Free school meals

[FlatteredRhubardFool]

Not sure it's an AIBU but want to vent.

DC's term started 3 weeks ago. I've had 2 food boxes dropped off. The last one was a week ago and contained:

A rotten apple
A pre-frozen loaf of bread that went mouldy a few days ago
Cling film wrapped grated cheese that was use by last Sunday
Milk that was use by Sunday
A mini pizza that was use by Monday
Cake that was use by last Saturday

Eggs
Bananas
Oranges
Rice Krispies
Biscuits
Baked beans
Pasta
Pasta sauce
Margarine

There was also a leaflet on food standards and how each meal is supposed to contain unrefined carbs. Not sure how the white sliced bread, white pasta and Rice Krispies fits into that

I feel like I should be grateful but I feel quite insulted that dc has been provided with food that wouldn't last the week due to the short dates on things. I feel too embarrassed to contact the school.

I thought the issue of fsm had been resolved but looking at what has been provided by school it remains poor. The items themselves are ok but the use by dates are rubbish and therefore the food doesn't last the week.

When at school they get a fruit snack in the morning and a two course lunch so what they are sending is not compatible at all.

Thank goodness my other dcs' school has sent vouchers.

It’s worth getting back to them about the use by dates or request vouchers if possible, but it may be that the parcels are being provided by the same companies who would normally supply the school, with products which would be used quickly so use bys not a problem. Our veg box supplier usually supplies schools, they have been sticking short dated milk as a freebee in the box because the schools aren’t using it. It can be difficult to suddenly adapt established food supply chains without ending up with a lot of food waste. Also supplying quantities of fresh ingredients small enough to provide one portion of quorn Bolognese is not practical. I think vouchers are the answer long term.

I have been dismayed at the attitude towards fsm parents though... as if you should just get what you’re given and be happy about it. Losing 5 square meals per child per week is not insignificant (our grocery costs have gone up with KS1 kids at home) and expecting families to make up the shortfall to turn half a carrot and a moneybag of tuna into a meal is not fair.

How can it possibly be comparable to hot school meals??

This second one was better than the first. The first one contained 2 packs of 2 crackers and 3 packs of 3 biscuits, random crisps, milk, Rice Krispies, fruit, bread, grated cheese (prepacked from Asda), more biscuits, baked beans, potatoes and I was told by the person dropping it off how good it was compared to some. It's humiliating.
There's been a change of staff at school and the previous lady I dealt with was amazing. The new one is someone very judgemental who I know personally so it adds to the discomfort. The teaching staff have enough to deal with right now so I don't want to complain. Just wanted to vent on here really.

Mention the rotten/out of date food (if they were that way when you received them) but tbh be grateful for the free food. It’s not intended to cover 3 meals a day 7 days a week!

I think this is what people seem to be forgetting. It's a food package to cover 1 lunch per day for 5 days, not every mean for the week.

@Iminaglasscaseofemotion that is true school dinners are tiny. They are not wonderful like MN sell them. MY DS hasn’t had a hot pudding at school for months either. If he gets cake it’s that alone no custard.

Just be thankful it's free! My son is currently in school and the only dinner provision is a lunch bag with a sandwich, muffin, piece of fruit, crisps and small water bottle. I'm having to pay £2.50 a day for that. Wouldn't Moan at all if it was free.

Okay, yes, it's supposed to contain five lunches but the fact it doesn't even contain a single vegetable is disgraceful. I mean, biscuits, rice krispies, wtf. Where's the veg?

I wouldn't expect it to be comparable to school meals OP. Everything is cooked in bulk and it's not logistically possible.
However! It makes me rage than people think those who are entitled to FSM should be grateful for the absolute rubbish they've been sent. This is a huge company providing substandard food to make a profit. It's wrong!! Definitely feedback to the school, it's not their fault but they should know what's going on. I don't know why some have reverted to vouchers and some are still receiving parcels that you can hardly make a meal from!

@FlatteredRhubardFool "The first one contained 2 packs of 2 crackers and 3 packs of 3 biscuits, random crisps, milk, Rice Krispies, fruit, bread, grated cheese (prepacked from Asda), more biscuits, baked beans, potatoes and I was told by the person dropping it off how good it was compared to some. It's humiliating."

To be honest I don't think that sounds that bad, cheese and crackers, sandwiches, or beans on toast one day and a baked potato one day as a 'main' then fruit and biscuits & crisps as a snack.
That sounds like a fairly normal packed lunch week. Why did you find that box humiliating?

I think you should be more grateful. Apple aside, it sounds perfectly reasonable - actually, you get a lot more than I thought you did.

For the short-dated stuff, either freeze it or use it first. Most stuff can be used after the use by date, use your sense of smell as a guide.

I'm well aware that it's for 5 lunches a week. Obviously the lunches can't be directly comparable but they should be nutritionally comparable surely?

It's the dates/quality that bothers me rather than the actual food choices.

The attitudes of some on here are awful. Fsm weren't in my experience either until my then husband walked out and I ended up on benefits. I should just be grateful though hey.

[quote Daisypaisy2]@Iminaglasscaseofemotion that is true school dinners are tiny. They are not wonderful like MN sell them. MY DS hasn’t had a hot pudding at school for months either. If he gets cake it’s that alone no custard.[/quote]
Mine domt do hot puddings ever. There is a selection of biscuits and cold cakes at the till. Parents think they are great, but we get invited up to school to have lunch with the children at least once a year, they are not all they are cracked up to be. They might sound like good healthy meals, but it's mostly mush, and the kids eat half of it, and that's from a school that has healthy eating or good food awards, or whatever they have plastered all over the school and menus.

comparable but they should be nutritionally comparable surely?

Basically what they arebgibing you probably isn't far off.

@contrmary

I think you should be more grateful. Apple aside, it sounds perfectly reasonable - actually, you get a lot more than I thought you did.

For the short-dated stuff, either freeze it or use it first. Most stuff can be used after the use by date, use your sense of smell as a guide.

The bread arrived mouldy. Why on earth should anyone be grateful for inedible food? And, always assuming you’re a tax payer, why are you happy for your money to be abused in this way?

Why should op feel gratitude for food the quality of which most of us would baulk at?

Send an email to the caterer and the MP directly then and bypass school.

I know a lot of schools are tied in but what a waste of money providing poor quality stuff when you could nip to any supermarket and get nutritious stuff that's in date that your kids would like.

So I just die a quick comparison.

Went online at Tesco and for £10.39 I could get:

Bread
Eggs 15
Baked Beans 2
Carrots 5
Bananas 5
Oranges 2
Apples 1
Pear 2
Pasta
Pasta Sauce
Sweet Corn 2
Tuna 2
Butter
Cheese
Potato 2

And from that, I could literally make three meals a day for one, for 5 days. Not the greatest but for £10.39 I don't think it's too bad. And not a biscuit in sight. That's three meals a day, not just one lunch a day but three meals. Imagine what you could do with that money for just one lunch a day.

Egg on Toast
Banana
Tuna and Sweetcorn Jacket Potato
Orange
Pasta with Pasta Sauce and Carrot

Egg and Cheese Muffins
Banana
Tuna and Cheese Toasted Sandwich
Pear
Cheese and Beans Jacket Potato

Beans on Toast
Banana
Egg and Cheese Sandwich
Orange
Pasta with Remaining Pasta Sauce and Carrot

Scrambled Eggs
Banana
Tuna and Sweetcorn Pasta
Apple
Cheese Omlette and Carrot Sticks

Egg and Cheese Muffins
Pear
Cheese and Butter Pasta with Carrot Sticks
Banana
Tuna and Sweetcorn Pasta

@turtletattle exactly that. It's ludicrous.

@FlatteredRhubardFool

I'm well aware that it's for 5 lunches a week. Obviously the lunches can't be directly comparable but they should be nutritionally comparable surely?

It's the dates/quality that bothers me rather than the actual food choices.

The attitudes of some on here are awful. Fsm weren't in my experience either until my then husband walked out and I ended up on benefits. I should just be grateful though hey.

You definitely don't need to justify why you need them! I agree, they should be nutritionally sufficient and last long enough to make 5 lunches.

@KarmaStar so you think children should be grateful for a pitiful amount of mouldy junk food if their parents aren’t financially well off? What a disgusting human being you are.

I think the short dates, and in particular the mouldy Apple, are the worst thing.

And the fact there are no vegetables - these should be in there in some form.

Otherwise it doesn’t sound too bad, although not perfect of course.

I would raise the issue of mouldy or short dated food with whoever is providing it, and also the lack of veg. That said, basic veg can be the cheapest thing to buy so perhaps focus on getting some of that in yourself. And then use anything shortdated first - doesn’t matter who in the family eats it - and give the children food from your shopping when it’s run out.

I know it’s not ideal but that’s the best I can say by way of advice.

I think I'll see what comes next time and speak to school if need be. Our primary does really good meals and my older dc really miss them now they are at secondary school and say the portions are tiny. On a positive note the banana muffins I made with ds are really nice. Helped by the chocolate chips I put in them I made oven chips with the potatoes from the first box. The potatoes were quite soft but the chips were fine.

Where’s the outrage from the other week? The OP has been sent poorly packaged (grated cheese in a bag) and partially gone off food (it was past sell by date on Monday) it doesn’t matter if it’s fine to use or not she has been given food to feed her child that would have been binned in a commercial kitchen. That is unacceptable.

Complain to the school OP and take it to the caterer’s Twitter. Hopefully next week you will at least receive better dates!

yabu

how hard is it to stick a cucumber, carrots and some peppers in the box? If you can transport cheese, vegetables, hell even a fresh box of tomatoes shouldn't pose a particular difficulty.

Good luck op, you're more patient than I am, I'd be right onto twitter with the dates and the gone off food but then I dare say I'm shamelessly entitled myself. Glad some nice muffins happened at least.

Thing is why should some poor TA or teacher or receptionist HAVE to do it at all? Should be done by the gment.