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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Angry over salad bar for free school meals

208 replies

Jotim02 · 28/01/2016 20:19

My son gets free school meals in KS1, the school lets them choose salad bar or hot school dinner. We thought he had been eating a hot dinner, until his friend came home for a play and told us he had salad bar.

Today he had a wrap - probably with added salt and sugar, cheese, raisins and carrots. For this the government was charged £2:30. Am I unreasonable to think the government are giving kids free school meals so they can have a hot dinner, not a sandwich?

The school say it's the kids choice what they have. My very unfussy son, has now become fussy because his friends have salad bar, so he wants it too and - doesn't like hot dinners.

I am really furious and thinking of writing to the catering company and David Cameron. It's mostly about the principle that the government is paying for this crap...

OP posts:
19lottie82 · 28/01/2016 20:22

Really? I can't really work out what your problem is here. Sorry.

What's so great about a "hot dinner"? Do you even know what they were offered? Chances are the hot dinner may have been worse than what your son chose.

Personally I couldn't eat a hot sit down meal for lunch. I'd feel bloated and tired for the rest of the day.

TurnOffTheTv · 28/01/2016 20:24

Surely the point of kids having FSM is that they are being fed at some point in the day? Some may not get breakfast etc. Why does it matter if it's hot or cold? It's a meal, and they are eating.

StillStayingClassySanDiego · 28/01/2016 20:24

What are you going to put in your letter?

19lottie82 · 28/01/2016 20:25

Would you rather he had burger and chips?

PuntasticUsername · 28/01/2016 20:25

Hot meals aren't inherently more nutritious than cold, though. DS1 gleefully informed me he had sausage roll, mashed potato and spaghetti hoops the other day Hmm

RubbleBubble00 · 28/01/2016 20:25

Sounds quite a healthy lunch - don't see your problem

TurnOffTheTv · 28/01/2016 20:25

And unless the hot dinners are made from scratch on the premises how do you know what's in them?

IHaveBrilloHair · 28/01/2016 20:25

It's food and he's having a meal he enjoys, I can't see the problem.

DilysPrice · 28/01/2016 20:26

If you think that it's vitally important that he has a hot meal then order him to chose the hot meal option every day, and good luck to you.

ilovesooty · 28/01/2016 20:26

The hot meal isn't guaranteed to be more nutritious.
Doubt if you'll get far with David Cameron either.

PurpleDaisies · 28/01/2016 20:26

When I was in school I was so embarrassed about being on free school meals that I used to not eat lunch. Your son doesn't want to stand out from his friends. That's totally understandable.

Are you struggling up to afford to cook a hot meal in the evening? Is that why you're worried about his cold lunch?

ZiggyFartdust · 28/01/2016 20:27

You're going to write to Cameron to complain that your son has too many choices for his free lunch and doesn't choose what you would like?

Good luck with that you loon

WhoTheFuckIsSimon · 28/01/2016 20:27

Your son is choosing to have a healthy salad bar wrap for lunch. If he wanted a hot dinner he could have one.

I am struggling to see any problem with this at all. I would rather my dc had a salad bar option than pizza, or sausage and mash and beans, or pie and potatoes and beans, etc.

TurnOffTheTv · 28/01/2016 20:27

I honestly don't get this obsession about hot lunches/dinners. It's food, you eat it. Why does something hot make it 'better'

PuntasticUsername · 28/01/2016 20:27

Oh, and Arctic Roll. For once, it wasn't chocolate fudge cupcake day.

Akire · 28/01/2016 20:27

All bread has some salt and sugar in it so can't really see away around that. Schools do have eating guidelines so doubt it's going to be as say my or sugar as say a McDonald's bun.

Only1scoop · 28/01/2016 20:27

Yabu

If you insist on him having hot food then see if he can be assisted in his choice?

CalleighDoodle · 28/01/2016 20:27

My daughter gets a choice of hot meal or 5 cold items. The school always encourage hot meal first. But when ive done (late) drop of twice this week the options were burger or sausage and pizza. She likes none of that shite. Me neither.

Muskateersmummy · 28/01/2016 20:27

I'm guessing the problem is he didn't choose a lot from the salad bar? But I'm not sure that's the schools fault (not saying it's yours either btw)

For me, I would be quite happy with a salad bar being present as an option as they may not always want a hot dinner.

gamerchick · 28/01/2016 20:27

I cant eat a hot lunch, some people don't want to. Let him pick his own grub and give him a hot meal when he gets in.

SolsburyHell · 28/01/2016 20:28

Actually, I'm with you Op. On the days that I am in work ds should be having a hot school dinner and then I prepare him sandwiches etc for after school club as I wouldn't have time to prepare him a proper meal when I get in. I was also a bit miffed today when I realised he had been eating from the salad bar. I didn't even know they had a salad bar.

AnthonyBlanche · 28/01/2016 20:28

I could see your point OP if your child was actually eating salad, but a wrap, raisins and cheese are not salad. Sounds like a perfectly acceptable lunch to me. Lots of hot school meals are revolting - cheap meat and far too many refined carbs and too much sugar.

AlwaysHopeful1 · 28/01/2016 20:29

How ungrateful are you? Why don't you appreciate that your son is getting a meal. Very arrogant of you.

MsJamieFraser · 28/01/2016 20:29

I dont get your issue, what to you think kids eat on packed lunches, and anyway OP the free school dinners for KS1 are being scrapped.

Only1scoop · 28/01/2016 20:30

Around here all the DC in state schools get free meals in year 1