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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think that packed lunch containing a cold happy meal could be due to poverty?

466 replies

blubberball · 29/03/2017 09:55

I saw on the news the other day, a story about school packed lunches. At one school, they looked in a child's lunchbox, and found a cold happy meal. People have obviously been angered by that, and are accusing the parents of being lazy. The first thought that came to my mind was that they couldn't afford to waste the food from the day before. I know that the particular primary school they looked at is in a very poor area. I just felt sorry for them.

OP posts:
PotteringAlong · 29/03/2017 09:56

Surely if you are that poor you can't afford a happy meal in the first place? Certainly not to the extent that you have an extra cold one just lying around. Or there are better things to be spending your food money on.

muttrat · 29/03/2017 09:57

Happy Meals cost iirc 2.50? Perfectly possible to make a cheese or tuna sandwich, a packet of crisps and an apple and a banana for that.

Gileswithachainsaw · 29/03/2017 09:57

Of course it could be down to poverty.eaily could he to minimise waste or cos they found a couple of quid on th ground or had one of those vouchers off the bus tickets or something.

Poor child.

Course there are parebts who wouldn't give a shit but we don't know do we and poverty of course could he a reason. Maybe they were even being looked after by an older sibling as the parebts had all night shifts...

muttrat · 29/03/2017 09:57

an a cold happy meal is just rank

the chips are disgusting any more than five minutes after buying them as it is.

SaucyJack · 29/03/2017 09:58

No, I don't believe it's an issue of lack of money.

Jaynesworld · 29/03/2017 09:58

But if they are that poor, then they wouldnt be eating at mcdonalds or ordering an extra happy meal.

KellyBoo800 · 29/03/2017 09:59

It's possible to make a healthy lunch for £2.50 if you can afford a whole loaf of bread, butter, tin of tuna, fruit in one go and then divide the bull cost by however many meals you get out of it.

If you only have £2.50 in your pocket, it's a different story.

GnusSitOnCanoes · 29/03/2017 09:59

I saw the story - I felt very sorry for the family, and the child. I want to believe that any parent who sends their child to a school with a cold Happy Meal for lunch either doesn't know better, or is in dire financial straits. And I hope someone has engaged with the family to offer support or help.

alltouchedout · 29/03/2017 09:59

The first thought that came to my mind was that they couldn't afford to waste the food from the day before

Yes, I think that's plausible. But prepare yourself for a barrage of posts explaining that it's so much cheaper to buy healthier food in bulk and that poor people shouldn't be buying McDonald's.

CrazyDuchess · 29/03/2017 09:59

I thought the school lunches were cheaper than happy meal? Surely if the family was that poor than they'd be entitled to free school lunches.

I certainly don't feel sorry for the parents, I feel sorry for the child!

gabsdot · 29/03/2017 10:00

If the kid will eat it what's the problem.
My son doesn't like sandwiches so he sometimes takes a cold hot dog in a bun for his lunch.

muttrat · 29/03/2017 10:00

at our school a school lunch is £2 so cheaper than a happy meal

also there are free school meals so this really doesn't need to happen ever.

LuxuryWoman2017 · 29/03/2017 10:00

I don't know.
A happy meal is around £2.50 ish? That could buy a loaf, a packet of ham and a multipack of value crisps or a bunch of bananas which would last the week.
I saw the article and it's a grim lunch whatever the reason. A friend of mine is a teacher and has seen things like a packet of custard creams in lunchboxes, nothing else just biscuits.

Laziness perhaps, poverty - not sure, despair at a child who won't eat anything but junk? possibly.

MrsJayy · 29/03/2017 10:01

No it is laziness and neglectful basically they gave their child something fit for the bin.

Gileswithachainsaw · 29/03/2017 10:01

Poverty isn't just about the money though is it. Usually goes hand in hand with erratic shift work where parebts are not around much ajd the kids are looked after by older siblings or dumped at various people's houses or maybe kids are looking after themselves ajd aren't allowed to use the oven or whatever

Original poster
blubberball · 29/03/2017 10:02

Well yes, I feel very sorry for the children. They don't know any different.

OP posts:
Persianprincess69 · 29/03/2017 10:02

Maybe said parents bought it for their child as a treat the night before and they didn't eat it, so they didn't want to waste it. I know it's rank but who are we to judge people. We have no idea what is going on in people's life. Go ahead and judge..........if you are perfect!!!!!

ZilphasHatpin · 29/03/2017 10:02

Well a cold happy meal is in no way shape or form a decent lunch and those parents either have to have been pulling a stunt or be entirely oblivious to how that would look to the school staff. I suspect the latter. Which suggests to me their own education was so lacking that they can't put together a basic meal. Someone with such a low standard of food education is unlikely to be sitting in the board room with Alan sugar so yes, I would say poverty is incredibly likely.

Porpoiselife · 29/03/2017 10:02

If the kid will eat it what's the problem.
My son doesn't like sandwiches so he sometimes takes a cold hot dog in a bun for his lunch.

Shock seriously?

muttrat · 29/03/2017 10:03

f the kid will eat it what's the problem.

the problem is I am sick of paying huge amounts of tax so that the NHS can sort out peoples obesity and ill health

I am basically paying for that parents child to have a lifetime of medical support, all because the parents can't be bothered to feed their kid properly.

Noone can tell me that sets up children for a lifetime of healthy eating.

KellyBoo800 · 29/03/2017 10:03

But if they are that poor, then they wouldnt be eating at mcdonalds or ordering an extra happy meal.

I eat a healthy diet and very rarely go to McDonald's but surely it's common knowledge that crappy junk food is significantly cheaper than healthy food? You could feed 2 kids a full meal each for less than a fiver at McDonald's and if that's all the money you've got (and can't afford any gas or electric til payday) then that's quite an attractive option.

If food gets leftover and it's a choice between sending a child to school with leftover McDonald's or nothing, which is the worse option?

Original poster
blubberball · 29/03/2017 10:04

At my school, only the infants get free school meals.

OP posts:
muttrat · 29/03/2017 10:04

a cold hot dog in a bun is a disgusting lunch

honestly what is wrong with people

AmysTiara · 29/03/2017 10:04

A ham butty and an apple costs less than a happy meal so no I don't think it's a cost issue. Hmm

muttrat · 29/03/2017 10:05

anyone can feed 2 kids a full meal each for less than a fiver Confused

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