School complaining about dd perfectly normal packed lunch.

[Juk3]

The class TA came out to talk to me yesterday (from a distance) to discuss dd unhealthy lunch and the lunch box policy. The dinner lady assigned to dd raised it and the TA did say she wasn't in the class room during lunch so was just passing on info she had been given. She asked me to have a look on the website for the lunch box policy and try to adhere to it if possible, she was perfectly pleasant and I took my telling off but after reading the policy dd's lunch has not broken any rules. I try to make a variety of different lunches as I wouldn't want to eat the same thing every day myself. If I list yesterday's and today's lunch below could you tell me what's so bad about them as I just don't get it. I am wondering if the there has been a mix up with kids not that I will bring this up with school.

Yesterday:- grilled chicken breast with mayo on a mini wrap with lettuce, cucumber and tomato.
Carrot and red pepper sticks with a single serve pot of humous.
Pot of honeydew melon.
A tube yogurt.
A square of homemade shortbread.
A bag of sliced apple (she usually will have this at break).
Carton of juice

Today:- sliced boiled egg sandwich on 50/50 bread with crusts removed.
Pot of sliced red grapes.
2 mini cucumbers and celery sticks with a single serve pot of humous.
Small bag of mini pretzels.
A bag of sliced apple (usually eaten at break)
Carton of juice

She is 8 (9 in dec) in year 4 perfectly normal height and weight.

I reckon she got your DD mixed up with another child.

Bloody hell, can you make my lunches please? They sound yummy!

I’d email those lists and ask them to specify what the offenders are. I don’t see a problem with either lunch personally but they’re clearly applying criteria you’re not aware of.

God, what total bullshit.

I’m ancient but I find it extraordinary that it’s any of their business. Is lunchbox inspection even allowed?
The lunch seems fine.

Those are excellent lunches, unless they have a water only rule, I can’t see what’s unhealthy. I’d be sending an email with a note of what was in her lunch and asking what was amiss.
It’s getting ridiculous now with dinner ladies pulling you up for a packed lunch, are they checking them all?

That sounds like a perfectly good lunch for a growing, active child. Children need a decent sized lunch.
I agree with pp that it is probably the juice that is the problem. Fruit juice contains loads of sugar.

They've mixed your child up with another one and, if they haven't, tell them to go and boil their head in healthy sunflower oil.

Fruit, yoghurt, shortbread and juice is quite a lot of sugar. I'd maybe give 2 of those in one lunch. Not necessarily from a calorific point of view but more about tooth health. It does seem odd they couldn't give you specifics about the complaint though!

Slightly off topic, but my head has officially been blown away by this thread. The lunch police in the UK (not my current home).
Just over the top, big brother, "officializing" even the simplest task.
making everyone the same, You worrying about what you, the mother, did wrong on what looks like a delicious healthy lunch.
So glad I don't have kids in school now

Strange? Sounds a perfectly fine lunch to me I don’t know what the problem could be, maybe the amount of food? I’d just ignore them or assume they have the wrong child.

It's total madness. A dinner lady said it was unhealthy. So not likely somebody with a PhD in child nutrition. I'd said a note saying as far as you are aware it's a perfectly healthy and appropriate lunch. And ask them to point out what the problem is.

@getsomehelp
Me too, my DD15 obviously was in primary only 4 years ago and it was only no chocolate and fizzy pop, I’m amazed at these schools, pity the mum with the fussy eater.

I'm glad a lot of you think it's a mix up as well. I'm not upset at the TA she was just passing on information just slightly confused about what is wrong with them. Is emailing the office about this sort of stuff deemed ok? I know schools are busy at the minute so don't want to wasting their time with minor issues.

I think that looks like an awesome lunch and way better than the vast majority in my childs school.

Our primary is against juice and those sugared/tubed yoghurts - it's supposed to be natural non/only lightly sweetened yoghurt, and the tube thing we've been told is an issue because they suck it over their teeth which is a cavity risk.

Ours are allowed 1 treaty type thing, but they prefer malt loaf to something very sugary like shortbread.

There are inspections and very strict rules, (and yet under Covid they've cancelled proper school lunches and give them an official school sandwich lunch of daily white bread ham sandwich, pile of oreo cookies, often 2 sweet things a day. It's ridiculous and way sweeter than we'd feed them at home).

Fine to raise it with them. They weren't too busy to raise it with you so fine to ask for clarification

I think there has been a mix-up! I'm a school governor and I think what she had is excellent. Someone in my child's school brought a can of Coke and a chocolate brioche for the 'healthy break' yesterday.

Honestly I'd say they got your child mixed up with another child. That lunch sounds great

I'll add that they recommend malt loaf as about the only acceptable 'treat'... and then teach them about the evils of palm oil in class, so my DC and classmates have boycotting malt loaf for 2 years now.

Juice is super high sugar

So is sweetened yoghurt

So probably that is the problem?

Everything else sounds healthy and great

Our school wouldn’t allow the juice, shortbread or pretzels. Which is madness as I think all of them are perfectly sensible and overall you are providing very healthy lunch.

At a stretch it could be the juice which is mad.

Huge amount of food though compared to what mine get! And they often don’t have time to finish!

Compare it to the school lunch menu! Cake and convenience custard in many hues anyone!

Schools need to focus on educating imo. Mine are grown up now and the HT was rather ott about these things 20 years ago. Used to amaze me that a grossly obese woman with poor grammar and syntax dared tbh. At least half the staff and most of the dinner ladies were overweight to a significant degree. It was quite funny really.

As a recent former teacher I’m also baffled on your behalf! DD’s packed lunch seems delightful, a lot better that many.