WA schools have banned ham sandwiches from kid’s lunchboxes and parents are NOT happy

In a day that will have Vegemite manufacturers smiling ear-to-ear, it has been reported today that schools in Western Australia have vetoed the humble ham and cheese sandwich from their canteen menu in the name of healthier changes.

According to a report on Sky News, new dietary rules are classifying the traditional lunch meal as code "red".

Western Australian schools use a traffic light system to rank food based on its nutrition value under the categories green, amber and red.

Food items deemed "red", including chips, lollies and other unhealthy foods, are banned from sale at school canteens. It seems now that the humble ham and cheese sambo will be added to the list.

Interestingly, the report states that ham and cheese toasties were previously rated "green", while a plain ham sandwich was classified as amber but was allowed to be sold every day.

Now, ham has been taken off the menu altogether! Hit with a "red" classification that has many parents feeling ‘hambushed.’

WA School Canteen Association chief executive Megan Sauzier said she understood the decision but was seemingly dubious of the overall benefits.

"We've already made lots of headway because schools don't have salami and mortadella, and we don't have deep-fried chips, we have no soft drink, no confectionery — do we need to get rid of ham as well? I'm not sure," she told The West Australian.

Ham now flies past some other popular canteen items that find themselves on the slightly better ‘selected red items’ list. Sausage rolls and pies, previously considered "amber", as well as oven-baked wedges, are allowed to be sold only twice a week under the new ‘selected’ label.

What do you think? Should ham sandwiches be banned from school lunches?