To wonder why school meals include a pudding every day

[LAgeDeRaisin]

My DC aren't at school yet, but I had a look at our local primary school website today to read a bit about it. On the lunch section there is informarion about packed lunches including requests not sending in crisps/ sweets and cakes. Suggestions for lunches were included. All seemed pretty normal.

I've also had a look at the school dinner menu and there is a pudding every single day- sponge and custard, rice pudding, iced biscuits, brownies, etc.

In our house we will make a home made pudding at the weekend as a treat or if we have guests/it's an occasion, but meals through the week don't come with pudding.

AIBU to think that schools shouldn't be giving children pudding every day (especially if packed lunch boxes forbid it)? Could they not give some of their suggested sweet treats instead like malt loaf, fruit, yoghurt, etc?

What's the point in having a policy about not eating rubbish if you're handing out daily brownies?

Fully prepared to be called a bore.

"But isn't it odd to say packed lunch can't or shouldn't include sugary treats, but offer sugary baking/puddings themselves?"

Yes it would be odd to do that. But that's not what they are doing so.....

I'm quite happy for DS(6) to get a cube of beetroot cake or a fruit yoghurt or a flapjack. I don't believe it will harm him, and when I ask him about his day it is often the thing he is most excited about.

DDs primary school allows a small chocolate or cake in lunchboxes but not homebaked goods I assume it's because they can chec the ingredients for pre-packed stuff (there's a child with a very severe nut allergy and another allergic to strawberries both in DDs class so both are banned from both school dinners and packed lunches).

I understand that for children from low income families it may be their only meal, but why not do a cheap starter instead like soup? Different soup starter every day- 1 of your 5 a day, warm and filling. They could offer fruit and yoghurt afterwards. Maybe do a pudding on a Friday.

Surely these children are the ones most in need of good quality nutritious food and a good example of what meals should include.

It doesn't matter if there's some beetroot or carrot in the cake, it's still not very nutritious.

I understand the puddings aren’t necessarily as sweet as they sound but YANBU to find it annoying.

It irritates me in terms of the habit - I wouldn’t mind if it was always fruit or yogurt but when DC1 started school, he rapidly started asking if there was pudding after every meal. We rarely do puddings unless I’ve baked or he wants an ice cream in the summer, although we’re not draconian about sugar. Before school, he might have had yogurt or fruit but now after every lunch and dinner at home, he angles for a “sweet thing”. Whereas previously he would just ask for a biscuit if he wanted one.

Amazing how just 5 meals out of 21 each week can have such a strong influence!

@womaninatightspot that sounds like a good idea. Soup or melon to start on a few daya of the week.

My school does puddings with every meal too. I have no idea if they are sugar-free but before I went on my diet, I would eat the leftovers and they tasted normal and gave me a big tummy.

I think it encourages children to 'expect' dessert, when really they should be having bigger portion sizes instead, perhaps? Instead of crappy calories?

Years ago when dd was in primary they tried to ban swiss rolls etc in lunch boxes. A load of us parents went to the head and said no way if hot dinners are allowed cake.
Soon back tracked but still didnt like sweets in lunch boxes. It just taught my dc to hide the good stuff to eat out of sight of dinner ladies.

@CuthbertDibbleandGrubb

Probably for historic reasons as in wartime it was to fill children up whose meals were limited otherwise. Easy to make I expect.

I wonder what Jamie Oliver's views are on this?

Jamie Oliver ripped off ideas from local authorities and the Scottish government who were already undertaking massive overhauls of school meals.

Looks like my local primary school doesn't offer big puddings. They also don't monitor lunch boxes

@LAgeDeRaisin

I understand that for children from low income families it may be their only meal, but why not do a cheap starter instead like soup? Different soup starter every day- 1 of your 5 a day, warm and filling. They could offer fruit and yoghurt afterwards. Maybe do a pudding on a Friday.

Surely these children are the ones most in need of good quality nutritious food and a good example of what meals should include.

It doesn't matter if there's some beetroot or carrot in the cake, it's still not very nutritious.

Great idea if you have all the time in the world to eat your lunch.

But primary schools usually have at least two sittings - having two hot courses for lunch would be a logistical nightmare.

On the other hand, why not suggest it? Your school’s kitchen may not have thought of it or they may have done, but have good practical reasons why it wouldn’t work.

I do agree that it is unfair to say packed lunches can’t contain cake then serve it up to those having school dinners.

But it's not comparable.

School cake is very low in sugar, will contain hidden fruit/vegetables and has to fall under their healthy eating guidelines. Homemade/shop-bought cake doesn't.

You’ve obviously not eaten school pudding for quite a while. They contain very little sugar or fats, it’s like eating tasteless sponge. The custard and milk puddings will obviously contain milk which children need for the calcium. School lunches are are generally a health, well balanced meal - albeit a bit bland due to lack of salt and sugar they are allowed to use. At my school there is always a choice of yoghurt, fruit, cake and custard or biscuit ‘ brownies (which are pretty awful tbh)

It's also about the idea of teaching children that every meal comes with pudding. I'd eat them daily if I didn't care about putting on a load of weight or settong a good example about healthy eating.

I love pudding, but we just limit it to weekends because I think it should be a treat and not a daily occurrence. I don't think that's too unusual.

Sad to hear PPs say their children now expect puddings after starting school.

As far as my school days were concerned in the 50s, the main meal was totally inedible and went in a slop bucket to feed to pigs and the thing that kept me going until dinnertime was chocolate sponge with chocolate sauce which stuck to the roof of your mouth and your ribs.

Not sure why we need Jamie Oliver’s opinion @CuthbertDibbleandGrubb ?

Are we in need of some mansplaining?

Which in the context of this thread where well informed comments have already been made, it would be.

@missbunnyrabbit

My school does puddings with every meal too. I have no idea if they are sugar-free but before I went on my diet, I would eat the leftovers and they tasted normal and gave me a big tummy.

I think it encourages children to 'expect' dessert, when really they should be having bigger portion sizes instead, perhaps? Instead of crappy calories?

I'd completely agree it encourages them to want the crappy calories instead of filling up on nutritious food. The meat portions are tiny as well so older hungrier kids, end up filling up on cheap white bread.

@LAgeDeRaisin
I cant imagine watching 150 infant children eating soup! They’re bad enough eating mash - it gets everywhere 🤣🤣

Honestly, it sometimes feels schools cannot do right from wrong when it comes to food. Threads on here moaning about puddings when some kids eating FSM are looking to otherwise go hungry, never mind not get a treat and 'why not offer fruit?' (MN bingo ticked off), then another thread moaning about schools wanting to give too much fruit and dentists having near nervous breakdowns, others moaning that darling Tobias or Kasey-Mai don't get milk anymore incase it kills their dairy allergic friend.

Feed the children gruel and water. Gluten free of course, before anyone else has a complaint.

I understand that for children from low income families it may be their only meal, but why not do a cheap starter instead like soup? Different soup starter every day- 1 of your 5 a day, warm and filling

Soup is messy. Plus two hot courses take longer to eat.

In schools they are often made low fat/low sugar. The brownies at our school are made with beetroot.

Bore.

This really pisses me off. We’re not in the U.K., but my kids’ school bollocks on about healthy eating all the time, and then feeds them some permutation of pasta and tomato sauce every single day, except the days when it’s pancakes with apple sauce as the main course. It’s so hypocritical for the school not to put their money where their mouth is, particularly as, in term time, they’re feeding my kids as often as I am!

I think anyone suggesting soup starters should have to come and supervise a class of 5-year-olds eating them!

My local primary offers daily soup