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.

My child's school look through the children's lunch boxes every day, last year I had to go in and speak with the teacher because it was giving my child anxiety. I always ensure my daughter has food inline with the school packed lunch policy but my daughter was worried that there would be something in her lunchbox that might get her into trouble. The teacher's look through the children's lunch box and then insist the children don't eat anything they deem unhealthy, they do this in front of all the children with threats of detention. This approach will do nothing but give a child an eating disorder.

I was interested when my daughter went from a strictly nut free school to secondary school, which has no restrictions whatsoever. What happens then to kids with these life threatening allergies, are they just old enough to manage their own risk?

Your children’s packed lunches sound very varied and healthy to me- I’m glad you’ve emailed school to clarify, I think perhaps others are correct and they’ve confused you with someone else.

My children have long left school - I’m just wondering if school dinners and children’s choices are policed this vigilantly?

I think they got the wrong person. Nothing wrong with her lunches.

They sound better'n my blooming lunch! Pure interference, it sounds like. Or a mix up.

@LanaDelBoy

shiny What's the thinking behind "no egg for breakfast"? Haven't heard of that before!

Sorry was attempting to feed my DC something healthy for dinner .....it didn't end well 😂

Yes , the egg allergy is extremely severe and the child and ds1 were actually in nursery together last year and progressed up together so it was explained more fully in nursery , essentially it is very severe and if ds2 has egg in the morning there is still a risk. In our case it also limits ds1 as same school different years.

I feel for the parent , I can't imagine how worrying that is given how many things have eggs in , it's been quite a challenge baking without eggs for baked stuff to send in.

@borageforager

I was interested when my daughter went from a strictly nut free school to secondary school, which has no restrictions whatsoever. What happens then to kids with these life threatening allergies, are they just old enough to manage their own risk?

There are degrees of allergy. A severe allergy only needs someone's breath to trigger a full on adrenaline shot and a trip to A&E.

Adults with that degree of sensitivity do need to ask people not to eat certain items before meeting up. I know one lady who has to request that people don't eat a particular item before she attends groups and meetings.
Some people think it's ridiculous and ignore the request. They think she's being precious and attention-seeking - well, she certainly gets attention when she collapses and is rushed to hospital, followed by a day or two of feeling extremely unwell while she recovers.

Perhaps she got the wrong parent

I wouldn’t pay any attention to this, you know you’re right

If it gets raised again take it up with the teacher/school management

People who say it sounds like a lot, do you give a perfectly portioned lunch every day? I never know what dd will and won't eat on any given day and I don't want her to be hungry so I'll put 8 things in expecting her to eat 5 or 6. But if she's super hungry for some reason then she's covered.

It’s probably the humous. I got told off for pesto. Just hadn’t clocked the pinenuts

Sure it's been said but it's the juice - I sent DD to pre school with lovely healthy lunches but did include a small smoothie - they never mentioned specifics either just gave me another copy of the healthy lunch policy sent home in DDs bag

Would be better to be specific

Could you just bob over and make my lunch, OP? Sounds great. I’m from the era when ‘balanced’ school dinners included hefty sponge puddings drowned in lumpy custard. And spam .... lots of spam. I’ve turned out reasonably ok

It may be the juice if it isn't sugar free cordial (not that I believe a small carton of pure apple juice for example a day is detrimental to health)

I emailed school earlier and the TA came out again at the end of the day to discuss the situation. The offending item was cold pizza which dd has never had on her lunch box so it was a case of mistaken identity.

I had this so the next day I stuck 2 fingers up and sent my daughter in with a sausage roll not a sandwich

Never contacted me again

Who do these people think they are!

Is cold pizza so bad? that’ll be a main item in her diet in her teen years!

Most school lunch menus include pizza once a week.

Ok I'm old. My kids went to school a while ago and took packed lunch never a problem. Just what the hell is going on these days with schools dictating what you should put in your kid's lunchbox ? I really feel sorry for young parents trying their best to bring up kids. If I had my time again and this was happening I would take them out of school and home tutor them. Everything seems to be governed by the nanny state telling you how to live. Aaargh! rant over !

Oh ffs! We have to preorder hot lunches a week in advance at the moment. I just looked at next week’s menu, they’re offering pizza as a choice 3/5 days next week. God forbid a parent puts a slice in their own child’s packed lunch. That’s pathetic. My kids get bored of sandwiches and wraps pretty quickly. I often shake things up with the odd slice of cold pizza or a sausage roll. The world has gone mad!

What’s wrong with pizza? It’s essentially bread, cheese, and blended tomatoes ( plus children’s fav veg) baked in the oven!

This seems utterly ridiculous. That is a wonderful lunch, lucky girl!
I worked as a lunchtime supervisor and we saw such delights as (all separate lunches)

Cold french fries

Cold McDonalds burger

Six types of cake (only)

Crisps, coke and milky bar.

Whats wrong with cold pizza ive just put some in dds lunch box along side salad a satsuma and a black bean brownie.

Will I get a phone call tomorrow. Its a shop bought one not a congealed stuff crust deep pan domino's...

No wonder kids get shoved around in the paly ground or get their stuff nicked , eveyones stood around with their nose in a dusty food compliance manual and/or a kids lunch box

Least you got an answer op

Cold pizza is a completely fine meal choice?! WTF? Are you supposed to send your cherubs to school with organic Chia seed and a hemp smoothie?

I feel so sorry for you mums these days. It should be your business how you feed your kids and nobody else’s. Schools’ job is to feed their minds.

I think parents should rebel against the lunch box police. That sort of interference will be responsible for eating disorders later on.