Why do some schools still not have a healthy eating lunchbox?

[nickiredcar]

I'm shocked at what some people like this YouTuber gives her kids for lunch - sausage role, crisps, ice gems, junky breakfast bar, packet of grapes and a caprison.

I'm shocked that there are still schools where this passes as an acceptable lunch. In mine one of those junk foods would be allowed in on Fridays but 80-90% is banned.

I'm shocked that we expect schools to fix all of societies ills. It shouldn't need to be any business of a school what children are having for lunch tbh.

Schools can't be expected to police lunch boxes. our school makes strong recommendations about what should be included, but understandably, they don't stand around checking or banning those boxes. At some point parents have to take responsibility.

DS regularly complains to me that I don't put chocolate or crisps in his lunch box when lots of other kids have them. So even with the school's recommendations clearly lots of people are simply ignoring them.

Not sure if it worked

I'm not expecting schools to fix everything, but childrens learning is going to be impacted if they are just eating shit all day. They have rules on many things, don't see why it's outrageous for them to have a healthy lunch box policy. I'm more suprised that some don't these days.

Doesn't sound as bad as the chocolate spread sandwich, chocolate biscuit bar and chocolate bar which is brought in at my primary school.

I'm not convinced any teacher would hail that as an amazing lunch but I'm guessing a lot of schools have bigger problems to deal with than the quality of the lunch boxes. Until very recently my sister worked at a school with some significant issues and this would have been way down the list of things to worry about. If you're shocked at a sausage roll you'd pass out at some of the things she had to deal with.

I think that having schools police kids' lunchboxes is ludicrous. What kids eat is their parents responsibility.

Is this youtuber my mum?

I had this exact pack lunch most days in the early 90’s and bloody loved it.

How do you suggest enforcing these policies though? As pp said, they can strongly recommend what should not be in there but if they were to take kids' lunch off them because it isn't allowed? Leave them just with a packet of grapes for lunch? Imagine the reaction!

Mine had a sausage roll for thier lunch yesterday and crisps . But im skint..after working full time as a single mum. I neither have the time, energy or the money to be making fancy pasta pots and other stuff.

Ham butty, crisps, banana and a yoghurt is pretty standard for us.

Oh well someone will be along to say i shouldnt be having kids no doubt

They most likely do have a policy but if parents send in sausage rolls every day what are the school supposed to do?

how soon do you want us to sign our children over completely?

Its not that bad and lets be honest did if really hamper the education of those in the 80's and 90's? not from what I have noticed.

it not if.

What do people have against sausage rolls? They’re just sausage meat wrapped in pastry.

But times change, just because shit was normal in the past doesn't make it good.

There's cheap and easy ways to add a bit of nutrition to someone's diet.

There's countless benefits for good nutrition.

I think I’m more shocked that filming your kids’ lunchboxes for YouTube is a thing? Why? And then why is she surprised people have opinions “it’s none of anyone’s business” - erm well it’s on YouTube so you made it public?
Schools don’t have time to police this and parents moan when we try. We cannot parent children, sorry, even though we are expected more and more to do so.

It’s the parents responsibility not the schools- the parents choice. School lunch boxes nightmare in my house. He won’t have cooked dinners as is fussy with other people’s
Did he eats.
Lunches - he doesn’t like bread, or pasta with sauce on . So yes my kid prob has a shit lunch too at times. His argument they should be able to take something in to microwave as the teachers do.

Yes op, there are cheap and easy ways to provide a lunch box for children. But schools don't have the time or resources for this kind of thing.

The problem with lunchbox police is that it's not about balance.

Our school bans nothing - apart from nuts. Parents have the choice over what they put in their child's lunch. My youngest loves sausage rolls so takes one sometimes. Other days he'll have carrot sticks and hummus. If I've been baking, he'll take homemade cake. If not, fruit or something.

A school packed lunch is just a tiny proportion of the meals he's having over the course of a year. They could eat crap each day for their packed lunch and have really nutritious stuff at all other times. That's a balanced diet.

Honestly, please just stop. You're judging parents, you're blaming schools. It's so unnecessary. Maybe think about what other things schools already have to deal with. Or be a little bit kind to parents who perhaps don't know better or don't have the time, energy or skills to improve.

I would put money on the children at our school who get lunch boxes like this are also the ones coming from chaotic homes and whose parents probably don't even get the school emails with the policies and recommendations. And if they do, see above about skills, money etc.

yes times do change with the exception that some kids get nothing in this world. At least they can eat. Some are forced to have free school dinners which is the only meal they have in the day.

If you feel so strongly why not challenge the person making it rather than on here.

Mine have iced gems

I'm genuinely laid back about food after a prolonged period of wankiness when DS was a newborn (sorry to anyone who knew me for the first three and a half years of his life )
At the end of the day the lunch you describe doesn't sound amazing, but it could be worse- you sound like me at the height of my nutrition dickishness phase and it is not attractive. Perhaps that's all the kid will eat, all the parents could afford or they're genuinely uneducated about nutrition. Why it's caused you to get your knickers in such a knot is a mystery quite frankly

Really tricky, i did some work with my school on it. I was amazed at some things being sent in like red bull and chewing gum - thats not even something that enters your tummy!
Its tricky, i don't think policing too closely is in anyones interest, it causes bad feeling between parents and the school. Education and encouragement is a much better idea. Some still won't give a shit, but they wouldn't regardless of policing.
The local infant school has recently banned cheese strings on the basis they "aren't real cheese", kids can only have water, no chocolate biscuits, no snack pack things. They are clamping down, and quite frankly its pissing parents off, most parents are just trying to do their best and if you look at an entire days diet rather then one meal most of the time its a fairly balanced diet. I would sooner send mine in with stuff they will eat, especially when they are so little rather then things the lunch box police will approve of.

My eldest has had the same sandwich every day for their entire school life so far! Its just got bigger, she doest like to have to much as she wants to eat and get back out to play.
She doesn't eat fruit and won't drink water. I won't put yogurt in as its just vile in a lunch box by the time it gets home.
The school objected to "bought" sandwiches being brought in for the year 6's, but they are all bigger then me and school dinners are tiny.

Its all so complex and i think arguing over a viscount is pointless.

I'm a lot more worried for the thousands of kids who don't have enough to eat.

Today mine had a jam sandwich, a Fruit Shoot, a Babybel, a novelty yoghurt, a tub of blueberries and a packet of Wotsits. I'm delighted that she's eating so judge away from your high horse.