to be annoyed that my dds school has been giving out certificates to children who bring in healthy packed lunches?

[spudmasher]

Today she took in a ham roll, four cherry tomatoes, a few slices of cucumber, some fresh pineapple and a small apple pie.

She was not given a certificate because she had the apple pie in her lunch!

When I was making her lunch tonight she asked me not to put a little cake in because it was unhealthy and she would not get a certificate.

I thought it was unreasonable to reward a child, or deny a reward on the basis of decisions made by the parent.

I also feel that six is too young an age to bear the responsbility of deciding what they should eat. Surely the child should be carefree and just trust the parents to know what is healthy?

I also thought that a little fat and sugar occassionally, will not be harmful to a child.

I also felt that they are encouraging children to deny themselves small pleasures - could lead to eating disorders imo.

Thanks. Feel better now.

Am I over reacting?

Have sent snotty e mail to school........

In that case then, what is wrong with giving it at school?

nail, head, head ,nail professorplum.

Message withdrawn

Presumably there are no biscuits in the staff room

I am just going to get creamed for this but I feel I have to put just a smidgen of an opposing point of view.

Firstly, I think you should be allowed to determine you're childs diet no question - just in school five days a week I can see why they view this particular food as 'unhealthy' and why they encourage healthier eating - unfortunately children really do bring in these awful foods you guys are talking about.

I'm sure they would say that this apple pie if shop bought kipling type is one of those unsuitable foods - it's nasty pastry (usually) and full of SATURATED fat. (not good healthy unfucked-about-with food like full fat cheese/milk which children need). It's overly processed if kipling type too.

I think they are doing this so that 'fun' food doesn't become 'currency' in school.

Bits of lard jamming it up oops?

if the school objects

Is key for me there. I'm not promoting pushing chips thru the scl gate, but honestly, thats ridiculous, just plain plain mad. An apple pie? An apple pie for Gawds sake in an otherwise faultless lunch?

Why should she give it at home? The child is 6, the rest is flawless, why - I really don't geddit.

Are they policing there own cooked dinners too? What about sponge cake and custard? Has that gone too. Struck through with a big HAZCHEM sign probably.

Really I don't believe this can be defended in any shape or form.

Laurie, then the first port of call for the school should be the parents. The child should not be berated for their parents poor knowledge of childhood nutrition, nor praised for their parents ingenuity with wholegrains.

honestly, it's p[ointless to argue this with people that generally truely know what a healthy diet is and that believe that this is common sense....but believe it or not....there is a lot of people that believe that generally a lot of foods we know isn't that great, think it's healthy food...
also, what is wrong with the theory that dairy isn't all as good as it is made out to be, seeing that it is seemingly true...like in asia osteoporosi is far more of a rare occurance then over here....wonder why!

spud it's wrong because sadly some people can't differentiate (sp) as of the occasional treat and the daily treat, etc....

Message withdrawn

can I just asked op if they had a letter through about healthy eating policy...which would be why the child then doesn;t receive a certificate if any unhealthy foods are in it!

and btw, are we actually arguing that an apple pie is a healthy food?

I so hope not...as nice as they are

I didn't know that 3andnomore. I remember reading somewhere that doctors were warning of a timebomb of osteoporosis in the west as teenage girls and young women give up cheese becuase of its fat content, without replacing it with another source of calcium.

So what are Asian women eating that we're not that's protecting them?

... and not to mention that wholegrains give both my kids the runs... so they have EVIL white bread.

They're going to hell in a handbasket, obviously.

oh, and here I see far to many Kids, like every 2. that goes to school, bag of crisp in hand, as they didn't have breakfast...

(admittedly home made gorgeous white bread from a bread maker, but shhh.... still evil)

3andnomore, with the exception of chemical-laden shite, I would argue that as part of an overall diet, decent quality apple pie (not Mr effing Kipling) is a healthy food.

It is unhealthy if eaten to excess or with lots of other sugary, fat-laden food.

By itself, it is neither healthy nor unhealthy. That's a much better message for children to hear than good/ bad.

I suppose it's a more complex message though, so harder to impart. But they really ought to be trying.

If they get a cert, it should be for a lunch that includes something from each of the food groups, maybe?

And what about those kids who have school dinners......what praise/rewards do they get?

Not very fair, is it?

asican women tend to eat a lot of green vegetables...and vegetable source tend to be easier digested...!
I mea, lets just say we all kow that there is plenty of minerals instones and rocks, don't make us want to eat them, and that is a good thing, because we most likely would not be able to get the minerals out of stones, as we are not meant to eat them....!

Rubberduck, am surprised your Kids get the runs with wholemeal rather then white bread...what are they reacting on then?
saying that, of course white bread can cause constipation, therefore, maybe if you have a wheat problem...maybe white bread is the answeer, I do not know...

Spudmasher, she wasn't BERATED - just not given a certificate - or have I misunderstood?

And that's how child pressure works - I know in my house once they've done 'environmental' lessons they go around switching lights off

I guess they are hoping that children will want to earn points/certificates/gold stars by asking for different food from their parents

If they are going to continue to do this they need to tell all parents what is going to constitute a healthy lunch and what is not. It is a total minefield for adults so 6yo shouldn't have to take responsibility for it. If there idea of healthy consists of excluding all fat and sugar then you need to complain, especially if they are encouraging artifical sweeteners. Also do the same rules apply to every child? My ds is really underweight so needs more fat than the fat kids. If he went to that school, would his daily fat allowance be the same as the obese children?

actually white flour, which is mostly used to produce applepies, is like putting pure sugar in your system...the fresh apple cooked, aswell looses a lot of it's goodness on the way...so, no apple pie, whatever way cooked will still always be a treat, that could be misunderstood if other people don't have the ability to distinguish (sP)

plum, I would think every parent has actually received such leaflat...
and whilst I understand that of course a home made apple pie most likely is more healthy then a shop bought one...you can't control this systme by these fineries..so, if you want your child to have that, do it in your own time!
School dinners are meant t be sorted by now, so, those KIds are, at least, meant to get a healthy dinner (...do I trust schools...nah)

Little bella, I do agree.....just, that sadly in school and with lunchboxes,etc...this is a real problem, because people really are mislead...I mean, how many healthy yoghurt sdrinks and other specially for Kids things are there in the supermarket, claiming to be healthy (and I am talking about Scoobydoo snack box, etc...) and come on those with more sense know that they are shite processed foods...