AIBU to post this here - school dinners

[MollyMission]

Turning to the wisdom of my fellow mumsnetters - I am appealing to you all for your opinion on the meals served up at your children's school - are you happy with what they get to eat - do the schools always serve nutritionally balanced food or is it just cheap old crap laden with e-numbers?

Is there a difference in quality of food served between state and indie schools?

Answers please on a postcard .....

Thanks in advance.

We must have x-posts LynetteScavo - My DS loves it that his teacher has dinners, it is a male teacher and the boys adore him and often choose the same thing as him.

I once had a phonecall (all very embarrassing) as they couldn't calm DS down as the menu had changed that term and he was insistant that it was supposed to be spag bol that day, in the end his teacher agreed they would have the same thing and DS was fine after that.

In seven years of primary the school got through five different dinner providers, varying from fantastic through to abysmal. We were entitled to FSMs during part of the time, but for two years I sent in packed lunches anyway as that coincided with the particularly awful period.
DDs are now at Big School, and take sandwiches most days, but when I've forgotten to buy sandwich stuff/run out of time to make them, they get money instead to buy from canteen and it sounds pretty good. They always ask for money on Fridays as that is the only day chips are served.

At the school where I work I always eat the school dinner and have it as my main meal of the day. Its damn tasty! Choice of one main or pots of lasagne, jacket potato, pasta, pie etc. Lots of choices of hot food. Then they have loads of sufferent sandwiches, buns etc and fruit. Then a wide range of puddings, cakes etc. All very reasonably priced.

My only regret is I'm on a diet so I can't stuff myself have a pudding.

I work in secondary btw

Our school dinners are utter shite. I was there one day and ds had tiny portion of chicken nuggets, limp KFC style chips, and spagetthi hoops.
It put me in mind of that old joke "the food here is awful" " I know, and such small portions!"
And, he was really bad tempered after school. I was forced to switch to packed lunches. Much better now-and cheaper-but it's a pain in the arse.

I do make packed lunches at least 3 times a week for economy alone. Even a Nutella sandwich is better than Greggs-lite at £3 a pop.

Menu looks fine, pretty well balanced at ds' school. I would be happy to eat from it every day as there is plenty of fresh stuff, good choice of veg etc.

What does make me laugh though is when they have the "grilled meat slice on a soft roll with fresh tomato" days - er, I think you mean a hamburger? Just say so, FFS - I don't believe there's any nutritional difference between that and a spaghetti bolognaise, anyway (assuming you are using good quality lean meat).

I think my kids school is pretty poor dinner wise. too much processed not enough fruit and veg.

My DS is 8

He has a high protien main - chicken, beef stew, tuna wrap etc.
Choice of potato - New, mashed, once a fortnight they can have chips.
Two cooked veg - carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, beans etc.
Open salad bar - Includes bread buns, sweetcorn, salad stuff (kids can help themselves)
Pudding - Biscuit and a glass of milk, cake and custard etc.

Bargain at £1.90 as DS loves the Salad bar and usually gets seconds when they're offered.

my dd's dinners are really nice,she has them 3 times a week and packed lunch twice a week.
tomorrows menu

cottage pie
minted new potatoes
carrot batons
broccoli
gravy
or
quorn dippers
jacket potato
carrot batons
pineapple slaw
or
pilchard salad
jacket potato
crunchy salad
pineapple slaw

garlic bread

lemon drizzle cake and custard
or chewy oat cookie

they also have fruit and yogurts available each day

Natasha I'm in the UK but it sounds similar.

A baked potato is a vegetable.

The affordable 'grab and go'-type lunches that include a decent sandwich are always sold out.

This apparently accords with the "parents' consultation" if we complain.

And why do you want to know exactly Molly? Is there a problem with your dc's school dinners?

My DD seems happy and the menu looks good. Roast meats, pasta, fish, with a pizza or burger day once a week. Choice of potatoes and veggies, and then choice of 2 puddings or a raisin and pumpkin seed pot.

My DD is at a small independent prep school. Her meals are pretty good. Everything is cooked fresh on the day, on site. But there is very little choice as a result. There is the main meal, a veggie option (if signed up as veggie beforehand) or jacket potato with cheese/salad - the children select in a morning. Portion size isn't huge but they do serve bread and butter, and there are often seconds available. The girls get to chose between a small or large portion too. School dinners is compulsory for all. I know the quality is nice as I have eaten there when volunteering. The cook also had a a Dine With... evening as a PTA event which was fab.

I work in an infant school and the meals are provided from the same company that do all our local schools. We don't have a kitchen but the juniors next door does, our school meals are prepared there. Quality is variable but looks okay. Portions are small, but I guess it is infants.

The menu at my sons state primary is quite good: roasts, curries, chicken sausages (very ethnically diverse area), pizza, pad Thai etc. 3 choices a day with veg and salad bar. They do have a proper stodgy pudding most days, but that doesn't really concern me as he never stops moving and we don't really have puddings at home. He never seems to eat enough veg, but that is his choice rather than it not being on offer.

He has recently switched to packed lunches, which he makes himself (I am very lazy), If he sticks to doing it and eats some protein and 2x fruit and veg every lunch time then I will let him keep doing that. Im not sure it's any cheaper really though

I worked in an idependant school... and i wouldnt be happy with my children eating the food that they serve

the menu makes it sound yummy, and quite often it was yummy... but when a 5 year old is served 1/4 of a jacket potatoe..... or "chicken pasta" with 1 (or even 0 ) pieces of chicken and 4 pieces of penne pasta....

again custard that was either water, or so thick you could not even pour it out the jug

the food WAS fresh, and cooked on site with the fresh veg and fruit delivered daily.... BUT the younger children were served miniscule amounts

(and there were times when i would go to the kitchen staff and say LOOK... this pasta bake has NO pasta in it.... yes really... (child only got the broccoli & sauce).... OR.... she has sat at the table for 2mins and eaten the whole entire 3 mouthfuls lot and is still starving, can she have some more please)

to be fair the salads / sandwiches / puddings were fresh and delicious, but i could not believe how little the poor children were fed

the kitchen staff also made the fruit trays (1 per class) for snack time... things like (thin as possible) slices of apple / pear / banana / cuecumber / pepper etc etc, and i lost count of the times i had to go back because they hadnt even provided enough for 1 slice per child!

I used to be a ski instructor.

One particular school used to serve pizzas every other week, just before the kids came for a ski lesson. God knows what was in those pizzas but the kids were hyper. We had to ensure we didn't take them over the jumps on those days.

So yes, crap food and crap behaviour go hand in hand in my experience.

School dinners at my local primary are total rubbish.

No hot meals whatsoever. The kitchen was ripped out years ago when the school was extended, and ever since then, the only school dinner is pre packed lunch which consists of a limp sandwich, an apple and a small bottle of water. These are from an outside company who deliver daily, depending upon how many children require a school meal per day.

I am not impressed tbh that a primary school does not consider a hot meal ever to be a priority.

At Christmas, instead of a christmas lunch, the DC who have school meals are presented with the same prepacked lunch, only the sandwiches have turkey in them.

I think portion size can be a big problem in lots of schools. Where I work the portions are very small and there is no option to go back and get more. One sausage and 2 potaoes is not enough imo, not even for a little 5yo

Lovely.
Either main, jacket potato or baguette.
Fresh veg, local meat.
Pudding or fruit or homemade yoghurt.

Possible criticism: carb heavy.

Worrying to see how much the quality varies. The charity I work for is offering small grants to groups of parents who want help to get together and work with their school to improve the food. Email [email protected] if you're interested.

My DS school dinners are very good. Fish twice per wee, roast dinners, pasta, shepherd's pie. No chips or burgers etc Always a hot pudding too (my DS will not eat cold/room temp puddings). I am happy as he is happy.

The quality of the food at my DC's primary school is fantastic, they only get to have chips/sausages/pizza's once a week, and they can choose off the saalad bar rather than a hot school dinner. My only gripe is that the portion sizes leave a lot to be desired. I worked as a mid day supervisor, and was shocked at the portion size they are given.....I know it is only £2 per day, but I am sure it is not enough to actually get them through the afternoon. Mine only have school dinners on a friday (chip day), and they always come home from school starving. Some would say 'well what do you expect for only £2'...