(Unwrapped) Food for Thought: Exploring the Intersection of Waste and Nutrition in Children’s Lunchboxes

Abstract

Although most children in Australia bring a packed lunch from home to school, research on the environmental impacts of children’s lunchbox contents is limited. There is some recognition of the importance of addressing nutrition early in life, and many healthy eating interventions directed to preschools and primary schools. However, what seems to be missing is the attachment of environmental considerations to these healthy eating interventions, hence the importance and connection of both agendas are not realised for public and planetary health. This doctoral research employed a mixed methods research design to explore the connection between waste and nutrition in the context of school lunchboxes. This thesis is divided into eight chapters, including four research studies and five manuscripts. Given the novelty of this research area, an initial scoping review was conducted to explore studies that considered children’s lunchboxes in conjunction with their environmental outcomes. Results from this review of 10 articles globally from Australia, USA, Spain, New Zealand, and the UK, demonstrated the very limited research in this area, where packaging outcomes of lunchbox foods were understudied. It also highlighted the need to recognise socio-ecological influences driving sustainability practices for health co-benefits. Next, a content analysis of websites of 18 pre- and primary schools in South Australia was conducted to identify the presence or absence of policies and programs focussed on healthy eating and environmentally friendly aspects of school food environments. This study also showed that a dual focus on these combined issues was lacking. The flagship study of this doctoral research involved a quantitative audit of school lunchboxes through the development of a novel methodology encompassing food, waste, and packaging considerations. After a pilot demonstrating that the audit tool developed had excellent feasibility and reliability, the main lunchbox audit (including data from 673 lunchboxes) showed that, overall, there was a high proportion of single-use packaging in lunchboxes and considerable proportion of food waste (mostly vegetables), although lunchboxes of preschool children contained more unpackaged food compared with primary school children. The final study involved interviews with families to understand (a) their lunchbox packing practices and choices, (b) the influencing factors and priorities when packing lunchboxes, and (c) what changes would support their lunchbox packing practices. Along with identification of barriers and facilitators to packing a low-waste nutritious lunchbox, there were several competing priorities influencing families, as well as school level factors that influence, and could support further changes in, lunchbox contents. The ultimate goal of this PhD research was to investigate the relationship between the environmental agenda (in relation to waste) and children’s food consumption patterns, in order to inform future discussions about ways to create change in both arenas, particularly in the school lunchbox context. In summary, despite the co-benefits of environmental agendas for children’s health and planetary health, challenges remain in the school food environment and also at home. Packing a low-waste, nutritious lunchbox is not yet the norm, and families face competing priorities and complexities. However, this research shows there is scope for school level policies and programs to facilitate change and promote reducing waste as well improving children’s nutrition, considering alignment with current familial structures without placing undue burden on families. Strengthening policies and programs at the preschool level and carrying them forward into primary schools can be an effective way to initiate change.