A history of packed meals

How school snacks have changed, but care stays constant

- TIMPLA'T TIKIM SOL VANZI

My great-grandson Theo Wolfe begins school this month. He's only four years old yet already has very strong likes and dislikes, especially about food.

For example, he loves bread but prefers plain bread without elaborate spreads and fillings. The same goes for pasta, which he prefers simply tossed with butter and cheese; no heavy sauce and meatballs.

Since he will only be in school for a couple of hours, packing snacks for him is not yet a big challenge: a bottle of juice, a piece of bread, some fruit, and he's happy. Things were not so simple when I was growing up. I went to school every day with bugong, a packed meal of rice and fish or whatever leftover there was from the night before.