To bring this up with the school?

[Cat2014]

ds has school dinners a couple of days a week. On those days it's his main hot meal because the evenings are v busy. He says that he is only allowed one vegetable, eg is carrots and broccoli are on offer and he says 'both please' he's told he can only have one or the other.. Shouldn't they be allowed unlimited veg at lunch time? I know it's not a massive deal but is it normal? He doesn't like a huge variety of veg so if he has the opportunity to have more than one kind I would want to snap it up!

But you need to have enough carrots for everyone to hae the choice even if it's one poration only. So if you have 100 children you need 100 portions of carrots and 100 of brocolli. Surely.

Thanks drama queen that's a good suggestion

I'm a Reception teacher so help my class with their dinners everyday. If a child wanted a bit of broccoli and a bit of carrots for their portion of veg (instead of just broccoli or just carrots) that'd be fine. But it's so rare for a Reception child to make that request that our catering staff always seem happy to accommodate and praise the child for asking!

So I don't think you are being unreasonable.

However, the one thing that would cause an issue is time because there's a lot of children to get through. That's probably the problem at your child's school.

I agree it is a bit weird, but would be too low a priority to speak to school about for me. There are only so many battles you can fight before they switch off when you turn up because you've become that parent.

Not really, the school atm will have a set amount of each. Some won't get the choice because they run out. So if you start allowing servings of both then you would have to make sure there's enough for everyone to have that option (unfair otherwise) so you'd have to supply more food. But like I said, the op was talking about unlimited veg, that obviously would cause a massive amount of waste.

We all have wings:
With respect it shouldn't have anything to do with how he eats in the evening. For some children school meals are the only hot or balanced meal they get, hence fsm being offered, so running out or restricting things might be an issue for those children. I don't think your point makes much sense, saying that I have no right to question it because my child has food in the car???

No sorry I think the actual amount of vegetables needed is the same. From a mathematical point of view anyway.

100 children having 1 portion each, say 60 carrots and 60 broc (leaving 20 portions for seconds or to cover most wanting carrots... And kids at the end might not get a choice)

100 children having half a portion each = exactly the same quantity of veg required, same situation for kids at the end.

Of course it is, for goodness' sake, stealth.

The only way to ensure that every child has every option - be that either/or or either/or/half and half is to provide enough food for every child to have a full portion of both veg.

Adding 'half and half' to 'either/or' makes bugger all difference to the overall food required.

Saying 'no' when a child asks for 'broccoli and carrots', however, whilst allowing him to take as many pieces of bread as he fancies... well, that makes no sense whatsoever.

From a purely mathematical point: yes. That's assuming that all children will work together in sync, that's not the case. If you are giving the option of one/both, you need to provide enough for everyone to take the option.

100 kids =100 carrots 100 broccoli, to make sure they're given the choice. But if only 60 take the broccoli, you've got 40 portions going to waste.

Children and their eating habits ddon't fit into a mathematical formula.

I don't think YABU OP.

I thought two portions of veg were the standard with a meal (excluding potato)

Also, what's wrong with sweetcorn?!?!

paul - not a full portion of both. A half portion of each. Hence...

BIt surely 100 kids = 100 portions of carrots and 100 of brocolli even if they're only allowed one type? If you want to be absolutely certain they all get a choice. That's the bit that I think is illogical.

Furiosa Sweetcorn has very little nutrition in it and is hard to digest, hence why it will often come out the way it went in!

So.

100 kids 100 broccoli 100 carrots

40 have carrots
30 have broccoli
30 have half of each
55 full portions of carrots eaten, 45 full portions of brocolli eaten. In that scenario that is 50% of the food going to waste, all because you have to supply enough of each for the every child to have whatever they want. If you just say either/or yeah, you might run out of one but you've not set it up for Children to have to get what they want.

OP's question was should she bring it up with school though.

I think no, pick your battles for when there is something important (no veg at all, bullying, dyslexia...) because school will file you under "always complains so don't worry" if you fight them over something like this.

Ah hang on why do you assume the rules change between the two scenarios? That's the difference, the half portion vs fill portion is a red herring.
They could have a half portion if enough but then when carrots have run out be told no only broccoli left. Exactly the same "rules" as in the full portion scenario.

You would need less food to give every child two half portions of each. because you would know exactly what to cook. If there is a choice, two half portions is a pretty neutral choice!

But the same rules don't apply! As soon as you allow some children 'a bit of both' you have to make sure that there is enough for everyone to have what they want. Otherwise you're being unfair. II've already explained that.

Bit surely if you allow a choice of carrots or broccoli and then run out of carrots you're being equally unfair?

Bless you paul. You don't cater for every child to have every option. That's not how large scale catering works. You use a whole heap of information, plus a lot of guesswork, to provide enough food that most kids should get what they want, and as little as possible is wasted.

You might just have to trust me that adding 'half and half' to 'either/or' makes absolutely diddly squat difference to the effectiveness (and cost) of that process.

Nope. Because you've not pandered to the kids. Either/or like it's always been. If they run out of one, you have the other. Same as schools have been doing for decades.

So, 100 children. You need therefore to provide 100 portions of each to ensure nobody is disappointed. 200 portions. You will throw away 100 potions however you arrange it if you allow each child one whole or two half portions (100 portions). If you cook fewer portions of each, half and half is a neutral choice.

"school will file you under "always complains so don't worry" if you fight them over something like this"

And this is nonsense. The OP isn't going to barge in whinging/yelling about how terrible it is; just bring something to the school's attention that school most likely isn't aware of.... and is really easily sorted, with a positive result for the children and no negative impact for the school.

No "fight" required.

As I say, weird - and very amusing - responses on this thread.

I'm going to assume you are bored and having fun, paul. I've certainly enjoyed it.