My DS is starting in Reception in September, and we went to a parents' meeting yesterday. It's a lovely school, but they showed us the sample school dinner menu, and I was not impressed. We are vegetarian, and there is a vegetarian option every day, but it is mostly processed food - vegetarian burger, sausage, pasty, pizza, all day breakfast etc. Not only that, but one day they list a tuna wrap as the 'vegetarian' option, which kind of makes me lose faith that the contractor actually knows what vegetarian means. Then there are puddings every day, but no sign of any fresh fruit or yogurt. And they offer squash, which we avoid at home, due to the sweeteners. I read the government's guidelines on school meals and they don't seem very demanding to be honest. There is nothing at all there about using natural ingredients and avoiding food with additives, for example. It wasn't clear on squashes - it only mentioned fruit juices and water - but his school definitely said they offered squash.
We generally eat pretty healthily at home and I try to avoid processed food as much as possible, but if we're really pressed for time and don't have something prepared in advance) we'll do a pizza or ready meal probably a couple of times a week. If I knew he was eating a processed meal most lunchtimes at school I'd feel obliged to make a healthy option for dinner/tea every day, which is a burden when I roll through the door at 6pm.
So I'm tempted to go for packed lunches, but wondering if I'm silly to look a gift horse in the mouth and also whether my son will be the only one not having the school meal. I don't want him to feel excluded.
Has anyone else opted out for the same reasons? Or not? Interested to hear other mumsnetters' experiences.
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Am I silly to turn down free school meals because of the quality?
58 replies
sassylassie · 18/06/2016 10:12
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