Secondary school lunch box police

[LemonDrizzleDisco]

DDs secondary school has started checking all the packed lunches at registration.
I know lots of secondary school students but sweets and chocolate etc on the way to school but surely at that age It's their choice.

Dd was told off for having too much in her lunch box.

Peanut butter sandwich with brown bread
A small banana
Strawberries
A few grapes
And less than a handful of raisins and dried coconut flakes.

The canteen serves things like sausages and mash ,cake and custard,sandwiches and doughnuts etc. Aibu to think this is unfair ?

We not allowed peanut butter due to allergies. Yes avocados are always singled out but it monounsaturated fats which are better for you.( Which is wise the traffic light system on foods is pointless imo)
I think they are fab lunch for a Vegan.

Just as an added point is your daughter taking vegan suppler for B12. It an important nutrient for teens.

Is it just me or does that look a really well balanced dinner? How do they suggest she improves it??

The school can't possibly know how much is too much lunch for an individual child. Kids are growing, sometimes do sport after school, have a big lunch and small dinner or are just hungry bastards. Unless this is a prison camp or she's bringing in ludicrous large amounts then it's not for the school to dictate quantity. The avocado thing is also plain stupid. I'd definitely be complaining - especially since they serve crap in the lunch hall anyway.

As someone who who follows a low ish carb diet and has a vegan daughter that lunch sounds practically perfect to me on all nutrition counts.

I'd be pretty mad about that, and I'm usually supportive of school decisions, even the ones that make no sense.

Avocado is GOOD fat ffs!!! We NEED fat in our diet

The lunch box is perfect, perhaps a little for break time and a healthy lunch!!! In fact I'd have been inclined to put something else in to be honest like a yoghurt ... but perhaps not for a vegan (unless it was suitable!)

That is never too much for a growing child!!! I'd be making a fuss and ffs what about t her own image, talk about potential trigger for eating disorder problems!!!

Sounds like they have no idea about a vegan diet. IME vegans need to eat a bit more by "volume" (but not calories) because meat and dairy products are relatively "dense" foods.

All that aside, that kind of intervention is just a recipe for eating disorders.

And anyway, IT'S NONE OF THEIR DAMN BUSINESS.

Fair enough, Trifleorbust. I was halfway through my avocado salad when I read this and it gave me the rage.

Was it a one off as part of a lecture on healthy eating? I don't believe any secondary school has the time or inclination to hold daily inspections of each pupil's lunchbox, I really, really don't.
Bet she's misunderstood.

I'd be concerned that people this ignorant are teaching my child.
The avocado thing is ridiculous. Well the whole scenario is ridiculous.

No, YANBU!!!! How dare they say it's "too much", WTF are they thinking?? I would be raising with the Head of Year or Head.

Good grief, how do they have time for that nonsense.
Completely agree with Vetinari about competative undereating.
Reminds me of my dd's first science class in year 7, they weighed each other and logged results.
You can imagine what that lead to...
Bloody idiots.

This type of thing makes me so mad I was obsessed with my weight as a teen, obsessed with losing weight (when I was perfectly healthy) and for a short while existed off one meal a day and ran myself ragged in the gym. And that was without anyone telling me I was eating too much. Teenagers (especially girls) have so much pressure to have a 'perfect' figure what with social media, peer pressure and airbrushed celebrities in magazines, without teachers telling them they are eating too much. Teenagers are still growing - they should eat until they are satisfied, not until some randomer decides they've had 'enough' food. That teacher is no doubt planting the seeds of doubt of self doubt and insecurity which is some girls could have such a negative effect
I'd be against the checking packed lunches in any case. It's humiliating, and I really can't see how the teachers have the time. How embarassing, I'm thinking how I would have felt in that situation in school and I'd have been mortified. If I were you, OP, I'd be complaining to the school. I understand the school not selling fizzy pop, or chocolate bars (although cakes and pasties are fine...) but they cant realistically police what kids take in, not at that age. I can imagine lots of angry parents complaining, I know I would!

By the way that lunch sounds absolutely fine. Even if your dd wasn't vegan, I would still say fine. One main (sandwich) followed by fruit and veg (is avocado a fruit or veg). And as for labelling avocado 'bad', well. I do slimming world and yes avocado is synned but anyone can tell it's going to satisfy you more than the chocolate and is a lot more nutritious. And any 'good' or 'bad' labelling or diets shouldn't be mentioned in front of teenagers that age anyway. Disgraceful.

I remember weighing and measuring and checking bmi in comp too, not meant to be embarrasing but rather a 'group' thing We were in year 9 and I personally didn't mind (was dieting at this point and so just at the lower end of being a healthy weight) but I remember some of my friends being quite upset afterwards. Which then led to bullying whereby the boys went round the class pointing at each girl and saying 'normal' or 'fat' to them
I think secondary schools don't think at all. And another bugbear of mine (from my own schooldays) was the banning of all chocolate/cakes/cookies at breaks yet selling pizza slices as big as the ones at greggs at break, or pasties and pies! Probably more rubbish in those than the cookies.

Good grief!! I'd be raging about that! As previous posters have said it's a perfect way to encourage eating disorders. That lunch sounds amazing. Definitely I'd be having a word with someone at least to find out why they thought it was OK to even suggest that to your daughter!

'I do wish schools would stick to teaching rather than branching out into lifestyle policing'

I am all in favour of schools 'policing' children's health and well being - its part of their role ( see example upthread about young person drinking 2-3 energy drinks every morning and parents refusing to do anything about it). However, telling a young person off for eating avocado is beyond ridiculous! Same level of bonkers as the nursery I read about on here which banned fruit (FRUIT!) in children's lunchboxes because of all the sugar I mean, seriously. FFS.

OP, your daughter's lunch sounds fab. Like I say, all in favour of schools monitoring health, but not when there are misguided fools doing the monitoring, and when the school canteen is serving up utter crap at lunchtime

If secondary schools care so much about healthy lunches, they should start with the canteens. Is there are secondary school in the country that doesn't sell chips every day and massive cookies and brownies. If I was PM for the day, I'd pass a law giving each secondary school pupil a free piece of fruit every day.

Please complain to the head of year. If the form tutor is really that useless you won't get anywhere by directly tackling her. If it is a policy from above that she has no choice in the HoY is the person who may be able to change things.

YANBU
I would definitely approach the school over this.

These are children that are going through massive changes in their physical and emotional welfare. Policing lunch boxes in registration is inappropriate for a start and will be demeaning to the pupils. This could lead to some of them suffering eating disorders being the age they are.

The school should invest their time in educating and giving them informed choices on their eating habits not show them up!

And they are policing how MUCH she eats? No. I am all for rules but that is not their business. Strongly worded email, letter in lunch box, instructions to your DD not to hand over her lunch for inspection. Failing that, complaint to governors.

This ^^. I would be absolutely raging and would at the very least want an apology admitting he/she was wrong to your DD from the tutor.

This makes me so cross. Especially at their age when they might get food/body issues.

Your DD's lunchbox makes my DS's look huge! But he does sport and is growing at a rate of knots. He is slim and constantly hungry.

It's not 'cool' to eat fruit and veg at school, so he has 3 x fruit and 2 x veg per day at home.

In his lunchbox are 2 x rolls or sandwiches involving lettuce; crisps, cereal bar and cheese/fridge raiders/something involving protein. Nothing particularly healthy.

So looking at his lunch, you would assume he eats unhealthily all the time. But he doesn't if you look at it over the whole day. We have to compromise on what he eats in front of his friends

If he chooses from the school canteen he can have chips, giant pretzel, giant cookie, can of Coke and so on. His secondary school hasn't commented on lunch boxes yet, but if they do, I will tell them exactly what I think of their plethora of carb-ridden, sugar-ridden crap

Shocking - I have never heard of secondary schools policing lunch boxes. They wouldn't like my DS's - it's usually a nutella sandwich and a few oreo biscuits . It used to be a Ginster's pasty until he went off them.

I am enraged on your behalf OP. I would complain. If you don't get it resolved you can go to the governors.

Put a note in her lunchbox addressed to "the staff at X School"

I have approved this lunchbox for my daughter (name) and she is to allowed to have it

TNS about this.

I'm a form tutor and have had words with a parent about what their daughter was eating at lunch. A whole can of pringles and a big share bag of chocolate buttons, turns out she'd got them from the shop on the way to school with her dinner money...

This really annoys me. Its the same here the canteen sells all sorts of unhealthy crap. If the school sells it or serves it they should not be policing packed lunches. Its none of their business anyway what my kids eat.