Share
21st February 2024
12:12pm GMT
Some days our kids love sandwiches for lunch but the next they'll cry at the sight of bread.
On top of this, there's always the question of what you should put in there vs what they'll actually eat.
Then there are the opinions of doctors, dieticians, and parents on TikTok that you have to wade through on your mission to do what's best for your family.
That being said, a concerned nurse has come out with a controversial statement regarding the foods that are best avoided in a child's lunch box but it might not be for the reason you think.
According to pediatric nurse and founder of health charity CPR Kids Sarah Hunstead, there are five foodstuffs you shouldn't include to reduce the risk of the throat becoming blocked and your child choking.
While fruit and veg are so important for any person's diet, Sarah explains that whole grapes can easily become lodged in the windpipe.
"It's best to slice grapes into smaller, more manageable pieces before packing them in your child's lunchbox - lengthwise and into quarters - NOT halves," she writes.
For the same reason, the nurse recommends that whole cherry tomatoes shouldn't be packed as a snack.
"Cherry tomatoes are small and round, making them a choking hazard for young children," she explains.
Any small, spherical food should be cut into quarters or smaller to reduce the chance of choking.
Though a fiber-loaded snack, it's best that little ones eat it with parental supervision, Sarah says.
"Although it's a beloved snack for movie nights (and school), popcorn can pose a significant choking risk for young children, particularly those under the age of 4," she writes.
Instead, the nurse says rice cakes, pretzels, and corn cakes might be a good swap as they share similar textures.
Not only can these be a choking hazard but nut allergies are one of the most common among children so much so that even traces of nuts can cause some people to have a reaction.
"It's best to avoid packing nuts in your child's lunchbox altogether (please check your child’s school policy)," Sarah advises.
"And opt for safer alternatives like nut-free granola bars."
Sarah also states that sausages, even when sliced into rounds, shouldn't be included in a packed lunch.
Though a great source of protein and a good way to use up the leftovers from last night's dinner, the casing can be difficult for little ones to bite through increasing the choking risk.
Instead cut them into small cube-like pieces.
Explore more on these topics:
