Leftover meat for sandwiches tomorrow, will school really care?

[ChickenSandwichYum]

7yo DD, year 3.

I don’t get paid until tomorrow, have about 40p to my name until then. Won't have time to do a shop before school. I have bread, butter, chocolate, fruit and juice for lunchboxes. The only filling I have is leftover chicken or tuna from the roast I did today.

I usually cook up a big chicken for the two of us and then use the leftovers in curries or for my own sandwiches over the next week.

When I was with ExH he would forbid me from putting leftover meat on sandwiches for DDs lunchbox (she was at Nursery at the time). Said it would make the Nursery (and probably now school) think we’re poor and common. He said it shows we can’t feed our child properly – it was fine to put the sliced sandwich chicken or sandwich ham or cheese, but tuna, leftover meat/poultry or egg where not allowed.

DD happily eats chicken (or pork or beef) sandwiches after school on the days she has a hot lunch, so I don’t see this as any different.

So will school really think badly of me as a parent for putting leftover meat in a sandwich for her? I doubt myself a lot and making lunch box tonight for tomorrow could hear him in my head telling me I was disgusting and setting us up for an investigation by SS (yes ExH was abusive and violent).

He's a fucking tool, I've just had a left over roast chicken, stuffing and cranberry sauce sandwich - best sandwich I've had in ages. Still struggling how he can think serving left overs for sandwiches is common lol

When I was a kid, mum always said sandwich meat was poor/common and it was the fancy, fresh roasted chicken that was posh!

In short, they're labels used to put others down.

He's wrong. That's not a thing. That's not something anybody would make any sort of judgement on.

Your ex is a prick. Forget him.

@Scautish

I do not understand how leftover meat in a sandwich would ever be viewed badly (obviously assuming it’s not many days leftover)

Your ex is insane thinking this. Leftover-meat sandwiches are delicious. Please do not give it a second thought.

Same!! I can't see any problem. In fact it spells out you had a home cooked roast and also that you are economical.

Your ex is batshit. On what planet would fresh meat be viewed as worse than processed crap?

He's bonkers. No school won't know or care, but if they did "real" roast chicken is much better than processed sandwich ham or chicken

As a previous poster said, I would also suspect Ex or Ex-MIL have told DD she must wear logoed tops.

I'd not judge a parent from using leftovers from a roast! I'd be a bit 😬 at seeing a child wolfing down a sandwich filled with that disgusting processed sliced sandwich meat, purely because it's so unhealthy.

That’s absolutely ridiculous and a bit bonkers! My kids love it when we have leftover chicken for sandwiches. Chicken Mayo is the best!

Just to echo others…

No they will not think this (even if they have time to notice).

Leftover meat from a roast dinner shows you take time cooking lovely dinners over the weekend. Why on earth would anyone think badly of that?

The idea that school would care about a child's meat-only lunchbox is bonkers! FWIW DH and I try to eat paleo/low-carb whenever possible and I fully intend to send DD to school with protein only + fruit/veg lunchboxes. I often make extra meat dishes at dinner which can be eaten cold the next day.

Honestly, I'd think you a better parent than me, who's child prefers the cheapest processed ham ever. If your daughter is happy to eat it then it's more than fine!

As someone who used to be in education, I can tell you your ex is so wrong.
Things we look for in pack lunches:
Do they actually have any food in their lunchbox this is our number one concern and surprisingly common.

Does it have any banned allergens? We have to be really careful because some children have very serious allergies.

Is it balanced. By this were usually just interested in whether it's sandwiches, a bit of fruit and a biscuit. Only a problem if your schild is bringing in a whole packet of biscuits and nothing else on a regular basis.

Did they eat it? Schools have a duty of care that children are eating their lunch.

Your lunch wouldn't raise any alarm bells at all. How lovely for your daughter that she gets home cooked leftovers for her sandwiches.

Your ex was wrong about this. And probably everything else too. What an arse.

Only comment about the lunchbox wasn’t about the sandwich!

As we were leaving the Deputy Head said “Miss Yum you owe me a penguin bar, please bring it in tomorrow” and laughed. Apparently DD asked her to open it at lunchtime and she said to DD that anything she opens becomes her property 😂

@ChickenSandwichYum

Only comment about the lunchbox wasn’t about the sandwich!

As we were leaving the Deputy Head said “Miss Yum you owe me a penguin bar, please bring it in tomorrow” and laughed. Apparently DD asked her to open it at lunchtime and she said to DD that anything she opens becomes her property 😂

What a lovely Deputy Head

I'm an infant teacher. I wouldn't know whether the meat was leftovers or specially cooked, but if I knew it was leftovers then I would be impressed that it meant a roast dinner had been made at the weekend! Please don't worry. You are doing great.

Haven't RTFT, but how would they know it was leftovers? I sometimes cook a chicken breast especially to make a sandwich if I fancy it.

It's not "left over" chicken - it's just chicken FFS.
How are the school supposed to tell whether it's chicken you've purchased and/or cooked just to make sandwiches with, or a bird that you started as part of another meal? Why would they be interested?

I'd never eat a whole chicken - three/four days meals, I just happen to cook the meat all at the same time.
Just makes me cross that my cat only considers it edible on day one, maybe day two but she'll glare at me as if she's doing me a favour - I'll still be eating chicken two days after that.

The uniform thing might be a sensory/ texture thing. Arcrylic jumpers/ cardigans can be quite itchy for some people. Our logo sweatshirts are far softer and more comfortable.

Home-cooked, left-over lunches are lovely.

The ex sounds like a total miser as well as being cruel.

@ThinWomansBrain

It's not "left over" chicken - it's just chicken FFS. How are the school supposed to tell whether it's chicken you've purchased and/or cooked just to make sandwiches with, or a bird that you started as part of another meal? Why would they be interested?

I'd never eat a whole chicken - three/four days meals, I just happen to cook the meat all at the same time.
Just makes me cross that my cat only considers it edible on day one, maybe day two but she'll glare at me as if she's doing me a favour - I'll still be eating chicken two days after that.

At least your cat eats chicken, mine glares at me if I serve anything other than Gourmet Pearl Wet Food.

I don't think left over meat is common at all and if I saw a kid with some in a sandwich I would think the parent really cares for them well (as it's better/healthier than shop sliced stuff).

Roast chicken sarnies are lovely and not a bit "common"! I'm sorry your ex made you feel so self conscious. X

@BikeRunSki I don't know any schools around here that allow peanut butter or Nutella as they try and be nut free

I work in a school. Every Monday I have left over Sunday dinner meat with my salad. I wouldn't batter an eyelid if a child had some in their sandwiches. What a bizarre man he is.

Since when did a nicely cooked chicken become common?!