Signing up to school lunches could save parents between 50-190 hours a year

Figures from the School Food Trust estimate parents who want to make packed lunches which meet the same nutritional standards as healthy school meals could put in between 50 and 190 hours of total preparation time across the school year. The estimates – based on the Trust's sample menus for packed lunches that meet the same standards as school food – come as parents consider their lunch options for the new school year. Chef and Trust chairman, Rob Rees, urged time-poor parents to consider the hours they could save by signing up for school lunches. "All parents want their children to eat well at school, but by the time you've got them off to bed in the evenings the last thing you feel like doing is heading back into the kitchen to create a really decent packed lunch," he said. "Our menus suggest that filling a lunchbox with foods that meet the same standards as school meals can take a lot of effort – and that's before you add in the time it takes to shop for ingredients. "School meals take away that hassle – you can rest assured that your children are choosing from a tasty, balanced menu and save yourself hours of precious family time." The average meal is now designed to give pupils the right mix of energy and nutrients – with minimum levels of carbohydrate, vitamins and minerals such as calcium and iron, and maximum levels for fat, saturated fat, sodium, and sugar.