Packed lunch police

[penneforyourthoughts]

DD’s school has changed their packed lunch policy and no longer allows them to have juice cartons of any description.

I know that there are bigger problems in the world but it’s made me pretty cross. DD is quite food avoidant and I do my best to pack a sensible lunch for her but I like the fact that I can give her fruit juice (flavour, texture and one of her five a day, I think).

I don’t want to make a fuss because it’s a great school but AIBU to raise it with them?

Sorry to be blunt Juice every day is not a good idea. Ask your dentist !

One portion a day is fine with a meal. It is one of your 5 a day.

I have two dc of 21 and 18. Neither have any fillings. Both had a carton of fruit juice with their packed lunch at school.

www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/5-a-day-what-counts/

What a load of crap. Since when did schools get to tell you how to feed and water your child? I have always ignored any diktats of this nature and thankfully my kids were opinionated enough to eat the lunch I had given them, with no interference from school.

And whilst we are at it raisins are just middle class chocolate buttons...

But contain fibre and vitamins.

Unless your child has special needs, they should not be having juice every day.

[quote Christmas1988]@GreenFingersWouldBeHandy
Certainly is one of your five a day, this is Sainsbury’s apple juice from my fridge…[/quote]
Of course they'd say that, they are trying to sell it!

Nhs link above says one portion a day of juice is one of 5 a day. They are not selling .

What a load of crap. Since when did schools get to tell you how to feed and water your child

Whilst they’re at school, on school property, they can absolutely say what can be in your child’s lunchbox. Get a grip. It’s a carton of juice, they don’t need it with their lunch, water is perfectly fine. The school I teach at, changed to water only. A few parents complained, but were told that’s the new guidance whilst in school, the Head wouldn’t back down, they all just send water in now. If you don’t like their rules, change school.

Name changed for this in case it outs me to any old school friends but in my primary school in the late 80s/early 90s, the headmaster used to throw “chip parties” as a treat for achievements (eg a sports team or quiz team after winning a game etc). He’d go to the chippy at lunchtime and come back with a load of bags of chips, and we’d pile into the CDT room (which was some kind of prefab shed in the school yard) and eat them. It was brilliant.

This was a fairly strict independent school, too. Gosh I miss the 90s.

@LadyPenelope68 oh get over yourself. Just teach the kids. Leave the parenting, including what they eat, to the parents.

@RuleWithAWoodenFoot

the pudding choices were basically some kind of cake and custard

Yep, this annoys me too. 'No sweet things allowed in packed lunch' but flapjacks, cakes, custard etc for pudding in school dinners.

I basically put a one slice sandwich with cheese and marmite, about 5 slices of cucumber, a petit filous (ooh, BAD YOGHURT), some strawberries or something that chops up into a pot, something crunchy like a few crisps or cheese straws (only not a whole bag because it takes her ages to eat them), and a (homemade, but still sugary) cake in her lunchbox. With a small box of juice - they do tiny ones in Tesco that are a perfect amount for a small child.

It's more annoying she can't have nuts, since she's a veggie and we're a vegan household where nuts are a key source of nutrients - she'd have peanut butter and almonds or walnuts at home.

BAD YOGHURT made me chuckle. My very health conscious friend was just today tutting at our Petit Filous stash.

This is pretty standard in most schools. Childrens teeth statistics are absolutely shocking in the UK.

@penneforyourthoughts

DD is quite anxious about complying with ‘rules’ and she’s adamant that she won’t take it in if it’s not allowed. I think I’m annoyed because the school have created a new battleground here.

Your daughter sounds very responsible OP.

One less processed food to spend out on surely?

Just let the school give tap water. No plastic bottle for DD to carry in either. Money saved.

Whilst they’re at school, on school property, they can absolutely say what can be in your child’s lunchbox. Get a grip.

Says who?! This is the whole point of the thread.

My son’s preschool have a water only policy and they recently mentioned that teeth health is a new focus of the EYFS curriculum (or whatever) as there has apparently been an explosion of teeth issues in little kids. I think it’s reasonable.

I've worked in a school, and in offices. The amount of biscuits/ chocolate consumed in the school staff room far exceeded anything I'd seen before...

I absolutely don't think juice is a healthy option but neither do I think white bread or processed ham slices or flapjack or fruity yoghurt or cheese biscuits are "healthy" but not everything needs to be banned.

And actually, isn't it better, if you're going to drink juice, to have it out if a carton with a straw rather than from a glass ( for tooth health rather than environmental concerns)? And then you can save the sugar free squash for home, as that's harder to send in to school.

I just put flavoured water in his sports bottle now, he still tastes fruit juice and they are none the wiser if he keeps quiet about it.

Always fascinated by these threads school I work in and my DC attend has water only, no treats like crisps, popcorn, chocolate, biscuits and sweets etc and one small treat on a Friday. And they bring home all their own rubbish from their lunch.
Would be standard here (not UK)

@Bekstar

I just put flavoured water in his sports bottle now, he still tastes fruit juice and they are none the wiser if he keeps quiet about it.

Oh we know!

Teaching heathy eating is part of the curriculum. Some children get fed too much junk at home.