Are these school lunchbox rules particularly nonsensical? Or are they all this bad?!

[Nevertimeforcake]

So according to my (primary) schools ‘healthy’ lunchbox rules I can give my child a kitkat (biscuit based chocolate bar) but I can’t give them a small chocolate coin or some cubes of chocolate as these are solid chocolate. It seems to make no sense to me - indeed the whole policy seems to be a box ticking exercise so they can be considered a ‘healthy school’ by County. Does anyone know of guidelines/ rules that make more sense? I’d like to make a suggestion on improvements rather than just complaining!

@lazylinguist

Our school is nut free, chocolate free, packaged drink free and plastic free. Parents manage, mostly. Healthier kids and a better environment, what's not to like.

Are those the only things that are banned? I don't see how that would make anyone healthier. Based on those rules you could have a luncbox full of cheese strings, processed meat and marshmallows and a flask of coke.

Most intelligent adults would know not to do that. Any wankers doing it just because they can need to take a good look at themselves.

We don’t have any rules written down, as far as I know. But we do get constant reminders to send healthy lunches without any real guidance as to what that is. I’m comfortable with that - I can and do provide a healthy lunch (usually leftovers in a flask tbh as my DC prefer that - though have noted that’s not on the list). But sometimes a list is more helpful if you don’t know where to start.

But the problem with rules is that in order to keep them simple there are often inconsistencies (like Covid rules!) and that makes them frustrating to follow and difficult to enforce. I would hope that whoever is monitoring lunchboxes keeps an overall view on what children are bringing rather than focusing on a specific meal ie the child who only ever brings lucozade and a greggs sausage roll and doughnut needs some support at home in providing a healthy lunch. Other DC bringing a big piece of chocolate cake the day free their birthday is not an issue.

In my kids school they are not allowed any chocolate what so ever in lunch bags, yet the school dinner menu has chocolate cake

Why would you put a chocolate coin in a lunch box?

If this is a genuine question I do it every day in December for advent. I do it because it’s nice. They like it. I like it.

Issuing this sort of guidance keeps someone in a job, I suppose. And they probably think it's a very important and necessary job too.

Roll your eyes and crack on. It's inconsistent bollocks but saying so really seems to upset some people.

I do remember my eldest being constantly hungry in reception. She'd eat a ham sandwich, yogurt and maybe a few carrot or pepper strips. She doesn't like fruit and very little else I could think of to give her (she didn't like school dinners either).
She ate a good breakfast and tea but I was always worried about her in the day.
Thankfully she's fine and now loves fruit.

@Guineapigbridge

Our school is nut free, chocolate free, packaged drink free and plastic free. Parents manage, mostly. Healthier kids and a better environment, what's not to like.

The plastic waste gets worse after Halloween.

Is that single use plastic free, or totally plastic free, in that I need to send in metal flasks and wrap my sandwich in beeswax wrap?

With interest, what do all the people who think the list is fine send in for packed lunch? Do you rely on a lot of dairy / processed meat?

@IwishIwasyoda

With interest, what do all the people who think the list is fine send in for packed lunch? Do you rely on a lot of dairy / processed meat?

We’re supposed to send in lunch and two snacks to see them through from 8 am to 6 pm.

I normally send in a thermos with left overs from something we’ve had for dinner one night - rice and beans, curry and rice, udon noodles, tagine and couscous, casserole, soup, etc. - 2 pieces of fruit, veg with hummous or some other dip, bread (or crackers or crisps of some sort). Sometimes some cheese and crackers, sometimes a piece of cake, sometimes a club biscuit, sometimes a Greek salad, sometimes a small savoury pie or a scotch egg, etc.

@MrsKoala

Why would you put a chocolate coin in a lunch box?

If this is a genuine question I do it every day in December for advent. I do it because it’s nice. They like it. I like it.

They don't spend the entire day at school. There's ample scope for them to have it every day if you want them to without putting it in a lunchbox.

My DD's packed lunch wouldn't even pass the green foods test. Thank fuck hot school meals are back.

They don't spend the entire day at school. There's ample scope for them to have it every day if you want them to without putting it in a lunchbox.

Why? Does it magically become more healthy if it's eaten at home?

@ JuliaJohnston They don't spend the entire day at school. There's ample scope for them to have it every day if you want them to without putting it in a lunchbox.

The question was “Why would you do it?” Not “Why is this the only time your child can have a chocolate coin?”. So “Because they like it and it’s part of incorporating a tradition into our lives.” is a solid answer. Why shouldn’t parents use lunch as way to remind children of their family and home life?

@lazylinguist

They don't spend the entire day at school. There's ample scope for them to have it every day if you want them to without putting it in a lunchbox.

Why? Does it magically become more healthy if it's eaten at home?

No . I'm just bemused at why it's so important to people that they'd argue against the rules for the right to do it 🤷🏻‍♀️ If the school haven't banned such things then it's fair game but not particularly relevant to this thread.

Why only Mr Kipling, what about homemade cakes?

@Thepilotlightsgoneout

I’d love to see my kids’ faces if I tried to put lentils, kidney beans, quorn or chickpeas in their lunchboxes

My DS used to take curry or chilli in a thermos in primary school, so all those except the quorn.

I should think Mr Kipling was used due to portion size ie those individual finger slices.

"pretty much all schools have banned nuts.

Nothing to do with healthy diet, it's about allergies."

I just find it ridiculous. If people know their kid isn't allergic to nuts what's the big deal? Tell them no sharing. I see milk and dairy aren't banned, but people are allergic to that. It's like a class detention, just because some kids are misbehaving, everyone suffers. I'm really glad I chose to be childfree, all these rules and high expectations are too much for me. Expectant mothers get bullied on what they can and can't have too. I was weaned on peanut butter, guess who isn't allergic?

@CrazyPigeonLadyMarried2Trans

"pretty much all schools have banned nuts.

Nothing to do with healthy diet, it's about allergies."

I just find it ridiculous. If people know their kid isn't allergic to nuts what's the big deal? Tell them no sharing. I see milk and dairy aren't banned, but people are allergic to that. It's like a class detention, just because some kids are misbehaving, everyone suffers. I'm really glad I chose to be childfree, all these rules and high expectations are too much for me. Expectant mothers get bullied on what they can and can't have too. I was weaned on peanut butter, guess who isn't allergic?

You do realise that nut allergies aren't limited to just ingestion right?

@CrazyPigeonLadyMarried2Trans

"pretty much all schools have banned nuts.

Nothing to do with healthy diet, it's about allergies."

I just find it ridiculous. If people know their kid isn't allergic to nuts what's the big deal? Tell them no sharing. I see milk and dairy aren't banned, but people are allergic to that. It's like a class detention, just because some kids are misbehaving, everyone suffers. I'm really glad I chose to be childfree, all these rules and high expectations are too much for me. Expectant mothers get bullied on what they can and can't have too. I was weaned on peanut butter, guess who isn't allergic?

you do need to research how nut allergy actually work

and whilst you are there, feel free to google the videos of the tv researcher Amy May Shead who suffered severe brain injury...

You are embarrassing yourself.

You chose the school, you need to accept the rules. Arguing about chocolate in lunchboxes is a waste of everyone's time. No one needs chocolate, just give it at home.

Except very often the school makes up new rules. Or in rural areas, and even populated urban areas, there's no real choice at all.

They don't spend the entire day at school. There's ample scope for them to have it every day if you want them to without putting it in a lunchbox.

But handing them a coin isn’t the same thing at all. It would just be me giving them chocolate. In their lunch box is a nice reminder of us. My dc struggle terribly with learning. Everything about school is an uphill slog for them. Maybe a little golden coin will cheer them up and remind them they are loved no matter how stupid they feel. That I am with them in spirit even when I’m not actually there and that Christmas is coming when we can all relax without the pressure of school.

No . I'm just bemused at why it's so important to people that they'd argue against the rules for the right to do it.

Because shit, illogical rules are worse than no rules. Because to make it worth letting schools have the power to dictate what parents can feed to their own children, they damn well ought to be good, sensible, logical rules that will demonstrably improve health outcomes. And the school had better be similarly spotless on food it provides for school dinners and never have cake sales, give sweets out to kids etc. Otherwise it's all just hypocritical Big Brotherism.

Oh and I say that as a teacher btw. I'm not anti-schools.