School packed lunch.

[Weedinosaurus]

I really don’t think I’m being U here but before I go to the school, I’m after feedback about dds packed lunch.

Dd is in Y4 and is taking her own lunch for the first time. She’s always had school lunches.
I’ve just received an email from school advising me to consider the content and portion size in dds lunch box and to ask the school if I need advice on providing an appropriate lunch.

Example lunch for dd today is:
Ham sandwich on wholemeal bread (1 slice of bread)
3 cherry tomatoes
Cucumber and pepper sticks
A pot of chopped strawberrries
A packet of quavers
Fromage Frais

For break time snack she took a banana.

I get that ham isn’t great and the quavers could be better, but isn’t it about balance?

I’m sure that’s an okay lunch? Or am I just uneducated?

Tell me before I look daft by asking the school what the problem is.

Dd is active and not overweight.

My Y4 dd would eat less than that. Half a small roll, one slice of turkey, a small pot of strawberries. Even at a sports camp where she’s exercising all day, she’ll rarely eat more - maybe a squeezy yoghurt. She’s on the 25th centile, so neither tiny nor underweight.

It’s annoying that at school they urge her to eat when she’s full, but lots of lunchtime supervisors have the old-fashioned ‘clear your plate before I’ll let you out to play attitude’. I think that’s whats happening here.

Could you give her the sandwich in a whole meal 'thin'? Warburtons and Kingsmill make them and I think also do their own version. This way it will be a 2 slice sandwich but not be too filling. This is what my children have for lunch and the school have never complained about it even though my yr4 child only takes that and a packet of crisps. I offer him other food and have sent him in with other food but he won't eat it. He just wants to eat as quickly as possible so he can go and play football!

My primary children (yr 3 and yr 4) have virtually the same lunch.
A sandwich using a 'thin' as they don't like crusts, usually chicken and lettuce or pastrami and cucumber,
Veg
Fruit
chunk of cheese
snack food.

I've been praised by the teachers for their lovely lunches.

@VividImagination I’m very tempted to use that response.

@Bluntness100 / sorry if Ive misinterpreted you. Because you kept going back to that point, it sounded like that’s what you believed was happening (that she was eating more at school lunch and now was t getting as much). Re-reading I can see that you were trying to look from the school’s point of view.

Also, I’d rather not get into calorie counting with a child of a healthy weight. I can see why it might be helpful in an over or underweight child but it seems a bit pointless with a healthy child. When I say active, I mean a normal child who plays outside, likes to climb and does swimming, gymnastics and a park run each week...it’s not like she’s in 3 hour gym sessions every day.

My Y3 got a couple of wraps (plain), dairlylea dunker thing, small yogurt lollipop thing, banana and an apple. So not that much different.

She is a grazer and doesn't really each much at one time.

She was starving when she came out of school but then she always is, even with the hot school meals.

I would ignore the letter and carry on tbh. You know your child better than they do. If they cant be more specific or even speak to you face to face then it can't be that much of an issue for them. Also if that letter is sent to everyone its still lacking in detail.