There was plenty of finger-waggling from wellness advocates and dietitians when ABC last week exposed the packaged and processed foods filling our kids' lunch boxes across both our richest and poorest schools.

But some of the proposed solutions of home-made lunches — often requiring elaborate meal prep routines — failed to acknowledge the underlying issues here.

There are a variety of reasons why people might find food preparation difficult — from single parenting to disability or shift-work, just to name a few.

Telling people to avoid processed foods without addressing the drivers that underpin those choices is like fighting a bushfire with a garden hose.

Nutrition does not exist in a bubble — there are a variety of factors that need to be considered.

It could be argued that we need to prioritise nutrition and health over these other pressures. But continuing to press for solutions that aren't compatible with people's lives won't make for a healthier society.

So, let's all take a minute to check our privilege — not every food choice is made solely for nutritional reasons.

Cost

At first glance, packaged processed foods might appear more expensive than fresh, but not when you consider the impact of processing and packaging on shelf life.

Fresh foods, even when they are cheaper in the first instance, can rapidly spoil. An apple might last a week; packaged goods can last weeks, months or even years.

Consumers on a budget may choose to go packaged to avoid running the risk of wasted food, which translates to wasted money.

The longer shelf life also means that those on a budget can more easily purchase them when they are on sale and store them until needed.

Location also needs to be considered. The prices of fresh and packaged food vary drastically from our cities to our regional centres and our rural and remote areas.

Storage

Not everyone has the luxury of being able to store fresh foods safely or appropriately.

Fans of "meal prep" often take for granted that everyone has the space to store these meals at home and at school or work.

Packaged and processed foods can avoid the need to have cold storage or preparation areas.

Pests and food safety are also a consideration.

If you live in a house or neighbourhood with pest problems, then packaged and processed foods might be a strategy to protect from losses.

Healthy food can take time to prepare and perish easily. ( ABC Radio Darwin: Emilia Terzon )

Transport

If you had to take two buses to get to the supermarket, how might that change your food choices?

Most of us shop in supermarkets for our groceries. Those of us who jump in the car or live within walking distance of our local probably take for granted that everyone does the same. But this isn't the case for all Australians.

If a smaller convenience store with more packaged and processed choices is closer to home, it might be more expensive, but save travel time and money.

Transport from home to work or school also needs to be factored in. Can fresh foods be transported safely and conveniently?

If not, people might be more inclined to choose packaged and processed regardless of the health or environmental implications.

Use packaged and processed well

Remember, each of our food choices are not good or bad in isolation, but need to be considered in the context of our whole diets.

So don't feel guilty if packaged and processed is sometimes a necessary part of your diet, but consider the combination and variety of foods you are eating.

I am not saying we should not worry about the nutritional value of packaged and processed foods, but there are better ways to address this than to preach avoidance.

We can work with the food industry to improve the nutritional value of packaged and processed foods. And we should start teaching people how to use packaged and processed foods well.

Using packaged and processed foods well includes empowering people to see through "healthy marketing" to make better choices between products, and teaching people how to use nutrition information panels to look out for red flags, like high sodium, fat or sugar content in packaged and processed foods.

Emma Beckett is a lecturer in food science and human nutrition at the University of Newcastle.