Parents urged to remove ham sandwiches from lunchboxes

Parents have been urged to stop putting the humble ham sandwich in their children’s lunch boxes.

Messages from the Cancer Council in New South Wales urging families to ditch the ham sandwich have been included in some school newsletters.

Dietitian and chief health officer of HealthyLife, Simone Austin, says “ham sandwiches are not for every day”, due to their high sodium content and the preservatives in ham.

She urged parents to consider other options.

“What about things like even leftovers from the night before or crackers with cheese and cherry tomatoes, or a thermos of soup … or cold roast veggies even,” she told 3AW Breakfast.

But she doesn’t support a total ban of the popular lunchbox item.

“I don’t think we should be saying ‘Don’t have it’.

Press PLAY below to hear why parents are being urged to take ham sandwiches off the menu