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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:
ThumbWitchesAbroad · 29/01/2016 03:09

I would imagine that it could be problematic if the OP subscribes to the belief that one needs a hot meal inside one on cold days.
Or if she is unable to provide a hot evening meal herself.

But other than that, I can't really see the issue and would be delighted if my son chose a "salad bar" meal instead of chips and nuggets, for e.g.

But I guess she's already realised she's being a bit daft. Grin

treacledan71 · 29/01/2016 06:39

I have changed my 8 year old from dinners to packed lunches again as was paying 12.5O a week and found out the main thing he ate every day was the cake and custard for dessert and was choosing sandwiches or jackets did not like option. Always came home hungry. Would not mind it was free. Having packed lunch now and he not so hungry and jacket a good heathly quick option on night sometimes and I know what he is eating in day. I assume your little one will have to change to cold packed lunches once hits year 3 anyway unless u pay.

Katenka · 29/01/2016 06:49

I dislike school dinners.

At primary they were pretty poor and odd options for most of the kids I know. I haven't come across one child that likes salmon nuggets for example.

Dd is at secondary and the food is rubbish so she takes a packed lunch.

But I really can not see an issue with a salad bar. If your child only eats one thing off it, it's still some veg. How many portions do they get on a hot meal?

Nothing wrong with a wrap and some carrots for lunch.

I don't get why there would be an assumption that only hot meals are on offer and why only hot meals are acceptable

MackerelOfFact · 29/01/2016 06:55

I keep checking the BBC News app for breaking news of Cameron's resignation. Surely his political career can't survive this? He's probably frantically assembling a Task Force on Salad Bars as we speak.

It was Nick Clegg who instigated universal FSMs anyway and we all know what happened to him.

lighteningirl · 29/01/2016 06:58

Free meal sounds like reasonable quality wish someone would give me that free of charge every day and your reaction is to complain. If you don't like it provide the child you chose to have with something better.

Gileswithachainsaw · 29/01/2016 07:00

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

in fairness just because something is free people should he grateful for shit. or not complain that they aren't fit fir purpose.

if teh son has chosen a wrap that's perfectly fine no one wants hot stodge all the time.

however if he's choosing ot because they regularly run out of the main or end up with tiny portions of stupid combinations at teh end then that absolutely is an issue..free or not.

Hulababy · 29/01/2016 07:29

There won't be loads of salt and sugar. Schools have rules on how much of everything can be in food.

Try a ks1 school dessert - very little sugar at all. Infact so little they're pretty bland.

Can't see the issue with a wrap v hot dinner personally.

Hulababy · 29/01/2016 07:30

All ks1 in England have free school meals - I do t think it's a free school meal v paid school meal issue.

RabbitSaysWoof · 29/01/2016 07:31

That must be frustrating Clam
I think the op is BU in saying the food needs to be hot, the wrap sounds good to me, but I don't agree with the idea I read on here all the time that hot meals are a cause of obesity, they don't necessarily become twice the size and calorie intake of cold meals, especially if there is a decent veg portion on the plate.
I know a lot of friends now who are almost frightened to tell their dc to eat more at the table because everyone knows about the dangers of clean plate club, but then their dc have a much bigger appetite for the way more calorie dense treat foods, they actually see the table foods as the problem.
I don't know anyone raised to clear their plate, I don't think it was even still a thing when I was a child, but people are getting no smaller they just unwrap more crap in between meals.

BarbaraofSeville · 29/01/2016 07:31

I disagree that hot = stodge and cold = light.

If the hot food is lean meat or fish and vegetables eg roast dinner or stew and the cold food is sandwiches, crisps, sausage roll and cake, which is stodgier?

My heart sinks everytime I go to a business meeting or conference and the lunch is a 'light lunch' of sandwiches, crisps, sausage roll and cake. I know that I have absolutely no chance of staying awake in the afternoon after such a calorific carb fest.

But that could be that appararently different types of food effects different people in different ways. This was covered in Trust Me I'm a Doctor the other day, but I've only heard second hand discussion on the programme so far.

RabbitSaysWoof · 29/01/2016 07:38

Crossed with Barbara, but I totally agree.
I always have a couple of hot meals, so does my dc, I started eating this way when I was a nursery nurse, they had the most fantastic home made meals and nn's were encouraged to eat with the dc, I stopped wanting food between meals when I had a cooked lunch.
We only have lunch plate sized meals but I think they are less carb heavy. That's not to say I'm against sandwich type meals, but I would expect to feel like I need to eat through the afternoon if I had that.

Kreacherelf · 29/01/2016 07:42

Op, why not volunteer as a dinner lady at your son's school? Then you can help your kid make the right choice!

Hth

Smile
lunar1 · 29/01/2016 08:03

What about giving your dc a hot breakfast. My two have poached eggs most mornings, sausage on a Friday. They were previously coming out the gates starving, but they are children they chose the fastest option so they can get out to play. They don't hang around for seconds!

bloodyteenagers · 29/01/2016 08:15

Those that don't cook on an evening so would expect a hot meal during lunch.. What do you eat?

OhShutUpThomas · 29/01/2016 08:16

Please will you post the letter here before you send it?

BeaufortBelle · 29/01/2016 08:47

Initially I thought this was a bit entitled when the meal is free but on reflection as all KS1 children now get free school meals I think there is possibly a quality issue. If one pays, it is or seems more reasonable to complain when quality falls from acceptable standards. One has only to look at the gratitude we are supposed to afford a too often inadequate NHS because it's,"free" when it isn't; like fsm for all, it's free at the point if delivery.

I wouldn't have an option with the,salad bar but I have,always made sure my DC have a good breakfast and a well balanced, usually hot evening meal. I don't see how something like baked potato, pasta butter and grated cheese, with a side I tomato and cucumber, can possibly be a faff; of even soup with toast and melted cheese. So I don't think the grumpy objection to a free salad bar I reasonable but I can see an issue over the dilution of standards and the shackling of expressing dissatisfaction because the population should be grateful for something "free" when a) it isn't actually and b) when standards are inadequate.

Potentially shifts power from the general public and that isn't acceptable.

NeedsAsockamnesty · 29/01/2016 13:08

But belle this op has made no comment on the quality of the wrap or salad other than it is not hot and it has lots of sugar and salt added (but she admitted she only guessed that bit)

expatinscotland · 29/01/2016 13:33

I would have thought, if you want your kids to have something 'hot', it's your responsibility as a parent to get off your arse and cook it for them.

BeaufortBelle · 29/01/2016 13:38

Oh, I agree. The salad issue doesn't strike me as a problem. Or the insistence on a hot meal and yes as parents it's our responsibility to nourish our children. But the creep against freedom is a related issue and that concerns me more.

spanky2 · 29/01/2016 13:40

It's FREE!! We missed out on it by a year. Really. Remember it's free and your ds knows how hungry he feels, it's his body!

Gileswithachainsaw · 29/01/2016 14:04

It's FREE!! We missed out on it by a year. Really. Remember it's free

why do people keep trotting this out.

In this case with the small amount of info given there really is no issue.

however with regards to all the other problems people have reported on MN with the FSM they are just constantly reminded it's free as if that excuses everything

free never excuses there not being enough or the fact the portions are too small and they have to fill up on bread or whatever.

let's not just accept crap cos it's free. people should still be able to complain about things.

spanky2 · 29/01/2016 14:15

If you think the meal isn't any good, can't your dc take a packed lunch?

OzzieFem · 29/01/2016 14:33

So OP what exactly do you think that David Cameron and the catering company are going to do? They cannot force your child to eat what he does not want!

Most schools have the current term menu shown on their website. This may have a two or three week rotation of meals depending on the location of the school.

TitsTingle · 29/01/2016 15:00

FSM kids get the same choice as paying children. They can either choose a cold lunch sandwich/wrap/pasta pot .. Cucumber or carrots then a drink and a choice of yogurt, raisins or fruit.
Hot dinners are whatever is on the menu or a jacket spud .

Can't see why your stressing ask the teacher to make sure he has a hot meal fur a few days but it's his choice.

angelos02 · 29/01/2016 15:00

I would have thought, if you want your kids to have something 'hot', it's your responsibility as a parent to get off your arse and cook it for them.

yy to this. Why the fuck can't you cook your son a meal?