A MOTHER has left people open-mouthed after she shared the reality of making packed lunches for her 11 children.
Alicia Dougherty, a mum-of-11, revealed that she makes different sandwiches for her little darlings – with some opting for tuna, whilst others prefer Marshmallow fluff.
But that’s not all, as social media users were left even more baffled by one kid choosing to have just ketchup in his sarnie – yes, you heard that correctly.
Posting online under the username Dougherty Dozen, Alicia, who is from the US, and is based in New York, shared her clip with the caption ‘What did you have for lunch today?’
As she proceeded to make sandwiches for her children’s lunch boxes, she said: “Here’s what my 11 kids got in their lunch today.
“Their entree is a sandwich – James and Patrick got tuna, Alex got ham and American cheese, Dayshawn got Turkey and cheddar cheese, Zoey got sliced rotisserie chicken, Bree and Harlee got jelly, Dash got PBJ (peanut butter and belly), the twins got fluff (Marshmallow Fluff), and Bodhi got his ketchup sandwich.
“So then I lined up their lunch boxes in age order and added their sandwich containers.”
Once the sandwiches were made and put into the lunch bags, Alicia added a drink, vegetables, fruit and additional snacks.
She continued: “Their drink today is Capri Sun, their veggie is carrots, their fruit is an apple, their dairy is a YoCrunch yoghurt.
“Next I add in a spoon, wet wipe, breath mint, their motivational napkin, some chips and string cheese, put in their penguin ice pack, and closed them up.”
The TikTok clip, which was posted under the username @doughertydozen, has clearly left many open-mouthed, as it has quickly gone viral and has racked up a whopping 2.2 million views in just one day.
Social media users were left baffled as to how Alicia keeps up with all of her children’s dietary preferences, and many described the packed lunch making process as ‘dedication’.
One person said: “How do you keep track of who likes what?”
Another added: “I don’t know how you do it.”
I would forget who likes what
TikTok user
A third commented: “This is dedication.”
Whilst someone else wrote: “This would stress me out. I would forget who likes what.”
THE Dougherty Dozen are a family from the US who regularly post content on social media, usually focusing on life as a large family.
Josh and Alicia Dougherty struggled with infertility for nine years before adopting their first child from foster care. But just two days later they discovered they were pregnant.
Now the family have 11 kids, seven of which are adopted and four are biologically theirs. The family includes:
Josh, 45
Alicia, 43
Alex, 17
James, 17
Patrick, 15
Dayshawn, 14
Bree, 12
Zoey, 11
Dash, 10
Jordan, 9
Jason, 9
Bodhi, 7
Harlee, 5
Meanwhile, one user asked:“Do you ever accidentally mix up their sandwiches?”
To this, the mother simply replied: “Nope.”
Rhiannon Lambert, registered nutritionist and best-selling author of The Science Of Nutrition, has shared her tips for nailing school packed lunches.
Be mindful of the amounts of highly processed or sugary snacks you give them, but occasionally having chocolate and crisps in their lunch box isn’t going to cause any harm.
Shop-bought sandwich fillers may be the most convenient option, but are often quite high in sugar and salt. Instead, I make my own.
IF your kids have after-school and sports clubs, making sure they have enough in their lunch box is vital.
Include foods with a lower glycaemic index — most fruits and non-starchy veg (cucumber, pepper, sugar snap peas), and wholegrains like couscous and oats.
Remember, keep it simple! It’s often easy to overthink things like this and while kids might initially reject new, healthier options, be patient with them. Try to be a role model and encourage them along the way.
At the same time, many social media users were baffled by some of the sandwich fillings – in particular, the ketchup sandwich.
Ketchup sandwich is wild
TikTok user
One foodie asked: “Just fluff?? JUST KETCHUP???”
Another questioned: “…Did you say ketchup sandwich…?”
Whilst a third penned: “Ketchup sandwich is wild.”
Fabulous will pay for your exclusive stories. Just email: fabulousdigital@the-sun.co.uk and pop EXCLUSIVE in the subject line.
