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Education

Quick poll on packed lunch

70 replies

swedishmum · 26/05/2006 23:06

OK, so ds can't take fizzy water to school. Fair enough. Just want to know how many of you are not allowed to take chocolate covered biscuits in lunch boxes. Thanks for any replies.

OP posts:

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schneebly · 26/05/2006 23:10

ds not in school yet but nothing banned here afaik but they get 'points' for healthy eating and win prizes and stuff.

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Aero · 26/05/2006 23:50

I don't think our school disallows choc covered biscuits, but I personally don't include them in their lunchboxes. The reason for that is that if they then ask for one at home, I can allow it on the basis that a little 'junk' is ok and they have had a healthy lunch.

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Jodee · 26/05/2006 23:56

DS hates chocolate, so not an issue, but he has a small piece of angel cake or lemon slice, the rest is healthy stuff.

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milward · 26/05/2006 23:59

Nothing wrong with me for my kids to take choc biscuits. Important to strike a balance.

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swedishmum · 27/05/2006 00:02

Ds normally takes v healthy stuff like sushi, tuna on wholemeal roll etc, but got in big trouble today. I hadn't been shopping so had to search for food. As a result he ended up with a 2 bar kit kat - apparently a sin according to new rules. Also had apple, raisins, fruit juice, cucumber in box btw. The joke is that school dinners kids still get chocolate pudding... it turns me into a naughty child. Seriously tempted to send him in with a box full of choc buttons.

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zoeuk1 · 27/05/2006 10:55

my ds takes a sandwich, yogurt and then something like a kit-kat and a carton of fruit juice. to me having the kit-kat etc is just the same as having a dessert.

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foxinsocks · 27/05/2006 10:59

we are asked not to put any chocolate or crisps in their lunch boxes but in practice, anything is allowed (except nut products)

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BagelBird · 27/05/2006 11:05

no sweets, no chocolate (incl. covered cakes).
They actively discourage (but don’t ban as such) crisps and cakes.
All children send in an empty water bottle that is filled up for them with water. This stops leaks in bags and avoids all difficulty in kids bringing in cheap squash (e number cocktails) etc. This move to ban all crinks other than supplied water has had a dramatic effect on general class behaviour in the afternoons.

Typical lunch bag found in our school (not just my offering) has the following:
sarnie (roll/wrap/pitta pocket etc),
yoghurt/jelly pot/mousse
fruit
Extras would be veg sticks (carrot, cucumer type stuff), pasta salad pot,couscous, rice salad cheese cubes, cocktail sausages.

As they all do it via a massive healthy eating campaign there are no problems. There is some irony in watching the school dish out dinners with alternating desserts incl treacle sponge, viennese tart, apple crumble and ice cream etc but never any choc and all colouring free.

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cod · 27/05/2006 11:06

yes we are but shool is thinking or recommending not

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sugarfree · 27/05/2006 12:07

RANT ALERT!
I'm getting seriously annoyed.
I am an intelligent person.I will give my children what I damn well please to eat.I will not be dictated to by a dinner lady or teacher about my childs health.
Arse to it.

(yes,they do get choc stuff,along with other things)

This is on a par with flouridating everyones water because some are too stupid to brush their childrens teeth and give them coke in bottles.Makes me effin' seethe.

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singersgirl · 27/05/2006 12:32

I agree that it's ridiculous to dictate so much. I give my children plain crisps once a week on Friday in their lunch and that's the only time they have them all week.

My older son is essentially intolerant to most fruit, which means he has to have things like cakes in his lunch. And I don't see why cake is different from, say, sweetened yoghurts or jelly pots. I'd rather give my son a slice of home-made cake than a jelly pot full of colourings and flavourings.

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Blandmum · 27/05/2006 12:59

trouble is that there are parents who will give their kids three chocolate bars and a packet of crisps, washed down with a can of coke. How will the healthy schools initiative help these kids? And thise parent also say, 'My Kid, I will do what I damn well please'.

And it is great fun teaching hyper kids on a sugar rush in the afternoon.

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sugarfree · 27/05/2006 13:40

We had a thread on here the other day about punishing an entire class for the misbehaviour of a few.To me this is the same sort of thing.
A blanket ban because of the stupidity of a few.
It just doesn't sit well with me at all.

You do have my sympathy on the sugar rush afternoons though.

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Blandmum · 27/05/2006 14:52

fwiw, a blanket ban doesn't sit well with me either, and I am at a loss to sugest what can be done to help specific kids with a crap diet though. Something needs to be done for some of them, for the sake of their long term health.

The sugar rush, in a class of 28 13-14 year olds can be quite something

Ir was amazing how much better they have been behaving since the school stopped selling crap to them.....but some still bring the crap in.

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FrannyandZooey · 27/05/2006 15:00

I think there is some merit to blanket bans, because the behaviour of the children affects everyone, it isn't just an issue of personal choice. You can't compare it to fluoridisation. I think people have a right to expect their children not to sit in a class full of other children who are behaving badly because of what they ate / drank at lunchtime.

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coppertop · 27/05/2006 15:02

The school asks parents not to send chocolate but many still do. Children with healthy packed lunches get a sticker.

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Blandmum · 27/05/2006 15:07

out problem is that not only do some parents send lots of chocolates/sweets etc, they give money to the kids for school lunch and the teenage kids spend it in the sweet shop on the way into school. We don't allow them off site during the day, but there is nothing that we can so before school starts.

It can be awful for some kids, particularly those who might have other behavioural issues anyway. Some children with ADHD can be ok in the morning, but very hyperactive after a lunch of sweets and pop.

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juuule · 27/05/2006 15:24

No food should be banned. I can't stand this idea of 'bad' foods and 'good' foods. It's little wonder a lot of children grow up with food hang-ups. If I put a chocolate bar and crisps in with their lunch then I'll see to it that they get a balance with their evening meal. If they are at primary I'll do the balancing for them. I do explain about the different food groups and hope that they will understand that a varied diet is better for them. A diet of chocolate might not be good for you but neither is a diet consisting only of apples.

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nothercules · 27/05/2006 15:31

DS isnt allowed chocolate, crisps, anything but water etc at school and I'm pleased. I can give him a healthy lunch and I dont have to worry about him comparing it to a friends one which might have some crap in it.
He accepts eating healthily as normal.
His school have always encouraged them to have water at their desks as well.

He has crap within reason when at home.

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nothercules · 27/05/2006 15:32

Let's face it this country has a problem with obesity so at least they are trying to educate kids now.

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nothercules · 27/05/2006 15:32

Let's face it this country has a problem with obesity so at least they are trying to educate kids now.

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WideWebWitch · 27/05/2006 15:32

Juuule, did you know that the food industry has extensively lobbied to ensure that we all say 'there is no such thing as good food and bad food, everything in moderation'? They really want us to think this when actually, imo, there IS such a thing as bad food and hydrogenated fat is just one example I can think of.

I agree with F&Z. I do think it's ok to say children can't have crap in their lunches actually IF the school have put their money where their mouth is and are providing healthy school lunches too. There's plenty of out of school time in which to give your children crap if you really want to, I don't see why teachers and other children should deal with the after effects of a can of Coke and a bar of sugar.

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nothercules · 27/05/2006 15:33

IN some schools there is a good reason for stodgy puddings as some groups of kids need it.

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WideWebWitch · 27/05/2006 15:36

stodgy is one thing, imo, Coke, other fizzy drinks, crisps and crappy snacks full of additives and e numbers are another.

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Blandmum · 27/05/2006 15:37

We have been phasing in the healthy schools initiative. Fisrt to go were the Panda Pops....the blue one used to send kids quite loopy. Now we only sell the kids water or milk all fizzy stuff has gone. We no longer sell flavored water as it too can be full of sugar and the kids took to throwing it over each other. Gone are crisps, and chocolates, and gone are deep fried foods each day. They have gone over to wraps and french stick sandwitches. Much better for post food behaviour.

We can't stop them bringing crap in though. And lots of these kids don't go home to meat and two veg, they go home to more crap. I think we have to do something to make sure that they get some friout and veg each day, along with lean protein anf complex carbohydrates.

I have lost count of the kids who have told me that their diet is ok because their mum buys them Sunny D