To not understand how it's cheaper to send dc to school with a cold happy meal than a packed lunch?

[bobstersmum]

In the news this week, an article about children in deprived areas being sent to school with a cold happy meal. Then parents in another article defending the reasons for it, saying that sometimes it's all they can afford. I just can't understand it? A happy meal is 2.99 I think? But a cheap loaf of bread is 50p, a cheap pack of sandwich meat or cheese is less than a pound, bag of bananas a pound multipack of crisps a pound, that's lunches for the week for around the same cost?

I'm just thinking about the numbers of meals. 5x cheese sandwich packed lunch Vs 1x leftovers.

But the happy meal might be as a result of a short term cash flow problem. You’ve got 3 quid in your purse, but payday is tomorrow.

If you're in that much poverty you get free school meals.

If you're of a young age (is it all reception and year 1...not sure) you get free school dinners regardless.

PP has mentioned school dinners are only £2.10 at her school anyway. Ours are the princely sum of £2.50 a day, both cheaper than a cold happy meal. There's literally no viable reason to do this disgusting cold Macdonalds palava.

It's bone idle parenting. Not poverty. And as another PP stated, makes a bloody mockery of the people who are in genuine poverty by claiming this is some kind of "only option" they have.

Because isn't the argument being made on this thread that they are only doing so because they can't afford to buy ingredients for a packed lunch? So the nuggets aren't likely to be one art of an otherwise fresh and balanced meal, are they?

The odd bit of leftovers, as part of a packed lunch, fine. 2x cold nuggets, an apple, crackers, piece of cheese, water is fine. 2x cold nuggets, half a packet of cold chips, remains of fruit shoot: sorry, I am judging the shit out of that.

I don't agree with the idea that judgement is bad. Take away judgement and what you have is everyone do whatever you want all the time every choice you make is valid and no-one can criticise you for anything. That's just stupid. People make bad choices. People make good choices. It's not a terrible thing to know the difference between the two.

I am not sure how much actual chicken is in macds chicken nuggets. Of course a chicken drumstick is better for you nutritionally

I can't begin to imagine how rank cold macds chicken nuggets must be. They are disgusting enough hot. Surely noone would actually choose to have a cold happy meal?

Why aren't people reading the article properly?

It clearly says, 'But other children have been sent in with just half a sandwich - with teachers saying parents can't afford anything more.'
*
Meaning, the other children who are using items from a McDonald's aren't the ones who cannot afford anything more!*

Read

Read

Then read again

Too many people take the first opportunity to pick on the poor and show off their "knowledge."

Of course a chicken drumstick is better for you nutritionally

Why do you think that?

Admittedly the nuggets are deep-fried but otherwise it's just chicken in batter/breadcrumbs. No real difference nutritionally to a chicken goujon, which most people wouldn't have a problem with.

There is definitely a sense of judgement because people are daring to feed their child McDonald's.

Don't children who have parents in poverty qualify for free school meals?

I can't begin to imagine how rank cold macds chicken nuggets must be. They are disgusting enough hot. Surely noone would actually choose to have a cold happy meal?

But that's your opinion, isn't it? I often get a share box from McDonald's and eat the leftovers cold the next day - in the same way I'll eat leftover pizza or pasta or Chinese.

I happen to think drinking milk is gross, but that doesn't make it fact.

"There, but by the grace of god, go I." shrug

It's all too easy to say "A happy meal cost £3, that's £15 a week!" But a parent might not have £15. But they have got £3.

"Food deserts" are a thing. Especially in heavily urbanised areas. There are expensive restaurants, niche/gourmet food shops, and fast food places, but no Asda, Lidl or Aldi. The best they can hope for might be a Tesco Metro, where prices are inflated, and ranges are small, to cater to the commuter grabbing a lunch, or a snack for the train, not for a struggling family with 2.4 kids.

Plus, things like education and culture come into it. Parents might not have a lot of knowledge as to what constitutes a healthy diet for a child. It was probably never modelled to them. And McDonalds is perhaps seen as a real treat in terms of dining out.

For those in deprived situations, us lucky Mumsnet posters might as well be from another planet. We speak the same language, and maybe live very close to each other, but our life experiences, and chances are a million miles away from each, to be unrecognisable.

We shouldn't be judging, we should be adding some extra items to the food bank donation points in our own supermarkets.

A chicken drumstick isn't covered in breadcrumbs and deep fried.

Adaline, for a start a chicken drumstick is just chicken. No artificially coloured coating
So gram for gram far lower in salt and higher in protein.

Don't children who have parents in poverty qualify for free school meals?

In some parts of the UK, yes.

But the article isn't about people in poverty eating McDonald's. It says that one child was just sent with half a sandwich because their parents couldn't afford anything else. It also stated that some children are sent with leftover Happy Meal components, but that this is nothing to do with affordability.

Yick.

Adaline, for a start a chicken drumstick is just chicken. No artificially coloured coating

Often they are, if they're BBQ/chinese flavoured, for example.

You can also get deep fried chicken drumsticks, or breaded drumsticks.

That was to you eating leftover macdonalds btw. You do realise that isn't very healthy?

That was to you eating leftover macdonalds btw. You do realise that isn't very healthy?

And? Why do you think your opinion on my diet matters to me?

Because you are trying to insist that chicken nuggets are similar nutritionally to a chicken drumstick, and I'm saying you are wrong. Just because you like troughing cold macds doesn't mean its a valid food choice for growing kids.

Don't children who have parents in poverty qualify for free school meals?

In some parts of the UK, yes.

Which parts of the UK are exempt??

Do you think health professionals would recommend that a parent give their child a cold happy meal for lunch?

Poverty is one thing, but trying to sell it as a valid nutritional choice is ridiculous.

Oh, for crying out loud

I'm saying that, as a one-off, it's not the end of the world.

But your language ('troughing" fgs) tells me all I need to know about you. You clearly see fast food as morally inferior to anything else. The fact that I maybe have it twice a year is clearly irrelevant to you, but there were are!

Which parts of the UK are exempt??

Wales.

Do you think health professionals would recommend that a parent give their child a cold happy meal for lunch?

Health professionals wouldn't recommend a lot of things. Doesn't mean it's damaging as a one-off.

There's literally no viable reason to do this disgusting cold Macdonalds palava

What if that is the only thing they would eat? When my children had school lunches they only ate some dry bread occasionally. By October half term we started packed lunches. I would rather they had cold nuggets than nothing. Altho they don't actually eat nuggets - only peperami/frankfurters. I'd love them to have the variety of cold chicken nuggets!

Yeah, I think eating cold breaded fat mixed with chicken is gross. Particularly as you are an adult and presumably have choices over what you eat.

No child is going to drop dead if they have a cold macds once a year. But I bloody hope that there are adults out there who would step in if this was a regular occurrence, yes.