A loaf and a block of cheese is not lunch for ten days

[ZazieSheHer]

So some of the free school lunch boxes contain very little food.

Marcus Rashford condemns free school meal packages

“...a package, supposedly containing £30 worth of food to last for 10 days, comprising just a loaf of bread, some cheese, a tin of beans, two carrots, two bananas, three apples, two potatoes, a bag of pasta, three Frubes, two Soreen bars and a tomato”.

mobile.twitter.com/RoadsideMum/status/1348646428084760576

Can’t imagine what it’s like home schooling hungry kids. Would like to say I’m shocked but I’m not.

but also cutting out middleman still costs as more catering staff would have to be furloughed which goverment pay.

Why is that directly the responsibility of either taxpayers or the FSM recipient families? Lots of people are furloughed. As I said to a pp, I'm sure lots of private companies would prefer extra propping up from government, they can't all have it. Why these ones?

Yes, this evening after furore from every quarter. It’s conveniently for 5 days now. It was originally intended as 10.

I don't think it's even acceptable for 5. It's shit.

@LegoPirateMonkey

My kids are growing just fine thank you! 😊
They're perfectly healthy.

There's no need to over-eat.

Today 20:24 MrsMomoa

@LegoPirateMonkey

My kids are growing just fine thank you! 😊
They're perfectly healthy.

There's no need to over-eat.“

Do you mind disclosing their ages?

This was what one family were sent. How you can ever justify sending half a pepper and a scrappy bit of carrot is beyond me.

[quote MrsMomoa]@LegoPirateMonkey

My kids are growing just fine thank you! 😊
They're perfectly healthy.

There's no need to over-eat.[/quote]
Bully for your kids.

Outside of la la land , children are starving. Do you understand that?

@SaturdayAfternoon

The bread is dated 03 November.

When was the photo taken?

It's dated to last until Nov 2021, the person who shared it on Twitter did a close up of the label.

Presumably it won't last once opened bought.

I am now getting g FSM.

Wr get a voucher for £30 every two weeks.

It can only be used for food items so the posters fretting about tobacco and alcohol can relax,

@MrsMomoa it wasn’t me who said your kids wouldn’t grow on that diet. I pointed out that a sandwich could be of varying quality and nutritional value depending on what kind of bread and filling you use. The bread and processed cheese in these boxes would be a lot less filling than a sandwich made with seeded bread and good quality protein so perhaps a sandwich made from the food box wouldn’t fill up a child in the same way as the sandwiches you might make and they would need more to supplement it.

Who puts food, let alone fish in a moneybag, FFS, before you even touch on other issues?

Whisky

I'm glad you get the voucher, and are afforded the dignity to feed your family as you think is best.

@AnxiousAlpaca

This was what one family were sent. How you can ever justify sending half a pepper and a scrappy bit of carrot is beyond me.

And the skimpy portion of tuna in a money bag!!! Who’s fucking idea was that 😤

It's eye opening just how many of our big food companies and supermarkets are Tory donors. It's eye opening. Really makes me wonder what dodgy tax breaks they're all getting. People talking about this parcel being enough for the kids concerned are also missing the fact some of that food needs to be cooked...ever tried eating raw potatoes? Or should the poor just doff their hats in gratitude as they wait for the scrapings from the slop bucket of the wealthy and untouchable?

@Ereshkigalangcleg

Whisky

I'm glad you get the voucher, and are afforded the dignity to feed your family as you think is best.

All families should have this option, my son is autistic and some textures he can't cope with. This way I can buy food that I know he will eat.

It's dated to last until Nov 2021, the person who shared it on Twitter did a close up of the label.

Thank you for clarifying

Nohomemadecandles

@MrsMomoa your competitive under-eating is a bit distasteful on this thread, to be frank.
Would you be just as ok to nibble on half a sandwich when you were given the whole loaf on a Monday to last you two weeks?

Believe it or not, not everyone is you.

Competitive under-eating?
A sandwich and crisps is a perfectly reasonable portion for a lunchtime meal for an adult or child.
Sdfod!

And seeing as you're unsure, a sandwich is 2 slices of bread!
Not a nibble of a corner!
And as for the person who posted the original picture, what they failed to mention is that, that particular food parcel was intended for 3 days. Not 2 weeks!
Plus, there was other food and snacks, they did not receive just a loaf of bread!
So, nibble on that!

@AnxiousAlpaca

This was what one family were sent. How you can ever justify sending half a pepper and a scrappy bit of carrot is beyond me.

I'm not saying this is ok by any means. I did read somewhere on Twitter that this was actually given to a shielding person - not a child- for 2 days' food. It's still not ok- but I'm not sure that everything being shared is entirely accurate.

All families should have this option, my son is autistic and some textures he can't cope with. This way I can buy food that I know he will eat.

Yes, completely agree they should. That's why I think vouchers, despite any issues are the best option. The issues can be addressed.

I think some people would do well to remember that Advanced Search on mumsnet is A Thing.

Just to point out to everyone as well.
Schools charge a certain amount for school meals, not all of this money is then passed onto the catering company.
The company making a profit here is schools!

Competitive under-eating?
A sandwich and crisps is a perfectly reasonable portion for a lunchtime meal for an adult or child.
Sdfod!

Bangs head against wall. For the third time, not for a growing, 6ft 3, active teenager who needs 3,000 calories a day simply to maintain.
Soup from a tin of tomatoes, yoghurt and white bread/stodge won’t cut it nutritionally either.
These packs are to feed all ages, not just small children. They’re shameful and anyone defending them is shameful too.

@MrsMomoa are you denying any issues? I fail to see why Chartwell have apologised if they've not done wrong? Why have they admitted the quality fell short of this occasion?

They know they've done wrong, but of course the people in need of these parcel should be grateful for what they've got and put up and shut up, whilst they're exploited!

It also doesn't matter if a sandwich and packet of crisps is perfectly substantial in your opinion, it's not the best way that the money can be spent and chartwell have admitted that.

@MrsMomoa

Just to point out to everyone as well. Schools charge a certain amount for school meals, not all of this money is then passed onto the catering company. The company making a profit here is schools!

Are you for real?

Picture 1 - Food parcel for Finnish children
Picture 2 - Food parcel for Welsh Children
Picture 3 - Food parcel for English Children

They estimate that picture 3 cost roughly £5 in a supermarket, this is instead of £30. Where has the rest of that money gone?

@JazzyGeoff

I think some people would do well to remember that Advanced Search on mumsnet is A Thing.

?

The weird apportioning of the items is not helping. The half a pepper and inch of carrot? Why not give one person a whole pepper and another person a whole carrot? The food goes off quicker once it has been cut. It just looks mean and like rations.
The head teacher on the news today was heart-breaking saying how they used to provide the food for the FSM and they managed to provide twice as much food for half as much money, and that was paying normal retail prices.