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?

@churchandstate completely misses the point being made

There may literally be no other food in the house, and lack of storage or cooking facilities may mean a takeaway was the only option.

If you can store a Happy Meal, you can store a loaf of bread and a jar of peanut butter

In my city one of the most deprived densely populated areas was without a supermarket for 15 years after the Kwik Save closed and the supermarket in the middle of town re-located to a retail park. The whole area has benefitted from a Lidl. The delay was due to a Super Tesco being planned but never happened due to credit crunch.

Some supermarkets do free delivery slots. Iceland do free delivery over £25 I think as well.

But that means you need £25 in the bank in the first place. Not everyone has that amount of money in the bank.

Some of the happy meals may came free from the parent working at McDonald’s as their one free meal they get as working and so they haven’t spent any of their money because they didn’t have any

then there have to get up and walk to the supermarket.
Or use a free delivery slot and get it delivered at something like 6am or 10pm.

There’s ways around giving your child a cold happy meal.

I’d be embarrassed to send my child to school with that.

Sarcastic if that were the case surely you’d pick a bigger meal off the menu then to last longer. Or a wrap.

Some of the happy meals may came free from the parent working at McDonald’s as their one free meal they get as working and so they haven’t spent any of their money because they didn’t have any

Then why wouldn't they get an adult sized meal?

If they're that skint, 8 nuggets and larger fries would surely be preferable?

I understand some people literally just have £3.

But, cheapest white loaf in Tesco is £0.55. Value peanut butter £0.70. 6 x low fat Yoghurt £0.85 Tesco Multipack Crisps £0.77. Bananas approx £0.15 each. That comes to £3.02 and would do most of the week.

I think it's more about being poor in time.

if you can store a Happy Meal you can store a loaf of bread and a jar of peanut butter but you may have wanted your child, and possibly yourself, to have had a hot dinner.

X post with puds

The reception teacher said she's had to send children to the canteen to get a proper meal

If she's talking about children in her class this makes no sense, they get free meals in KS1.

I think it’s disfunction rather than poverty. A basic inability to be able to plan, source and put together the elements of a packed lunch. That could be because of mental health issues, substance abuse or SENs.

Having said that, I don’t think cold chicken nuggets in a roll would be the worst thing ever. I’ve popped in a slice of leftover (homemade) pizza many a time.

@pippitysqueakity

pippitysqueakity Sat 16-Nov-19 18:26:52
if you can store a Happy Meal you can store a loaf of bread and a jar of peanut butter but you may have wanted your child, and possibly yourself, to have had a hot dinner.

But it's not hot??

That is a very good point

I’ve lived in places without supermarkets.. currently our “supermarket” has 5 n a half isles of food and an isle with duvets and cards.. the half of the other end is currently toys. One of the food isle is sweets n crisps.

Still I’d be able, even in the shitty little shop town, get a roll and a jar of jam for £1.50.. yes a single roll lasts a day but they’re 20p or 6 for a £1. Plus at the prices of those tiny shops it’s unlikely that the majority does their entire shop there. Now there’s access to online supermarkets too.

McDonald’s cold for lunch is sheer bone idle lazy. £3 for a happy meal (unlikely in walking distance so fuel/bus fare too) every day for a week is £15... you can’t say they save on travel, if they buy 5 happy meals at once n just keep dishing them out that’s disgusting

Is this the "Deliver-ooooooo!!!" mum from the ad?

but you may have wanted your child, and possibly yourself, to have had a hot dinner.

If your that poor then you can’t be fussy.

And it’s not exactly warm the next day is it.

but you may have wanted your child, and possibly yourself, to have had a hot dinner.

Happy Meals are anything but hot. They're tepid at best.

But either way, no parent living in extreme poverty would choose 1 tepid junk food dinner over 5 healthier sandwich dinners.

It's an insult to think they would.

I can't believe there are actually people defending children being sent to school with cold fast food! Growing up my mum had to live on the tightest of budgets but we either had school meals or a packed lunch. I understand alot of people don't have money but to think people can afford a mcdonalds over some cheap packed lunch supplies is awful. If they're that poor then surely they would get help in the form of free/reduced cost school meals?

No...not for lunch it’s not but the night before it was for dinner. It will be leftovers the next day, so not hot then.

Aren't all children in key stage 1 entitled to free school meals anyway? Surely this is a very welcome lifeline if you are struggling to put food on the table, why would you send in a packed lunch if you can't afford to?

pippity they're not exactly hot when you eat them straight from the restaurant.

And as a PP said, you can't afford to be choosy if you're that skint and you have kids to feed.

But, cheapest white loaf in Tesco is £0.55. Value peanut butter £0.70. 6 x low fat Yoghurt £0.85 Tesco Multipack Crisps £0.77. Bananas approx £0.15 each. That comes to £3.02 and would do most of the week.

Which is fine if you live near a cheap Tesco.

But either way, no parent living in extreme poverty would choose 1 tepid junk food dinner over 5 healthier sandwich dinners.

But clearly some people do. Just because you wouldn't, and it's not your experience, doesn't mean it doesn't happen. Some people aren't good parents and don't have the experience or knowledge or provide decent meals for their children. Sad, but true.

Loving all the self-important posts on here. 'A roll and some cheap jam'...£1, processed ham and white bread...these things are nutritionally redundant, so not sure what the point is. None of these are really any better than a cold Happy Meal, which may actually come with a Tropicana orange juice so actually has some vitamin content.

If you want to get het up about headlines, why not focus on why people are so fecking poor and desperate that they are having to make these kinds of decisions in 2019(clue: no, it's not because they're lazy/ feckless/dysfunctional/insert Daily Mail headline adjective here).

But sure, carry on poor bashing and feeling good about your own good fortune.