AIBU to be concerned about my daughter's school lunch menu?

It feels like (as PPs have pointed out) your child is reporting what's been eaten rather than what's actually on offer. So you definitely need to see the menus, which are likely to be much better.

Sounds pretty typical to me except the daily ham at the salad bar.

My son has a limited diet due to medical reasons and eats a ham sandwich every day in his packed lunch so he'd love daily ham at the salad bar.

Assuming she has 3 meals a day it’s only 5 meals out of 21 in a whole week if it makes you feel better.

They cater for them - or mine certainly did anyway.

What do they do about special diets, and religious dietary restrictions?- I went to a private school everyone with special doietary needs took a packed lunch.

Not relevant as OP later said it is a private school- total cost is quoted at £2.61 but most of it will be wages and transport and power, might be £1,for ingredients, might not.

Yes that doesn’t sound especially well designed. I’d send the school a few links that show processed pork has been found to be a carcinogen and ask why the meals served are not whole grain as per Eatwell guidelines. Ask them to show how their menu fits with NHS and nutritional school meal standards.

I've just looked up the 3 nearest private schools to me and they all include lunch in the fees up to Year 11 and there is no option of bringing packed lunch. I assume therefore this is pretty common? (Mine went to state schools so no personal experience.)

Why are you assuming 50p per head? I would certainly expect a private (or indeed state) school to budget more than that for ingredients.

Many private schools allow a packed lunch option- I have never come across one where school lunch is compulsory- if it is compulsory then you feedback directly to the school demanding healthier food.

Private schools generally don’t allow packed lunches.

Private schools often don’t offer a packed lunch option. It’s compulsory for children to have school lunches. Independent schools are not limited to 50p budgets so there is no excuse for poor food. I assume the school is trying to cut costs (as with most others), but parents can feedback their thoughts and request better.

If you are that concerned send her with a packed lunch then you have 100% control over what is in it. Clearly you don't think the lunch is healthy enough, if you pack the lunch you will then know the problems they face with providing a lunch for about 50p a head- you still don't have complete control over what she actually eats though.Either put in the efoort or relax and stop complaining.

Agree.

OP could she just be making poor choices and picking what she recognises or likes?

Do you give her a healthy breakfast and evening meal? Do you send a healthy snack for break time?

Id focus on the meals you provide and encourage her to try and pick better when she can but priority is she eats at lunch time. Many children don't/won't.

@Mrspepperpotpotcan you not just ask the school for a copy of the menu?
my DDs are also at an independent school and these are our menus on a 3 week rotation.
The salads and sandwiches are always available

Most private schools don’t allow packed lunches.

My ds also goes to the village state school and we pick his meals on an ap in advance. There's always a meat/fish option, a veggie option, baked potatoes or fruit, crackers, cheese etc.

Although they do have things like sausage and mash, burgers, fish fingers, pizza, it always has veg with it and grilled or baked. They also have pastas, curry, chilli, roast dinners, omelettes, wraps etc too. Puddings are a mix of fruit options, low sugar cakes/biscuits or vanilla ice cream.

Processed meats are carcinogetic.
Why would ham or savaloys be on a school menu every day? Poached chicken, roast pork, beef, eggs, stews, tuna, cheese are other protein options.

Processed meats are sometimes foods, as are cakes.

Are the cakes full of grated vegetables?
Yes, you should join the school Parents Association and ask to examine the menu.

As you have pointed out, you don’t actually know what is on offer as you haven’t seen a menu, you’re just relying on what your DD tells you. Also, you don’t know that no one else takes a packed lunch, you’re just assuming.
Just contact the school and request a weekly menu to be made available.

Love it! And mine, at a private junior convent in the late 50s , was Spam, dehydrated mash potato (like Smash but not as good!) and tinned peas. Don't remember pudding - a derail. The op's lunches sound grim for today.

Strongly disagree with this. DD is in state school and it’s full of nutritious food

Is she in primary? My DCs were in state primary and their school lunches were definitely more balanced than this. We were given a copy of the menu options at the beginning of each year so we were able to see what was on offer. Salad was a staple with every meal. They didn’t get served any ham, but possibly that’s because we live in an area with a high Muslim population so all school meals were Halal. Only the other day my 14yo was reminiscing about how much he liked his primary school lunches!
Now secondary school is a whole other ball game..!

My ds' small independent school publishes a three week menu, publshed on their web site. There is a meat/fish option with vegetables every day, a veggie option, and a choice of sandwiches and jacket potatoes. I think that's fairly normal.

Ask the school for their meal plan or check their web site.

Dcs will always choose the food they prefer and ignore things they don't recognise so it maybe other things are on offer but your dd is not choosing them.

The mention of ravioli reminded me of my DD in Year R telling us she had teabags for lunch. Took a while to twig it was ravioli.

My son has a good hot food school menu but was picking the ham sandwich option each day instead, about 6 months ago we were watching a food show that showed how ham was made and he hasn’t touched it since, He’s 8… I think it was something about Ultra Process foods.