to think we should be able to choose what our kids eat for lunch?

[Cuddler]

My friends son is starting school in September and she has been given a whole list of things he isn't allowed in his lunch box.Not just for allergy reasons,i understand those,but things like,no cheese sandwiches,as thats dairy and carbs together,and no ham as its processed,no yogurts if they have sweeteners in them.No tropical fruits,only berries,apples,pears and peaches,they are better for concentration.no white bread.No pasteurized juice.

I'm not saying that the above isn't true,my kids don't have sugary yogurts or white bread sandwiches,BUT i would like to think they could have them if they wanted to,and i do think that this is going about things in the wrong way?In the grand scheme of things,a cheese sandwich,a frube,a banana and some apple juice isn't that bad is it?I mean it could be worse?

I used to be very up my bum about my little precious ones' diets. Now they are teenagers and they live off super noodles and kit kats.

Just looked up the policy for the school my DS will start next year and they state they do not have any food regulations and they do not confiscate anything however they ask that parents do try to make packed lunches as healthy as they possibly can. The exception to this rule is break time snack which must is recommended to be fruit and must not be crisps or chocolate.

Dont desist and i will join you with stories of west sussex lentil weaving and general weirdness.

Bananas contain latex?

Was it a penis joke??

This is either Chinese Whispers, or your friend has it wrong from the outset.

I'm assuming then this school doesn't have macoroni cheese on the menu?

YANBU. Diet is all about balance.

Where did i say she ate yogurt or cheese?

It was a bit confusing as you said she was a far began, the assumption being she was bringing het Ds up as a raw vegan as well, but you the went on to say he only eats cheese sandwiches and yoghurt.

I didnt, i said that she was raw vegan but he wasnt.

I agree with the school.

Having read the other lunch-box thread I was amazed to see that almost every poster puts stuff like those ghastly processed cheese snacks like babybel, sugary yoghurts or fromage frais, frubes (had to google that - the mind boggles?!), crisps and biscuits in their children's lunch boxes. And they consider cucumber as sufficient vegetable matter - it is mostly water.

Poor Jamie - there is much work left to be done.

P.S. Children really shouldn't have juice every day - what's wrong with water or milk?

Babybel are Edam. Frubes are fromage frais in a different shape (although I agree they're full of sugar).

So, tell me, Marianne, how many children do you have at school and what do you put in their lunchboxes?

And why are cheese sandwiches (made with 'good' cheese and brown bread) bad? Cuddler still hasn't explained that

Some fair points DowagersHump - admittedly I am not quite sure what Babybel is - I was under the impression it is some kind of cheese type snack like Dairylea - and anyway, why not just make a cheese sandwich? I am generally suspicious of any individually packed processed product aimed at children.

Fromage frais should not be a staple in a child's lunch box in my opinion. These frubes sound like a terrible marketing gimmick.

I have two DDs, neither is school age yet but I hope that once they start they will have school meals.

Babybel is a small piece of Edam in it's own red wrap - just like a whole Edam comes in a red wrap, only smaller.

Frubes are useful if you serve your child fromage frais as they do not need a spoon. The child just tears off the top of the pack to eat the contents. They can also be frozen and served either frozen or left to defrost in a lunchbox (helping leep the contents cool). I'm not sure what makes you think they are terrible, maybe not for everyday, but not terrible.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts on school meals, when the time comes.

Frubes might be a marketing gimmick but my dd loves them. And a little of what she likes is not going to kill her. Its not a daily thing.
Orange juice at meal times is a daily thing as it increases iron absorption. As we don't eat meat this is important.

You may find that school meals do not meet your expectations either Marion. My school has no kitchen, so lunch box only. And its hard graft finding different lunch box foods day after day.

Luckily ds' school doesn't do school meals.i wouldn't get them anyway.

I have said time and time again on this thread a cheese sandwich isn't the worst thing in the world,but its not that balanced if its crappy cheese and white bread. cheese salad sandwich,on wholemeal or rye,with some fruit or other healthy snack would be balanced though,i guess it all depends on what you eat the rest of the day.

I dont call any food bad in front of my kids,nor do i call things treats,they just get offered healthy food and they eat it because it tastes nice.My mum has offered them processed "kids" stuff lots of times(things mentioned on here) and they dont like it.

Babybel is heavily processed though, it's not 'healthy' cheese.

Regardless, those recommendations are ridiculous.

Our school is worse though, we aren't allowed packed lunches at all!

Bollocks to that. My kids dutifully eat their turkey and lettuce on wholemeal sandwiches every day but once in a while I like to vary things up by popping in a baguette with chicken salad or naice ham/old cheddar or Olive Bread and Laughing Cow. They also enjoy homemade fruit salad with kiwis or pineapples from time to time (in place of the usual wizened apple). I suppose those would be banned too....Is this school in London by any chance?

Babybel is just milk and salt soooooo not a lot different than cheddar,my kids can't stand it but surely salt and milk are ok?????

My kids have the juice(not concentrate) water.They have 1 juice a day(no squash) and I choose them to have it at lunchtime as I know they'll drink it(big water drinkers but will forget at school,I know as I fill their water bottles and it's shocking how little they drink) and I'd rather they didn't have it at tea time.

Isn't all cheese processed? If it wasn't it would still be milk.

We don't do white bread in our house. Although your 'raw vegan' friend's DS sounds like he has a pretty crap diet. Wonder how that came to pass? Weird how you can't actually dictate to some children that quinoa is tasty.

You do sound terribly smug OP and I wonder if this is what this whole thread is about. Your friend, who has a terribly pure diet, has a difficult eater who won't eat anything other than crap food. Whereas your children laugh in the face of Haribos

Some people around here are getting obsessed with food being "healthy". Lunchboxes are hard, day after day. School lunches no better and expensive. Kids may have their fruit and veg at home, cos it's easier. Food also needs to provide energy, and a range of nutrients. Sometimes a bit of sugar may hop along for the ride fgs.

I am hugely smug about the food my kids eat,i cant even pretend not to be sorry!

Im not sure why her son will only eat those things,its amazing what they can survive on though because he is never ill and hes got loads of energy,hes a lovely boy.She has said before that she doesnt eat much and because he was always more fond of feeding she sometimes forgot to keep offering him foods,so he does still mainly get his nutrients from her i think.He seems ok though!