Parents tell the government to pack it in

Emmanuelle Bouvier, senior consumer analyst at Mintel explained more: "There is a general feeling of resentment towards the "Nanny State" approach to children's packed lunches, as Britain's parents are bombarded with healthy eating initiatives in schools. "Mums and dads may feel insulted at the assumption that they don't know what to put into a simple packed lunch. Many parents choose packed lunches precisely because it gives them greater control over what their child eats - much more so than with school dinners. These new guidelines clearly take this control away and understandably this is putting people's backs up." Around 10% of parents admit that their children are not eating the healthy lunch they pack for them. But the research from Mintel does show that the introduction of nutritional standards have had a positive effect on parents' choices for packed lunches. Back in 2006 just two-thirds (66%) of mums said that they try to give their children a mixture of healthy food and treats. But in this latest research as many as 86% of parents felt that they were achieving this balance. What is more, it seems parents also accept that school dinners are becoming healthier, with as many as 71% believing that school dinners are healthier than they used to be. Bouvier added: "Although parents may resent Governmental healthy eating guidelines, our research does suggest that they do work and that they have changed people's habits for the better."