Confused about school lunch policy

[Soubriquet]

My dc get free school dinners but a new email was sent around today regarding pack lunches.

The school are changing lunch providers.

One of the things that confused me was this policy

School pack lunches should not include meat products such as sausage rolls, individual pies. Corned beef and sausages/chipolatas should only be included occasionally.

Ok….

However, part of the new school dinners one of the options that comes up regularly is a picnic box which includes a sausage roll, carrot sticks, fresh fruit and pudding which includes things like chocolate muffin or gingerbread man.

So why can a school lunch provider give children sausage rolls whilst the pack lunch policy is no sausage rolls?

Could they be worried about lack of refrigeration making meat unsafe in a lunch box?

Hmmm possible. Not a thing I considered

In my experience there are generally massive inconsistencies with these policies when you step back and look at them, ie not too much sweet stuff allowed in pack lunches but always a sweet pudding with hot dinners. I think it's a bit random

Maybe it’s also their way to try and encourage school dinners.

yes, i was about to say the same @coffeeisthebest ! Not allowed even the smallest chocolate or biscuit type thing in packed lunches but sweet puddings galore on the cooked meals!

School lunches have to fit certain criteria - their sausage rolls won't be the same as the pre-packed ones you get in Tesco.

The same applies to cake - school cakes and puddings are all low fat, low sugar and low taste - again because they need to fit certain "healthy" criteria.

*School lunches have to fit certain criteria - their sausage rolls won't be the same as the pre-packed ones you get in Tesco.

The same applies to cake - school cakes and puddings are all low fat, low sugar and low taste - again because they need to fit certain "healthy" criteria.*

Exactly this. Have you ever tried the schools puddings these days? They taste of nothing. DDs school do a taster day on parents evening so we get to try that terms menu and it’s all low fat, low sugar, low salt. And you can tell.

I think they did do a taster day but I wasn’t there.

It doesn’t bother me as such, just feel a bit double standards and pack lunch kids are gonna feel it’s unfair that Tommy gets a sausage roll and a chocolate muffin but he has to have sandwhiches

No one tells me what to put in my child’s lunch. I do not put in allergens such as nuts/products which contain nuts but my child eats what I give, honestly I don’t know who school are to police what children bring in a lunch box. Especially given the school dinners they provide are not much different - cold option anyway.

It's exactly this.

The muffins etc are all sugar free and the sausage rolls will be freshly made and balanced rather than a really high in salt and fat pre packed one.

After my son came home in tears when he didn’t get a lunch time sticker for a healthy lunch I gave up. My son took in cous cous salad and a Greek style yoghurt pouch he didn’t get a sticker but his friend who takes chocolate spread barn cake and crisps did I think it’s all a load of rubbish! Ignore the school policy regarding lunch because they clearly don’t have nutritional experts as dinner ladies.