is breakfast cereal an adequate school lunch?

[Oneborneverydecade]

DD is in year 3. She's a fussy eater and it seemed like a good idea. School have said it's not adequate. I appreciate breakfast cereal is often quite high in sugar but the only sandwich fillings she will eat are sweet.
There's no SEN and yes I accept full responsibility for having a fussy child. It would be great if she wasn't, and actually she's getting better but mostly at teatime, but I needed a solution for right now

CrunchyNutNC, why is it daft, if just adding something sweet make a child eat something?

waltz no, I said if a child will eat bread and butter , adding a sweet filling is daft.

Yeah. I read that. My ds wouldn't eat just bread and butter(not real, since he is allergic to milk).
Why do you think any parent add jam or chocolate spread, just because they want to give their children extra sugar? That is why I said lucky you.

Looking upthread waltz lots of people suggesting sugary sandwich fillings (despite OP saying her child otherwise ate normally and didn't mention not eating bread and butter). It sounds like a popular assumption that a sandwich must have a filling, and if they won't eat a savoury filling it needs to be sweet (rather than unfilled) - which I think is daft.

I’ve only read your posts, but how about lunch for breakfast? So make the quesadillas for breakfast and then cereal is lunch.

So you do go against dietitians, advice? I provided detailed day to day diary of what my ds had for every day. My ds's dietitian actually said he had way better diet compared to most children, despite he was having jam sandwich for lunch.
Children with dietary issues, we struggle as parents. Lunch is the one thing we can't control. I rather he has something, than nothing. I am a capable cook, I could cook lovely nutritious lunch if I wanted to. But there's no point if it's left uneaten.

I think you misunderstand me waltz, I think we both agree that giving children sugar without good reason (like a dietitian's advice) isn't good. I'm saying that there's zero indication that OP's child is like yours (i.e. will only eat if it is sweetened) and therefore for her to start providing a sweet sandwich filling is unnecessary.

is breakfast cereal an adequate school lunch?

I accept full responsibility for having a fussy child. It would be great if she wasn't, and actually she's getting better but mostly at teatime, but I needed a solution for right now

It is hard. Maybe take the pressure off yourself by giving your daughter scientific information. Empower her to make choices about the food she eats. Could she watch this video?

My kid’s school won’t allow crisps, bars, sweets or treats that include processed sugar including choc spread . Water is the only drink allowed.

DC2 is a fussy eater and has a very sweet tooth. I give a selection of plain crackers, cheese, cold meat, cold pasta, berries, yoghurt, wraps, plain rolls. To make it look less like a carb feast, I include veg sticks that are never eaten. I am pleased the school is strict regarding lunches as if at home, DC2 refuses most foods. I find I can become lazy/give up trying new foods as they are rarely tried.

CrunchyNutNC, I am not saying that they should provide something sweet when they don't need t. I think they should provide any thing that their dc happily eats, after all, it's only 1/3 of what children eats during the day.
But the problem is, a lot of people will judge, by sugar contents etc, fine example being disapproval of cereal bar in op's school.

Another sad thing is, children are equally judgy as parents. My ds used to take sushi for lunch when he was in nursery. Nothing fancy, just simple rolls. He happily eats rice, not so much bread. But he was picked on as soon as he started school. So no, he doesn't want to take something he likes, he takes something that doesn't get attention from others.

It's probably already been mentioned but it sounds like she has a really good variety of hot food she will eat compared to my fussy eater. My non fussy eater has this Thermos Funtainer, and it's perfect for school lunches. You can even put cheese toasties in cut up I've been told, I've tried chicken goujons and they didn't go soggy so I'm sure it's true, just prewarm the Thermos with hot water first. You could put in dinner leftovers or porridge.

I wouldnt panic. Mine often have apple for break then eat 1/4 of sandwich for lunch with satsuma and some fruit juice. Rest gets left.

But the problem is, a lot of people will judge, by sugar contents etc, fine example being disapproval of cereal bar in op's school.

ITA - DD2 has been in the early stage of an eating disorder, and suffered social anxiety. She was under a dietitian to gain weight. She was told to eat 4 meals a day, with snacks mid morning of cake, biscuits, full fat yoghurt, etc. I could give her anything high calorie, and low volume. Yet, she was not allowed to buy a cookie to go with her school lunch unless she had an apple too! She had a BMI of 13!

Try a brioche burger bun with some scant filling for lunch - a small bit of cheese or cherry tomato would taste sweet maybe?

I would say that’s not substantial enough for a lunch..... I would add some fruit, cheese/yoghurt/cooked chicken /whatever For protein .

Even if she doesn’t eat it, you’re showing the school that she’s being offered a varied diet. And you never know, she may start to eat more when she sees her friends eating

I have a fussy eater who refuses bread. Have you tried her with cooked pasta with grated cheese and a tomato. It’s a change from a jam sandwich if she only eats sweet fillings.

Mother of 6 (including fussy pants) and I've never pandered to it.

They were given a range of food to pick from that I knew they liked and were told "eat it or go hungry".

It doesn't encourage food anxiety at all, it does teach them accountability for their own choices.

Take her food shopping and get her to pick her lunch items: I refuse to believe there is absolutely nothing she will eat, even if it's just a Nutella sandwich and a babybel.

Cereal is not a suitable lunch and you need to stop encouraging this behaviour.

I’d say a straight up bowl of cereal, no. I have 3 boys and all various fussy eating patterns. Youngest has autism and he’s actually the best eater health wise. They will all take a small pot of Cheerios to eat dry along with a small pot of those cheese savoury biscuits, a wrap and a yogurt. I’d let her have the cereal dry providing it’s not a chocolate type and milk separately and bulk it out with a piece of fruit and maybe some plain tortilla chips or something? What about something like Moroccan style cous cous, cold? That’s fairly sweet. My eldest is the fussiest and that’s one thing he will eat. Or muesli on a plain yogurt with some tortillas and a piece of fruit? It is hard as the more you try push them to try other stuff, the more they’ll dig in. Crackers are another one they'll all eat. What about a sweeter cheese with apricots in it?

It's not much comfort now I know, but fussy eaters do usually grow out of it. With DS 2, it was invariably Marmite or peanut butter sandwiches and chocolate cupcakes (patiently made by me!) with added grated carrot and a huge spoonful of dried milk, but no fruit or salad ever.The school understood we were doing our best... Now he is all grown up, and self-sufficient in Sydney, he eats anything - including a fish he caught, filleted, and cooked for. himself. Hang on in there...

Be careful as most likely chocolate spread isn’t allowed as it contains nuts

She only likes jam or chocolate spread eh 😅😅😅
Atleast you know it’s you enabling her fussy eating.
If she enjoys hot meals why doesn’t she have the school dinners?

How about a sandwich, but made with fruity bread instead of regular bread? My DD has that sometimes with just butter. She had one yesterday with vegemite but I appreciate that’s very much personal taste 😂

Get a Chilly's food pot.
Also, why is cereal so demonised?
Shredded wheat is just wheat, which is the same ingredient as bread, which is not demonised.
Can someone explain what is so wrong with Rice Crispies, Shreddies or Corn Flakes please?

Put in a buttered roll and then some cereal and some fruit and a yogurt. She might not eat it all but it stops the school going on about it.
Work on offering different types of bread, wraps, cold pasta etc at home till you find a winning combo.