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).

Nobody is going to check the contents of her sandwich

Either your ex is an idiot o'r he was just talking bollocks to control you and scare you.

How would anyone make a roast chicken sandwich except by roasting chicken, letting the meat cool, slicing it and putting it in a sandwich? That's all you're doing. The fact you are some of the other meat in a roast dinner is irrelevant.

Your ex sounds like an idiot. Left-over meat is the best.

Left-over meat is all we ever had on our sandwiches for school and many children wanted to trade lunches with me. I don't think my mother would ever buy pre-cooked meal slices sealed in a plastic packet because she thought it was a bit nasty. She gets it from the deli counter though.

My mother is a bit snobbish about food.

My sin went through a stage of having me good him a couple or turkey or chicken breasts on a Sunday to make sandwiches is for a few days. No difference to it being left over meat.

Your ex has strange ideas.

I purposely cook chickens and gammon for sandwiches, never buy packet ham or chicken because it’s my preference.

I’ve worked as a midday supervisor my only sandwich concern was Nutella due to allergy and in a nut free school, obviously concerned if no lunch and various other things too.

Ignore him the twat

A) school don't care b) leftover meat is not common. Your ex did a number on you. I'm sorry.

Dont understand his logic also wtf has tuna got to do with being poor

Well done for getting rid. He sounds like a right dickhead.

My favourite packed lunch is still leftovers, a roast chicken sandwich sounds delicious.

Wow. Your ex did a number on you didn’t he? What an absolute prick he is.

School won’t care. Chicken sandwiches are beautiful, school will only think you’re ‘poor’ if she comes into school with no food - and in that case they would give her a school dinner and then phone you or maybe have a quiet word at home time.

It’s more than fine

Just to reassure you OP, you and your mum are totally normal. A lot of people cook big family meals, put it on the table and let everyone eat what they want then use up all the leftovers.

A lot of people also cook exactly the portions needed, that is normal too.

But he has tried to make you feel like you and your mum were odd and doing things wrong. You absolutely were not.

And him calling it a poor person thing... well, I grew up in a house with maids and a cook. Leftovers were used. Leftovers were put into our lunches and eaten in front of other people at school. We were very very far away from poor. Your ex is totally, completely wrong. You and your mum are doing what millions of others do.

Meat from the leftovers (various) can make a multitude of different dishes in the following few days. It is often more flavorful.
It is better for animal welfare (all meat is utilized), so less animals killed. Better for environment as it has already been transported to supermarket (diesel) and uses less fuel in home (gas/electric) as eaten cold or only reheating.
Nutrition wise it is much better than those limp, square chicken slices.
I work in a school kitchen btw. Go for it.

Nothing wrong with looking poor. But - as everyone has pointed out - what you are suggesting would make you look the exact opposite.

@VodselForDinner

Your ex lied to control and demean you.

This. I'm sorry this awful man's words are still in your head and I hope the replies on here go some way to letting you hear your own voice more clearly.

Leftover chicken sandwich was the highlight of my week at school, and friends were always envious!

And even if you were there is absolutely nothing wrong with being either poor or common and if anybody meanly thinks that about anyone else then they are the one who is poor - in spirit, manners and graciousness

The only good thing about going to work on Monday is having yummy leftovers in my sandwiches and I’m a teacher! Your ex sounds like a real twat!

God, some men are just so awful. I'm a teacher, and I'd give you massive brownie points for actually doing a proper Sunday roast! Middle class parents would be falling over themselves to make it very clear that they'd produced delicious leftovers, and that they HADN'T bought crappy precooked meat.

In nice sandwich shops, roast chicken and tuna are frequent available options. I roast chicken for sandwiches specifically sometimes. Roast chicken is a perfectly good, indeed desirable, sandwich filling.

Your ex was a cunt OP. A cunt who was pretty thick too, if he actually belived the shite he was telling you. I am so glad you are away from him .

Ps anything else your ex ever told you about anything at all? Please just ignore it. All of it.

Leftover home cooked meat is much posher and healthier than bought packaged pre-sliced sandwich meat, isn't it? And tuna and eggs are very nutritious and great food to feed small children, much better than processed meats!

Well done for asking on here instead of just believing your ex, OP. It'll take time but eventually you'll trust yourself again

I thought everyone used leftover meat in sandwiches? Your ex is a dick, ignore him.

Completely fine, tasty and no waste, we eat leftovers all the time.

Sorry you had to go through that with your ex 😢

Your mum is right and your ex is still nuts/horrible. I can buy a decent whole chicken in the 3 for £10 deal at the supermarket and make two nights' dinners. I could buy 3 breasts as part of the 3 for £10 deal too, but as you say, it only does one meal. Plus, the bones make a good, healthy stock. You're doing great, don't let that horrible man get in your head. Whenever he does, I want you to imagine all of us MNers pointing at laughing at him and his carefully measured out chicken (may it forever be dry and bland).

@ChickenSandwichYum can I please offer my congratulations on you getting rid of your ex.

Left overs are amazing and you sound like you are doing fine.

Don't let the bastard grind you down to his level.

You sound like such a lovely mum! I'm so sorry you had to experience the abusive ways of your ex.

I'm a teacher in a very deprived area. We regularly see children bring cold takeaway, or McDs to school. Once I had a child bring a leftover vindaloo. I have yet to see anyone judge anyone for this. Every parent that is striving to feed their child (no matter how unusual or unhealthy) shows they care about their child. Bringing a leftover roast chicken sandwich sounds like the absolute dream.

Our roast dinners -> leftover dinners -> sandwiches process lasts from Sunday (the Roast Dinner) through to Wednesday (the very last sandwich) Actually a lamb joint lasts even longer than a large chicken. Your ex is an utter tit.

I do not understand how leftover meat in a sandwich would ever be viewed badly

This ^
It is much nicer, and probably much healthier than the rather processed sliced meet we buy, for when we don't have leftover roast.

Your ex had an odd way of thinking.