To think a leftover happy meal isn’t the worst packed lunch you could have?

Same!

I'm normally on the soft side of "it was probably hard day for the parents", but a cold leftover McDonald's- no, that is really crap.

My kids school doesn't do burger, but they do chicken nuggets, chips and spaghetti hoops. Another day is fish and chips. 🤷

I don't think either of those is equivalent to a day old, cold happy meal though.

Agreed. My 5 yo has SEN and has a very limited diet so his lunchbox is usually an innocent smoothie, bear yo-yo, packet of crisps, packet of cookies, 2 Frubes and Babybel. He won’t eat sandwiches anymore and has never touched fruit or veg unless blended in a smoothie/sauce and even then it can be touch and go. I know his lunchbox isn’t ideal and is too sugary but I’m just happy he’s eaten.

Genuinely, yes. Could you possibly imagine the type of parent that would send a child to school with a leftover happy meal? Only a neglectful parent would do so.

Theres a boy in my son’s school that only ever really goes to school with chips for his packed lunch, on the odd occasion theres a burger included but my son said it’s rare. I find it very strange, who would want to eat cold chips, they aren’t even in a flask or anything that might possibly keep them warm (though I doubt it) just a plastic Tupperware box. I often wonder if they are from the night before. I don’t think it’s ok.

Yes but that's still fresh sandwiches not yesterdays cold minging,left over happy meal.

My mum worked in a school for years and this was a safeguarding concern. Cold happy meals/takeaway food generally. She said it was sadly fairly common but if it happened regularly in particular (and the child didn’t have SEN- they were aware of children with dietary restrictions) then yes, it did get flagged.

I can see why, it shows a general lack of care doesn’t it? It doesn’t take two minutes to throw together a half decent lunchbox.

The bar is so low now. Providing a lunch of cheese sandwich, apple and yogurt is basic, entry level parenting. Sending in a leftover happy meal is just horrible.
People are so full of excuses and expect someone else to do everything for them. Get to Aldi. But a loaf, some cheese, lettuce, cucumber and tomatoes and make a packed lunch.

Who can be affording to buy their kids a happy meal as a school lunch? It’s more than a school dinner and way more than the lunch you could make yourself with decent shop bought ingredients. And I’m middle class as all hell. My kid takes sushi and an aloe vera water as a packed lunch. I am definitely too cheap to be spending all that money on crap day old cold food though.

You also have to take the child into consideration.

My packed lunch through primary was a drink and a digestive biscuit. DM thought it was better I had something I would eat than a good looking lunch I ate none of.
And I was very grateful. I still hate packed lunches, hate the pressure of needing to finish the food and eating in front of other people.

My sister OTOH had two cheese rolls, a flask of water, a bag of salad and a piece of home made cake because that was what she wanted.

I wouldn’t eat plain pasta but according to my daughter it’s the best meal ever. I wouldn’t eat sushi but people the world over like it, just because it’s not what you would enjoy doesn’t make it abusive. If I asked the average 7 year old if they wanted to take a cold McDonald’s burger in for lunch I bet they’d think it was brilliant, a real treat and the best lunchbox ever. My mum used to make us themed lunch boxes, actually got told off by the headteacher because it made some other kids jealous apparently, I still remember ‘orange day’ when I had sliced Red Leicester sandwich, a satsuma, a pack of wotsits, an iron bru bar and a carton of orange squash. It was fun and novel, it was not nutritious.

There's a huge world of difference between a woman who isn't producing milk and has to bottle feed with formula so their baby doesn't die to a parent sending in cold leftover nuggets/burgers and chips.

A lot of mothers have no choice but to give formula and it's is a nutritious alternative.

The parent sending in cold leftover chips probably has other food in the house...

I wouldn't but I also wouldn't want to eat some of my toddlers fave foods. Kids are weird.

Because cold leftover burgers in buns are not pleasant.... Would you eat it?

I

I fully agree. My knee jerk reaction was that it was disgusting and terrible parenting. But thinking about it logically I think its better nutritionally than a slice of Billy bear ham on cheap white bread with a packet of crisps.

Oh come on. How many kids do you see eating that?

It's clearly going to be Nuggets or burger and chips.

Eating cold chips is sad.

Aside from the inappropriateness of sending Macdonalds for a school packed lunch, my concern with the cold Happy Meal is that it could be a sign of abuse. "I've paid for it and you bloody well will eat it. If you don't eat it now, you're getting it cold tomorrow until it's eaten". I would feel it could be that situation. I guess it would depend on the child's reaction to the cold meal, but there's a reason they chose not to eat it the day before so I really can't imagine many children would be thrilled to see something they refused to eat reappearing in their lunchbox the next day 😥

Who wants to eat cold chips? 🤢

This. A bread roll and a slice of cheese would be cheaper and far nicer.

If done thinks sending in happy meals for lunch is i doubt it's the apple slices and orange juice the teachers are objecting too....

I often buy myself a Happy Meal in Macdonald's if I need something to tide me over for a few hours.

4 chicken nuggets, some carrot sticks (or I think I had apple slices last time) and an orange juice or milk.

I am struggling to see what is "rank" about it.

I agree OP, it's not the worst lunch. But, if they are going in with "leftovers" from the above, it's hardly any food so it's really not going to be that filling. That would concern me more.

Well the beef sandwich will be fresh for one thing
Im not against McDonald's at all ,but sending it in left over happy meals for lunch isnt great.

This is madness, would all those who think it’s child abuse this it was abusive to send a child into school with a beef sandwich? Can you give me any actual logic that defines the difference between a white bread roll filled with a patty of 100% beef mince and 2 slices of white bread filled with sliced beef?

It wont be reheated at school.

McDonald's is pretty horrid, hot or cold.

Reheated for a child's packed lunch is just depressing, but at least the poor soul gets food to eat i suppose.