Kids snacks at school - white carbs twice before lunch

[prettyflowersinthesky]

DD is in y4.

I seriously don't want to be "that" parent so am wondering on the consensus on this.

DD's school has started giving the whole school's kids stodgy white carbs with jam twice before lunchtime (bagels).

Once when they arrive in the morning, and then again at break time.

DD is coming home with most of her lunch uneaten.

I fully appreciate about food poverty and that giving the kids food in this blanket way is a way of addressing that without singling out or embarrassing hungry children or families.

But I question

1. Whether or not the white carbs plus jam is appropriate nutrition
2. Whether or not most kids really need this
3. Whether or not two snacks between breakfast and lunch is excessive

There is no requirement for the kids to take and eat the snacks but to say to my child not to take them when the other kids are seems unfair.

I'm a bit torn, and certainly don't want to deny hungry kids access to food. But also wonder if the school needs to give this twice and also maybe the nutritional content of the snacks could be improved (e.g. fruit, whole grain snacks or something instead). I do appreciate that kids need more carbs than adults.

What does everyone think? Is this appropriate? I feel for the vast majority of kids without food poverty issues this is not necessary, so by serving all the kids a snack it is enforcing bad snacking habits, poor food choices as well as encouraging childhood obesity.

In many very healthy countries no snacking is allowed although I appreciate for very young children it may be necessary.

I am wondering whether or not to speak to the school about my concerns about them finding a better way to address the issues for the hungry kids.

But I do not want to speak up if I am seriously misinformed about all of this, hence interested in your responses. Thanks.

Yanbu = this is not appropriate / YABU - give the kids the snacks

There's nothing wrong with "carbs" though (yes! Even white carbs!), despite most of MN thinking they are toxic poison.

@dimiddavilby DD is fussy. I do my best to feed healthy food such as porridge for breakfast. Certain foods go uneaten. I don't begrudge feeding kids food in any way. I do begrudge feeding kids that aren't hungry unnecessary carbs and unhealthy foods when there's an obesity crisis and poor food habits abound. There must be a better way of them administering this support that works out for all kids.

There is very much something wrong with eating two bagels with jam every day before your lunch.
No wonder we have so many fat kids if this is seen as totally fine.

She is 8-is that right? Tell her not to eat both and change her lunch box to balance it out f she won't.

You change, not the whole school. Entitled, much!

Carbs aren’t poisonous you know.

If she’s what 8/9 then she’s old enough to understand not to take the bagels if you don’t want her to have them.

Either make her breakfast or her lunch more nutritious if you’re that bothered.

Honestly I’d rather your child did as they were told and didn’t eat all the bagels offered than another child who gets fuck all for breakfast went hungry. You are being that parent.

No it's ridiculous to for an 8 year old to have 2 jam bagels before lunch, but it's not a surprise she eats them if everyone else is. A bagel for breakfast is alright (not ideal but guessing it's to ensure every child has brekkie and maybe it is the only thing logistically and financially they can do)- but fruit or something for a snack mid morning is much better. There's hardly any beneficial nutrition in jam or white carbs, and those who don't have breakfast at home also deserve better, but sadly it seems they're probably doing all they can to provide something.

I agree with you. I think I would explain to my child why this is wrong for them (unhealthy and excess calories) and say they can't have it every day. Maybe once a week if they wanted it. Jam on two separate occasions is also bad for their teeth. The school could be told as well so they don't let your child have it. They will end up with an obesity problem next!

Such a range of responses here. It's a new thing at the school. Lots of the kids are overweight. Surely the nutritional elements need looking at, at the very least?

I think it’s a good thing the school are doing.
Hungry children don’t learn as well. If your concerned it’s not healthy enough offer to provide it one day.

Tell her to only take it if she’s hungry. I’m not sure anymore needs to be said.

Perhaps try and see it as giving your child an opportunity to make healthy choices given the world will have calories on offer for her when she's older. Good luck. Judging by your replies, in answer to your question, you seem to tend towards being that parent.

I imagine the school have enough to do without policing the child whose mum doesn't want them to have it.

Easier for the OP to tell her own child and if she can't get her own child to obey her, then she has complete and utter control over everything else the child eats, so balance it out on her own time.

@prettyflowersinthesky

Such a range of responses here. It's a new thing at the school. Lots of the kids are overweight. Surely the nutritional elements need looking at, at the very least?

Have you seen the nutritional standards petition going round at the moment?

@prettyflowersinthesky

Such a range of responses here. It's a new thing at the school. Lots of the kids are overweight. Surely the nutritional elements need looking at, at the very least?

Perhaps. But in amongst the absolute shitstorm schools are currently dealing with you’ll probably have to accept that is slightly down their list of priorities and manage your child’s intake yourself.

Stop giving her breakfast?

I agree it’s a bit much! Maybe one ‘breakfast bagel’ and then at break time a piece of fruit would be better....even for children who don’t get much food at home. Does your daughter realise she can say no? I know it’s a silly question but kids say yes to things because they think they should.

I also agree that you are "that parent". You sound selfish, rigid and entitled. Would you seriously want children to go hungry just because you don't think the food offered is good enough for your child? If your child has had breakfast she doesn't need the first snack anyway, and if you don't want her to feel left, out the second one won't ruin her life so long as the rest of her diet is healthy. Just because it's there doesn't mean she has to have it.

School budgets are tight. There’s going to be a good reason the school feel this is where money should be spent

Your use of language around the word “carbs” worries me a bit... “carbs” aren’t bad. Giving kids bagels isn’t going to contribute to an obesity issue anymore than an unhealthy obsession with “carbs”. Can you assume the second “snack” is her lunch and send her in with fruit etc instead?

Not ideal really.

Can anyone really not afford a value loaf of bread & jam or a box of value cornflakes to feed a child breakfast before school? I mean come on, any decent parent would go without so the child could have breakfast.

Let’s just say all these parents really can’t afford to even provide a slice of value bread, feeding all the children rubbish each day is not the answer.

Also why are 2 bagels offered anyway? Fine, first one could be called breakfast buy why the second? Surely the poor starving no food at home ones are provided with a free school dinner so no need for the second bag,e. Surely fruit could replace the second bagel? It’s 1 a day then at least for the children.

Trying talking to your DD and say you know if you don’t want the bagel sweetheart, you can say no when it’s offered and remeber you do have x in your lunch box and that’s your favourite isn’t it.

Having taught in a school where many of the children suffer from food poverty, it was important to give them food that they would actually eat.

Children who are not being fed well are often also quite fussy with more limited palates. It’s easy to be pious and say, ‘but they need to eat X’ when actually, often, we were just trying to fill their tummies with something they would eat. We never served bagels, but we served plenty of toast as it is easier to keep teaching whilst children are munching toast, than get out bowls, spoons, etc. Fruit and milk is free to children on free school meals in Scotland, so we have plenty of that around for hungry kids too (not sure how it works in England).

I can see that whilst a sweetened bagel is not ideal, it’s easy to dish out as a playground snack. Particularly when it is aimed at children who haven’t eaten and may not be having a proper evening meal; your child isn’t really the intended target here, maybe you could speak to her or the teacher about her not having this extra snack if she has her own food.

@EvilPea

School budgets are tight. There’s going to be a good reason the school feel this is where money should be spent

Absolutely. It’s also easy to manage. No plates or bowls or cutlery to wash.

I get that schools are busy. I just question how difficult it is to change from bagels to fruit, for example? Hardly rocket science and not exactly more expensive.

Really shocked at some of the responses I'm really relaxed with what my dc eat they seem to make good choices (most of the time) but not sure would resist food everyone else was eating and that seems like a lot of food I wouldn't eat two bagels in-between breakfast and lunch and I'm fat and rather greedy! Does seem an odd choice too

Using the word 'carbs' and not saying it was a bagel until later gives the OP the feeling that she is some sort of nutritionist.

Are you a nutritionist OP or are you just an enthusiastic amateur who would have liked to have been one?

Getting food down hungry kids-food that will tempt them-is a priority. That is more important than giving them an apple which many of them just won't eat...nor will your daughter from the sound of it!

It will not be two proper bagels - either half a bagel or mini bagels.

I would change MY behaviour though. I'd stop giving her breakfast at home and I would give her a carb free lunch.

Problem solved.