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Original poster

School complaining about dd perfectly normal packed lunch.

336 replies

Juk3 · 15/10/2020 12:58

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.

OP posts:
ktp100 · 15/10/2020 16:04

I wonder if they were moaning about the shortbread?

biddybird · 15/10/2020 16:04

Do these lunches get refrigerated?

Mayo and hummous are both very volatile and could cause severe food poisoning. I would say that qualifies as "unhealthy".

C8H10N4O2 · 15/10/2020 16:05

The TA was unaware of the exact problem and just said the dinner lady had mentioned it was unhealthy and did follow the school policy

My point to the school would be that if they want you to rectify a problem they need to tell you what the problem is, not send a generalised comment.

If they send you details of the actual issue then you can address it, until then you will continue to provide what looks to you to be a perfectly compliant lunch.

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randomer · 15/10/2020 16:07

Lucky girl, lovely lunch. Either there has been a mix up or the world has gone absolutley mad.

thismeansnothing · 15/10/2020 16:11

Bet you any money it will be the shortbread. I mean fgs. I'd write a letter saying to but out and when they have been to uni and got a degree in diatetics and registered with the relevant body they are free to comment.

Aridane · 15/10/2020 16:19

Is it the juice and biscuit?

borageforager · 15/10/2020 16:34

TheBluePringles why doesn’t your school allow humous?

Crownofthorns · 15/10/2020 16:35

They sound delicious and very well balanced! Like others have said, the issue is likely with the juice and shortbread. My daughter’s school is a ‘healthy school’ and they don’t allow any sweets, biscuits or cakes. Ditto juice - we are only allowed to supply water.

Bettina500 · 15/10/2020 16:40

I would ask for feedback too. Sounds like a lovely lunch and very healthy and balanced.
Schools really annoy me doing this. Unless a child is bringing in unsuitable food or allergens then they should keep their beak out in my opinion.
My DC's school is the same, which I find a cheek considering their hot dinner options consist of things like burger and chips.

SunshineCake · 15/10/2020 16:44

It really pisses me off the hypocrisy. Can't take in some home made cake but if you pay the school they'll feed your kid sponge and chocolate sauce, etc. Ah, if you pay...

CaptainCallisto · 15/10/2020 16:44

I wonder if it could be the hummus. Our school has a no nuts or sesame seeds policy, because of children with serious allergies. Could be that it's been flagged up as a potential allergen.

All the people saying dinnerladies should mind their own business... I'm a TA/MSA and I've had to do three safeguarding flags due to lunches already this term. In two of the cases it was that consistently there was basically nothing in the lunch (think along the lines of just a satsuma and a babybel). The third was that the child's lunch was a chocolate spread sandwich, a French fancy, an iced bun, a big chocolate chip cookie (like the ones you get in bags of four at the supermarket) and a twix. Every day for a week. The child was struggling to concentrate in the afternoons and having a major crash at about half two. Should we just let these kids continue to suffer?

CaptainCallisto · 15/10/2020 16:45

Urgh, there were paragraphs in that when I wrote it!

unmarkedbythat · 15/10/2020 16:47

All the people saying dinnerladies should mind their own business... I'm a TA/MSA and I've had to do three safeguarding flags due to lunches already this term. In two of the cases it was that consistently there was basically nothing in the lunch (think along the lines of just a satsuma and a babybel). The third was that the child's lunch was a chocolate spread sandwich, a French fancy, an iced bun, a big chocolate chip cookie (like the ones you get in bags of four at the supermarket) and a twix. Every day for a week. The child was struggling to concentrate in the afternoons and having a major crash at about half two. Should we just let these kids continue to suffer?

There is a middle ground between ignoring harmful neglect and stringently policing packed lunches to the extent that the one described by the OP is regarded as unacceptable.

JenniferSantoro · 15/10/2020 16:50

That’s a ridiculous amount of food for a child’s lunch.

TheBluePringles · 15/10/2020 16:51

@borageforager

TheBluePringles why doesn’t your school allow humous?
No nuts, peanuts or sesame seeds allowed at school.
unmarkedbythat · 15/10/2020 16:51

OP, your packed lunches are far healthier than the school meals provided to my son in Year 1. He was very happy to go to school today as on Thursdays they do his favourite lunch- pizza baguette and a cake. Every lunch he gets there is carb heavy and includes a cake or biscuit. Salad bars exist only on the fancy menus on the website.

Years ago our dinner ladies had a policy of not letting you leave the dinner hall if there was any food left in your lunchbox, at least that isn't a thing any more.

IntermittentParps · 15/10/2020 16:53

That's better than I eat most of the time and I'm 45 Grin

I think they've got their knickers in a twist over the shortbread and maybe the juice.

I guess this is the problem with simplistic blanket rules; if she had (e.g.) shortbread and a jam sandwich then I could see the issue, but in context it's fine. But those kind of rules don't really encourage/enable people to think or see the wider picture.

SBTLove · 15/10/2020 16:53

@CaptainCallisto
Huge difference between OPs lunch and those you refer to.

Redwinestillfine · 15/10/2020 16:56

Ask for specifics. Say that having read the guidance you are flummoxed. Bet she got the wrong kid!

iklboo · 15/10/2020 17:01

That’s a ridiculous amount of food for a child’s lunch.

No it's not.

tsmainsqueeze · 15/10/2020 17:02

Sounds like a lovely well balanced lunch , you probably showed them up when your meal was compared to some of the not so healthy food they serve up !

CaptainCallisto · 15/10/2020 17:02

I know there's a difference between the OP's perfectly sensible packed lunches and those I've written about. But several posters on this thread have said that dinnerladies shouldn't be looking at or commenting on what is in a child's pack up. My comment was meant to point out that we have to in order to pick up the ones that are problematic.

As I said, the only thing I could see that might be an issue with the OP's is the hummus. But if the school don't allow sesame seeds it should be clearly stated.

UpHereforDancng · 15/10/2020 17:06

This has got to be a mix-up - I would check tomorrow!

DuckyMcDuck · 15/10/2020 17:11

I'm guessing it's the humus. It has sesame in it which we, as a nut-free school, don't allow.

It might be worth checking that.

RoseGold7 · 15/10/2020 17:12

I’m a primary school teacher. Could it be the juice or that there’s too much food? Juice isn’t allowed in a lot of schools and your DC could be taking too long to eat. Maybe you could just pack the wrap, veggie sticks and yogurt? An apple or some grapes for break time?

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