Angry over salad bar for free school meals

[Jotim02]

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...

No I don't disagree, but i didn't see that people were saying it was odd to want that for your child. But that the op's child clearly didn't want a hot meal, and that that's ok, he chose a healthy salad/wrap for lunch.

Have you ever tasted something like a wrap with no salt in it? My crocs are probably tastier.

Cold food is no less nutritious than hot.

I'm not quite sure what you're having a problem with. If you don't like what's on offer, provide her lunch yourself.

Sorry - his lunch.

Dear Prime Minister,

My son gets the universal free school meals. His school offer a hot option and a salad bar. My son tends to pick the salad bar. The school is happy with his choice, so is my son. I feel the school needs to force feed him a meal he does not wish to eat. Looking forward to reading your action plan at the earliest time convenient.

Yours sincerely

Outraged of Mumsnet

Op never did come back, oh dear

Lost for words. YABU.

First post as well

Perhaps op is pulling herself together.

Hope that spud is having a hot filling in it and not being sliced and mayo'd for the 'salad bar'

You're moaning about something perfectly adequate you are getting for free? Special snowflake award for you!

Dear Mr Cameron

I am not happy that my son is not choosing the hot dinner. I think you should come to the school and stand in front of the salad bar to redirect the children.

Yours etc

Ok who can i blame for this. I now want some cheese and potato pie. With tomato on top. I feel a dear Mr Cameron letter begging to be written.

Dear Dave it was all the fault of some pesky mumsnetters.

IamaBluebird, whilst you are at it, could you please add a line about the weather in your letter to David Cameron? I think it is scandalous we've not had any snow at all, some areas had loads. He really ought to do something about this injustice.

Creasing myself at this! What a dumbass post! I'm assuming the OP never reappeared to argue her nonpoint?

I've gained an extra wrinkle on my forehead from this OP. What the...?!

Purpledaisies - I thought that was just me! Two years I had no lunch! OP David Cameron is overseeing a raft of cuts which will mean some won't even be able to feed their children - good luck getting him to care your child is choosing to eat from the salad bar.

justdisappointed thank goodness most schools have electronic systems so it isn't obvious who's on school meals or not any more. I am also concerned about how cuts will impact on low income families' ability to feed their kids.

OK, so I'm sidestepping the ridiculous hot/cold meal debate as it's not worth any headspace.

The main point that this thread raises, however, is that many parents are assuming their child has eaten a main meal (particularly the funded KS1 ones), yet everyday, as I walk out of my classroom through the dining hall, past the large dustbin for waste food, I see dozens of children tipping away the vast majority of what they have chosen. Occasionally I have pointed out to an MSA that they can't have eaten much, if anything, and have been told that they're only allowed to suggest that the child might eat a bit more when they ask to leave the table, and must not "coerce" them to finish what's on their tray. I presume that this is in case they're accused of force-feeding.

So, children are then coming home and perhaps only being given a light tea (on account of their supposed main meal at school), when in fact they've hardly eaten anything.

So the children whose parents pay should be allowed to have a choice between hot or cold food, but the FSM kids should be told they are not allowed a choice?

Or are you saying there should be no cold food served at all?

This is seriously a first world problem.

Your son gets a free school meal and you're complaining about it? If you're so adamant he gets a hot meal why the bloody hell don't you make him one yourself?!

I think OP might have a bit of luck writing to David Cameron and he might've sympathetic. I reckon him and Sam Cam probably have fairly similar problems with Nancy seeing as she probably has to live off a salad bar for a while every time they abandon her down the Harvester after they've had a few. It must be problematic weaning her off it.

How is it that Australian children seem to manage on a cold packed lunch pretty much every day of their schooling life?

Blooming heck. Complaining about a free lunch everyday. The system isn't perfect by a long shot, but really?

I have saved alot of money with this scheme, so i am grateful for it.

Dear Mr Cameron,
I am annoyed because my child gets free lunch every day at school. I am upset that he is choosing healthy options for this meal

Please i emplore you to demand a full english with sides of chips everyday for my child

And then i will write again to complain its not healthy

Yours,
Someone who can't see the bigger picture and realise that the free school meals mean children who possibly wouldn't eat all day is eating.

The true test of AIBU

If MN takes the side of David Cameron/ Tory Government over you then you are definitely, beyond any faint shadow of a doubt, being the most unreasonable you can possibly be

clam I don't think thats standard, the children as ds school are encouraged to eat their lunch and whilst not told to keep eating, the staff will help them and sit with them if needed. Is it something you can adress and improve?

They have diner of the week certificate to encourage them to behave well and eat their lunch