Can lunch boxes still expose class?
For most parents, making lunch boxes for their children is a very complex discipline.
To contrast the differences in students' lunch boxes, Australian media visited two schools in different parts of Melbourne: Broadmeadows, one of the most vulnerable districts in the city; and Brighton, one of the wealthiest districts.
Pediatric nutritionist Mandy Sacher says the most challenging lunch is at Broadmeadows, where teachers say children don't even have to bring lunch to school.
Here's what Broadmeadows looks like for lunch:
Broadmeadows has a median weekly household income of $900, well below the national median of $1,440.
Here's Brighton's lunch:
Brighton's median weekly household income is $2,410, well above the national median income of $1,440.
To what extent have economic differences changed children's lunches?
Nutritionist Mandy Sacher says not much.
However, there does seem to be a slight downward trend in sugar levels in wealthy areas.
"At Brighton, most of them eat vegetarian and fruit," she said. At Broadmeadows, I do see more sugar, with lots of packaged foods. ”
Overall, she says, packing a fun and nutritious lunch box is a common challenge.
"There's not much difference between the two schools. Most of them are just bread and packaged foods. ”
According to the latest NHS, only one in ten Australian children are eating recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables.
Sacher says that as a dietitian, she tries to provide parents with simple solutions to problems.
"We should set standards for long-term healthy eating habits from an early age."
In sandwiches, vegetarian or ham is the preferred filling for most children in the wealthier suburbs compared to peanut butter in the poorer suburbs.
Sacher says homemade lunches can bring long-term health benefits to people.