to think this is NOT an unhealthy lunch

[ohhifruit]

DStS's teacher (he is in Junior school) pulled me aside after school to say his lunch was deemed 'an unhealthy lunch' and their first step was to give me a 'verbal warning' before writing to me. She even said 'I'm sure you can understand why we think this.'

This is what he had -

• Small pot of home made hummus
• Large wholemeal pitta cut into strips
• A hardboiled egg
• A handful of celery sticks
• A handful of carrot sticks
• A small pot of raisins
• Matchbox sized lump of chedder (which he saved to eat on the way home)
• Satusuma
• Small yoghurt

We've given him sandwiches and he never touches them but dippy types of food are always eaten and he reports how much he enjoys them. He isn't messy, almost to a fault, so I can't see them being bothered about a 'bits and bobs' lunch making a mess.

Is this unhealthy? I am racking my mind to figure out how on earth this is unhealthy? She wouldn't specify, I expect because it wasn't her who saw his lunch but rather it was reported back via lunch time staff.
I feel really annoyed to be told off by the teacher, she was pretty sneery and it wasn't until I got home I realised I should have asked to speak to the head.

No, it's all about "if you want a healthier lifestyle" "lose a few pounds" "me sized portions" for children and so on, It's obviously intended as a family losing weight together guide.

Yes - but it sounds like it is 'One Size Fits All' advice, and doesn't take account of the fact that children have different nutritional needs to adults.

Also, as others have said, some of the advice sounds very suspect - aspartame-laden drinks instead of ones with sugar in? Why not recommend milk or water. Low fat products - which will probably be laden with sugar and other crap? And why recommend low fat products for children, when they need fat in their diet, to build their brains and nervous systems?

If you look at the Change4Life website, it's all about a "healthier lifestyle". That's the message they're pusing, not weight loss.

Diet drinks and low fat products are NOT a healthy choice for children.

I would want them to explain exactly what's wrong with faggots in relation to their healthy eating principles. Bet that as PPs have said they are not on any prohibited list.

Then they need to make it clear in the leaflet that came on its own from school, following on from the reception height / weight thing if it is about not putting on too much more weight for kids (kids are rarely told to loose weight, more not put any on til they are taller).

It was, to me, labeled as eat more healithly. It got binned.

I'd still disagree with much of the advice even if trying to loose weight. I would NEVER incude diet drinks in my kids diet. I would be very wary of diet foods in general (unless semi milk is classed as diet milk).

I'm in Scotland and I've never heard of any child or parent having their packed lunch commented on. Seriously, is this commonplace in English schools???

I'd be inclined to say mind your own fecking business!!!!
That sounds like a wonderful lunch! I'd be overjoyed if I could get my DC to eat that! I award you a teacher's Gold Star!!!

When I used to be in the dinner hall with my infant class, I'd go round to see what they were eating, but it was more in an "eat your sandwich before your crisps (God forbid!!) type of "inspection". Or I'd encourage them to try and finish. We'd actually get into trouble if we commented negatively on a child's lunch!!!

With those who got school dinners, I'd make sure they got everything that the money/ticket covered. So I'd send them back to get a drink, some bread, some soup or a dessert. I'm actually the only person that does that, it annoys me!!!!! Some of the children are getting short -changed!

OP, YANBU. I'd be having a word.

Eww faggots! Hot faggots are bad, cold faggots are worse.

Thanks for clearing up the Peperami prize OP

Frikadellen, kottbullar, and any other meat balls are yum.
Faggots are not.

you could definitely make a maggot faggot....

Aren't they made of brains?

no they are not made of brains!

A faggot is traditionally made from pig's heart, liver and fatty belly meat or bacon minced together, with herbs added for flavouring and sometimes bread crumbs. The mixture is shaped by hand into small balls, wrapped with caul fat (the omentum membrane from the pig's abdomen), and baked.

No, they're made by Mr. Brain

Brain's faggotts, huge baked potato with loads of butter, frozen peas and tinned sweet corn -best lazy winter comfort food ever. I need some.

Really? Ha!

For years I've been amazed that the public had such an appetite for brains.

In the West country faggots are nothing like "brain's fagots" which are more like meatballs.
They are larger, firm, and are eaten cold with salad or on a sandwich. I cant think of anything about either type that would make them unsuitable for a lunchbox.

Weve had change 4 life leaflets from school. Not the fizzy drink, low fat spread semi skimmed milk one though. I thought that one was aimed at adults

Faggots? The mind boggles , although I have to say there is nothing better than a left over faggot slapped between two pieces of buttery white bread. They are hardly unhealthy either, I make them quite lean and without the caul.

DD doesn't like them sadly.

3.5 yo DS had the change for life leaflet in s nursery school bookbag.
Obviously it went straight into recycling because I'm not going to be giving him diet drinks and low fat cheese!

Low fat cheese? Ridiculous concept based on the idea that you should eat more food with fewer nutrients.

Why can't they do a more useful promotional thing like nutritious recipe ideas?

My DS got the leaflet and said "look mum, fizzy drinks are not just for adults"

Well they are in this house!!!

LtEve.

I do,can you adopt me please,

I'm tidy and I don't snore

A faggot is traditionally made from pig's heart, liver and fatty belly meat or bacon minced together, with herbs added for flavouring and sometimes bread crumbs. The mixture is shaped by hand into small balls, wrapped with caul fat (the omentum membrane from the pig's abdomen), and baked.

Ugh! Gawd, that sounds absolutely vile. I was tempted to try one just to see what it was like, but that's put me right off!

The low-fat message of Change4Life is not one I am happy with for young kids. It doesn't help that it gets harder all the time to actually get hold of non low-fat products. I had hummus on my shopping list recently (props to the OP for making your own, I'm not up to that) and could find endless awful-sounding flavours on the shelf, lemon and coriander, red pepper, Moroccan spice, Cadbury's Flake flavour, you name it, they had it, plus acres of pot of the low-fat stuff. Plain full fat hummus? It had all gone. Anyway, hummus rant aside: people are being taught that low-fat is better in every situation for every person, when of course it's all about context.