kids will forever be trying to switch their good food for junk food that tastes good. Trading snacks was always a big deal at my elementary school lunch table, from what I remember. A snack or two at school won't kill them if they're eating right at home and are out getting exercise- I wonder how many families actually eat good food, though?
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