Are 7 year olds smart enough to choose what to have for lunch?

Are 7 year olds smart enough to choose what to have for lunch? Will they choose a balanced diet, with fruit, vegetables and water? I don't think so. I don't think 7 year olds should be given pocket money to buy lunch on their own and decide what they should eat. I think it is ok during a short break or recess in the morning but not for lunch.

At school, I saw some kids who had catered food from the canteen for lunch. Some had lunch catered from outside. Some had lunch brought by parents. Some were flanked by maids. Some had very balanced meals, fried chicken, vegetables, rice. Some had warm porridge brought in a container. Some older kids who were perhaps more hungry could buy rice or noodles for themselves.

Then I saw this 7 year old, who ran to the canteen counter, bought himself two packets of junk (usually with names like tam tam or miao miao or something ridiculous like that) and he sat and enjoyed his two packets of junk for lunch.

I think not allowing pocket money and just allowing him to eat a cold sandwich prepared in the morning would have been much better.

I know that kid. He is in my son's class. He will have more junk food for tea. Then he has to wait for the older kids to come out later in the day before going off in a bus... not home but to another daycare centre.

I don't think that 7 year olds in my time had such a schedule but it seems to be getting more common now. :(