Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 6, 2026
Breakfast Habits among Schoolchildren in the City of Uruguaiana, Brazil
Published on: July 29, 2020
Family Perspectives on Packing a Low-Waste and Nutritious School Lunchbox
Neha K Lalchandani1, Caroline Miller2, Clare Hume3
1School of Health and Social Development, Global Centre for Preventive Health and Nutrition, Institute for Health Transformation, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia; School of Public Health, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia.
Objective:
To explore family perspectives on food, packaging, and waste in lunchboxes, and the everyday practices of lunchbox packing and consumption.
Design:
Exploratory qualitative study using semistructured interviews guided by a critical realist epistemology.
Setting:
Online interviews with South Australian families.
Participants:
Self-selected sample of 16 parents (94% mothers) and their children aged 8-12 years in primary school grades third through sixth (60% female) from public (75%) and private schools (25%) across medium (38%) and high (62%) socioeconomic backgrounds.
Phenomenon Of Interest And Variables:
Factors influencing preparation of a nutritious and low-waste school lunchbox.
Analysis:
Data were analyzed inductively using a reflexive thematic approach to identify major themes.
Results:
Three major themes were generated: (1) extrinsic factors and school environment structures, (2) intrinsic factors and a Hierarchy of Motivations, and (3) responsibility for change. External factors influenced familial lunchbox packing practices, whereas personal priorities shaped food and packaging choices. Families emphasized shared responsibility for improving nutrition and reducing packaging between parents, schools, and broader systems.
Conclusions And Implications:
This study provides updated insights into family lunchbox practices. Preexisting challenges in lunchbox practices deter prioritization of environmental sustainability. School-level initiatives should address barriers and leverage enablers to support families. Further research is needed to integrate nutrition and sustainability agendas and clarify responsibility for driving change.
Related Concept Videos
00:48Optimal Foraging
02:35Key Elements for Plant Nutrition
01:23Dietary Connections
01:26Design Example: Sustainability in Concrete Building
There are multiple approaches to achieve sustainability in a commercial concrete building. For instance, construct a concrete parking area under the building, utilizing pervious concrete paver blocks in open areas to facilitate rainwater collection through an underground...
01:19Absorption of Nutrients
Enterocytes, which are specialized polar epithelial cells, line the mucosa of the small intestinal walls. These cells...
01:27Parentral Nutrition: Centeral and Peripheral Parental Nutrition
PN can be administered through two primary routes:
1. Central Parenteral Nutrition (CPN):
CPN involves delivering a high concentration of nutrients through a large vein. This is typically achieved using a Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter (PICC) or,...