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 ?

[user1484066668]

Aaaaand this is why so many teenagers have eating disorders. Outrageous.

[eddiemairswife]

My avocado salad last night was delicious!

[Eolian]

Yay - well done OP (if a little polite)! Wonder what the response will be...

[LemonDrizzleDisco]

I have a response. Dd's teacher has sent a letter home .

'Dear Miss Lemon,

I am very sorry if I have upset you or Little Lemon after the lunch check.
As part of our new healthy schools' policy we are now monitoring what is put in lunch boxes. As part of this policy , form tutors have been asked to look out for :

Food high in fats
Food high in sugars like cakes and biscuits
Food high in salt

I have spoken to Little Lemon who has educated me on the vegan diet and density of food.
Please be reassured that I will not make the same mistake in the future in regards to fat and quantity of food.

Apologies and kind regards,

Mrs

[SukeyTakeItOffAgain]

Well...result! Go Little Lemon!

But it would properly piss me off having my lunch box inspected if I was a teenager.

[ChortledTheLion]

Yay! Lemon Drizzle victory.

Although they might want to think through what they say and how they say it on a wider basis, not just for vegans.

[terrylene]

Well done Little Lemon

[LemonDrizzleDisco]

Thank you all ,pleased with the result. Dd said she's spoken to the head of year about the 'too much lunch' comment because she didn't want anyone else feeling conscious about what they eat,especially in a girls school

[ChortledTheLion]

Double victory. Well done to your DD to for championing others.

[C8H10N4O2]

Whilst I think you did well OP and have resolved for Little Lemon I would be following up with the school.

I would ask the school why they are asking unqualified and untrained individuals to comment on the girls' lunch boxes (which is what led to the problem here). Its just asking for trouble.

If they want to encourage healthier options, more fresh foodstuffs etc then all well and good.
However anyone who can't distinguish between highly processed fatty foods (which I'm guessing was the target) and a bloody avocado, let alone the concept of 'balanced diet', is a liability health wise and should not be telling kids how to eat.

[123yourusername]

I'd tell them where to go. And also send her in tomorrow with a supersize lunchbox packed purely with chocolate just to make a point, along with a strongly worded note

[puddleduckmummy]

Way to go Little Lemon! (And mummy Lemon!) hopefully you've raised awareness of how ridiculous there little inspection is

[flumpybear]

Sounds a bit strange!! I think they need nutrition training!! High fat =sausage rolls, not avocado ....
Education also that we need fat, it's biochemically necessary particularly for vegan diets, along with volume -- to ensure adequate adsorption .... a teacher isn't likely to understand unless taught!!

[user1485778793]

I'm a secondary teacher and have never seen or heard of this....it's ridiculous! I'd refuse to police my forms lunch boxes and I'd never comment on what food they were eating.

The only rules we have are: No selling of food or drink between pupils and only water allowed in lessons.

We have a cashless system and parents can see what food their kids buy on their account. The food is total rubbish. Pizza, 'potato wedges' chips, wraps, over cooked veg, over cooked pasta and loads of muffins, cakes etc.

This is parents responsibility not schools....unless they were totally buzzing from several energy drinks then its not schools business

[Craigie]

Other than the peanut butter, can't see what the school's problem is. Complain, complain, complain.

[Jaxhog]

I like the idea from the poster above emailing and asking that in light of their policing lunch you'd like a complete nutritional breakdown of all foods sold in the canteen so you can make an informed choice with regards DD lunch.

This

[Jaxhog]

Argh, cross post. Good job, the Lemons!

[LemonDrizzleDisco]

Thank you ,definitely going to follow up with the school. Absolutely ridiculous to be policing lunch boxes in secondary school. It's been every morning this week,when are they going to get led and give up

[smallchanceofrain]

DS's primary school did this a couple of years ago. They had the Year 6's checking lunches to see if they were healthy. They gave him a note to put in his lunch bag about the drizzle of dark chocolate on his little bit of homemade flapjack. Chocolate being banned. I emailed the Head to ask when the Years 6's had got their NVQ's in Food Handling and Hygiene. It never happened again.

It's good you've had a response OP. I think you should send the usual packed lunch but add 20 Lambert and Butler and a pack of lard. That'll show 'em!

[JustDanceAddict]

Avocado is incredibly healthy - wtf!

[RiverTamFan]

Fantastic! That was ridiculous. It's hard enough to convince some teenage girls to eat a decent quantity of food without that kind of nonsense.

[mistlethrush]

(An aside, my son has been told that he has 'too much salad' when having school lunches (which they pay for)... )

[Leeds2]

Well Done to your DD for carrying on the fight. And well done to the teacher for admitting she was wrong.

I really don't think secondary school teachers want, or are best placed, to monitor lunch boxes. Unless perhaps, as mentioned above, children are coming in with a tube of pringles and a giant size bag of buttons.

[Writermom22]

All school kitchens, ALL school kitchen have to be able to put their hands on a file showing the complete breakdown - both nutritional and allergenic - of every meal they serve. It's the law. And while I agree with everything you're saying about parent's choice and older children choosing for themselves, just bear in mind that the school (and it's cook) has very little say in the menu choices. Guidelines and menus are passed from the government to local councils who then pass these on to individual kitchen.

I know this, because I work in a school kitchen.

[ScrapThatThen]

I'd be flagging this policy up with the school nursing service/pastoral care because this is exactly the sort of thing that can precipitate young people into an eating disorder if they are predisposed (so many kids affected by the year 6 healthy eating talk etc). It is absolutely not OK. Well done though.