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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think that free breakfast at school is a bad idea due to the quality?

637 replies

Mushypeass · 07/06/2025 21:20

Firstly, I fully agree with the principle of free breakfast for all pupils. My reservation comes from the quality of food that is often served up in UK school canteens. Obviously a poor quality breakfast is better than no breakfast at all but AIBU that it could encourage children to eat even more UPFs? For example, children who have may had a relatively healthy breakfast at home may now opt eat UPFs at school with their pals instead.

Seocondly, why is the food so poor in so many schools? How can other countries manage to provide their youth with nutritious and healthy meals but we can’t?

OP posts:
Original poster
Mushypeass · 07/06/2025 21:37

Bex5490 · 07/06/2025 21:36

Every school I’ve ever worked in has a salad bar and fresh fruit.

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You must be working in a different area to me then.

OP posts:
LividVermiciousKnid · 07/06/2025 21:36

It will be utter shite.

All school dinners are utter shite. And ours are no longer even cheap, but utter shite.

Despite that, a free shite breakfast is still better than no breakfast.

Let’s deal with one thing at a time, as a society.

Bex5490 · 07/06/2025 21:36

Mushypeass · 07/06/2025 21:34

I don’t work at a school but I visit them as part of my role. I’ve seen donuts, pizza, chicken wings, chips, chicken nuggets, cheese burgers, etc. quite frequently. Very few vegetables or fruit in my experience.

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Every school I’ve ever worked in has a salad bar and fresh fruit.

Nurseryquestions86 · 07/06/2025 21:36

Our breakfast club offer toast, crumpets, bagels, Weetabix and cornflakes oh and fruit. Not the end of the world.

Original poster
Mushypeass · 07/06/2025 21:34

YouWillFindMeInTheGarden · 07/06/2025 21:27

What unhealthy foods are you seeing being provided?

I don’t work at a school but I visit them as part of my role. I’ve seen donuts, pizza, chicken wings, chips, chicken nuggets, cheese burgers, etc. quite frequently. Very few vegetables or fruit in my experience.

OP posts:
Mum2jenny · 07/06/2025 21:34

Try NHS reduced cost meals for staff, £2.50 and the portion size is suitable for a toddler!

RaininSummer · 07/06/2025 21:33

I agree with you if it's going to be white bread with jam or cheap spread or cheap nutrition free cereal. If it is a decent bread with healthy toppings or porridge or fruit then great.

mrsmalcolmreynolds · 07/06/2025 21:31

YABVU.

  1. You don't know what the breakfast will be so doom mongering about the quality unnecessarily.
  1. I doubt that many families who can sort a breakfast at home readily are going to flock to this instead.
  1. THE BIGGIE. You said yourself some breakfast is better than nothing. You are throwing obstacles up against this from a pearl clutching, privileged "what about the UPF" standpoint - how on earth is that a justification for not feeding children in need one way or the other!
Missedthis · 07/06/2025 21:28

Holy fuck.

Try coming to a school serving a community in the bottom 10% for deprivation.

Then come back and talk about UPFs.

Downbadatthegym · 07/06/2025 21:28

I agree, I have nieces in the British school system and it seems appalling.
We are in France and seem to pay quite a bit more (5€ a day) for canteen but my dd gets a 3 course meal which is balanced with some organic and local ingredients, here it is all sent it to each school from a central kitchen, so all kids from age 3-16 get the same meal- obviously different sizes.
I think each school doing different things with many options will make it more expensive then all the free school meals it’s no wonder the food is rubbish

YouWillFindMeInTheGarden · 07/06/2025 21:27

What unhealthy foods are you seeing being provided?

YouWillFindMeInTheGarden · 07/06/2025 21:23

There’s no money that’s why!

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