Nearly all parents say their children get a better packed lunch than they ever did, research shows

• 65 per cent of parents now believe packing a healthy lunch is most important
• Apples, hard-boiled eggs and white rolls are now seen as outdated items 

Many of us endured years of uninspired lunchtimes at school as our parents sent us off, day after day, with classic staples such as jam sandwiches or a boiled egg.

But these days, children are enjoying a much more exotic and varied array of tasty treats in their lunchboxes, with sushi and fresh pineapple growing in popularity.

Some 89 per cent of parents insist their children get a better quality meal packed for school than they ever did, according to research. 

Modern mums and dads are reportedly packing the likes of health bars (33 per cent), cherry tomatoes (30 per cent) and bagels (26 per cent).

One in four (25 per cent) put in some fresh pineapple, with almost one in ten (9 per cent) choosing sushi. 

Children are enjoying a much more exotic and varied array of tasty treats in their lunchboxes, with sushi and fresh pineapple growing in popularity (file image)

On the other hand, 39 per cent of families said hard boiled eggs are now out of favour, 14 per cent said the same about white rolls and 27 per cent felt the same about processed cheese triangles.

READ MORE: These school lunches were confiscated by teachers for being ‘too unhealthy’ for toddlers – but what’s the nutritionist verdict?

Even apples were voted one of the most outdated lunchbox items by 17 per cent of parents.

Some 70 per cent of parents feel there is often light competition between parents when it comes to what is in their child’s lunch. 

Of more than 1,500 parents surveyed by Amazon Grocery, 65 per cent said providing a healthy lunch was the main objective when packing food for their kids.

And 49 per cent of parents have felt embarrassed when packing items such as chocolate bars and crisps. 

A third (33 per cent) admit they have taken a sneaky peek inside another child’s lunchbox, while more than a quarter (26 per cent) now regularly take a picture of their child’s lunchbox to post on Instagram.

Packed lunches are also more popular than school dinners, with 57 per cent of parents seeing their kids off to school with their lunch five days a week.

It takes parents an average of 11 minutes to pack a lunch box, with 65 per cent cutting their children’s sandwiches into creative shapes, while 43 per cent include notes and drawings for their youngsters. 

Sandwiches have made way for trendy salmon rolls in lunchboxes (file image)

And rather than a plastic lunchbox or cling film, 8 per cent provide their child’s lunch in a tote bag, while 23 per cent send their children in with a mini cool box/bag.

Food historian Angela Clutton who worked with Amazon Fresh on the research, said: ‘Looking at lunch boxes over the last 25 years, it is striking to consider how much has changed even when the core elements might seem similar.

‘A lunch box of 1998 and one in 2023 might each typically include a sandwich, savoury snack, cheese, a sweet treat, fruit, and a drink – yet what those elements are would be very different.’

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