To send my nearly four year old to school with a flask of soup.

[Byallmeans]

Yes it’s a packed lunch fred!

Dd3 Is a fussy eater and I’m struggling to think what she will have for packed lunches. She won’t eat a sandwich or wrap with any filling but would eat it dry. No dips or cucumbers.

I’m thinking of sending her in with a soup I know she loves with cocktail sausages, pineapple and yogurt. The soup is cauliflower and cheddar. She’s asked for BBQ spare ribs but I’ve said no

As a dinner lady....we've seen it all before and we don't mind at all.

We've seen all sorts.....dry plain bread, crackers, cheese biscuits. One child would eat dry bread, then a side of ham and cucumber sticks. Basically a deconstructed sandwich!! She wouldn't eat a sandwich though.

Just send with finger foods if that's what she'll eat. Or whatever else she will eat.

Check with school.

We have been told “no hot food” due to covid and staff not being able to help them at meal times. Lunch times have been staggered here and only cold food allowed, packed lunch either provided by school or home.

Our local Primaries are not eating in the dinner hall, they are all eating in their own classrooms being supervised by the teacher. They are all being provided with a packed lunch (free for KS1 and FSM).

My dc have dry pittas or rolls in their lunch boxes, I've given up worrying about it. It's what they eat... its within the rules the fact it looks and tastes grim is their problem not mine

My daughter took soup in at that age with a slice of bread in winter (summer was salads - never had any problems. Her favourite was minestrone. I have two thermos flasks that come with a spoon - she pours an amount into the cup so it cools more quickly and then keeps pouring bits in until she's finished. There are 4 year olds shucking oysters with sharp knives in parts of the world - a flask is not beyond a 4 year old's wit.

My son took a flask of spaghetti hoops to school for lunch for 7 years, also on school trips. Has in 1st year now so goes out for lunch, no one batted an eyelid and my son was fed

My ds was a sandwich refuser...I'd give him a piece of dry baguette...amongst other things. Looked so miserly though...

Will they have time to eat it especially if they need assistance? I know when my mine were little half of the food would be left as they just wanted to be out and playing with their friends at lunchtime

I wouldn’t do it - soup kept lukewarm for 4 hours is heaven for bacterial growth, especially home made. Would she eat pasta salad etc, or a deconstructed sandwich?

My DD survived the entirety of primary school lunches on either peanut butter sandwiches or deconstructed sandwiches, dry bread/pitta/wrap/bagel with chunks of cheese or mini sausages. Veg sticks. Fruit. Frube.
Finger food is ideal for little ones. Avoid lots of packaged stuff as it's hard to open. I got one of those plastic containers with internal compartments. In the dishwasher overnight. Nice and clean for the morning.

If your DD likes things like frubes you can freeze them and put them in the lunchbox frozen and they're ready to eat at lunchtime and have helped keep food cool.

I’m thinking of sending her in with a soup I know she loves with cocktail sausages, pineapple and yogurt.
Just swap the soup for a wrap?

You need to ask the school, I know someone who did this once and the soup was taken away and the child offered a free school meal packed lunch but she was told not to do it again.

@Beamer I’m amazed you got away with peanut anything in a packed lunch, normally schools treat that like it’s toxic waste

Can only imagine the smell when that flask is opened

She won’t have the cheese grated on so it’s just cauliflower and it’s very mild.

But spaghetti hoops or alphabets is a great idea and one I’ll probably use.

I’ll double check on Thursdays as were just having a walk around so I’ll mention it then. There is only ten in the class so shouldn’t be too much hassle

My other two are great eaters and dd2 is happy with a cheese or chicken sandwich.

I’ve just been and bought a thermo thing that supposed to guarantee six hours of hotness.

Oh good lord, I'm so sorry, wrong thread! 🤣🤣🤣

I''ll ask MN to move it.

Shuffles off with a red face...

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

No do t leave it! Great change of direction

Hilarious!

Ds2 wouldn't eat sandwiches so I sent him with a dry wrap/bread/bread roll/crackers with cucumber/pepper/sausages/chicken. Essentially a sandwich with the contents separately.

Ds1 used to like taking cold pasta with salad.

🤭🤭🤣🤣🤣 at the pp posting on the (very) wrong thread! Amazing.

It’s the cauliflower that smells but honestly that’s not an issue really

@SpockPaperScissorsLizardRock

I'm a dinner lady, as long as it's not hot enough to burn then I wouldn't care.

The only time I judge is when tiny kids have enough food to feed me for a week. They really don't eat a lot.

My school have commented that I send far too much in for dd2(5). She barely eats and is quite restrictive in what she will eat (ASD), I just want her to eat something so send a selection. It actually hurt when I was basically told by school that they were judging me (because they did), please don't judge.

Lots of children will try new foods when given school dinners and seeing all their peers eating the food, also our school also has soup on the menu frequently.

Could you try the school meals and see how it goes?