School demanding packed meals for 18 hr bus trip

[Snoopmummy]

DC is off on a school trip involving an 18 hour coach journey. School is demanding we drop children off in the evening having fed them (fine), equipped with nut free snacks (makes sense). We have also been asked to provide TWO meals: a packed breakfast and a packed lunch.

That means breakfast will be consumed 13 hours after they set off and lunch will be something like 17 hours later. Is there any food that can safely last for that length of time in an insulated bag or flask? DC does not like dried fruit or cereal bars.

AIBU to consider asking for the risk assessment over this and suggesting we equip them with money to get food on the way as they will need to stop anyway?!

I was always so grateful to the staff on school trips and used to give them all a bottle of wine on their return. I thought they'd need it.

A risk assessment? Seriously?

I hate to be so blunt op but it's parents like you that really put teachers off giving up a week of their free time, that they could be spending with their own family, to give children such opportunities. If you wish to approach the school and enquire or even make suggestions then do so politely. But there is no need for them to produce unnecessary paper work just so you can make a point.

They may well stop off at a service station to buy food but I'd equally understand why they wouldn't want to add another 2 hrs to an 18hr journey so 50 excited 13 year olds can buy a McDonald's.

For what it's worth when I've staffed such trips, kids in service stations tend to spend huge amounts of money on pringles and haribo rather than hot meals.

All hail the teachers! I salute them! 🫡

Processed croissants have practically zero nutritional content.

It's one meal. I think he'll manage

Teenage boys have iron constitutions, given the crap they eat and questionable hygiene. Any germs on the sandwich were probably beaten up and consumed by the resident bacteria...

You are aware that the blue in blue cheese is mold, right? Do you not know how cheese is made?

Cheese, butter, jam are all preserves.

Don't pack the poor kid off with frozen sandwiches and ice packs, for goodness sake.

Seed butter spreads are delicious

Also, carbohydrates and fat are important nutrients. I'm not sure how you managed to find croissants without any nutrients.

The threads on here are getting worse 😂 just packed them a packed lunch and forget about it, they’ll be fine

I think there's enough people being (justifiably) rude to the OP on this thread without slagging off the lunch bags
as well.

They may well stop off at a service station to buy food but I'd equally understand why they wouldn't want to add another 2 hrs to an 18hr journey so 50 excited 13 year olds can buy a McDonald's.

9 yos! They'll have enough fun dealing with the loo trip

Peanut butter is not an option. Nuts.

But I otherwise agree with you.

I bet you’re fun at parties. 🙄

She could send him in with a bag full of peanut butter sandwiches and a note saying "you never said no legumes".

Then she really would be "that parent".

I am a teacher and have run a trip many times (albeit for older kids) which starts with a long coach journey. We ask the kids to bring a packed lunch. I've literally never had anyone complain. Getting them all through a service station or to get food on the ferry etc just takes too long - you're talking an hour. Basically you never plan anything on school trips which involves all the kids buying something in the same place unless it's sixth formers/small numbers. a cheese sandwich or cold pasta of some sort would be fine for 24 hours... Kids eat strangely on trips anyway as it's often the first time they have a bit of freedom/spare money and they want to eat as much sugar/junk as possible. A rite of passage... The overseas trips I've been on involve massive risk assessments which go through literally anything and everything but there's nothing about being poisoned by a packed lunch. I'll be sure to add it in next time.

I feel sorry for the teachers - 18 hours with a coachload of children with no escape.

Sorry but you and your scientist friend are being very very very precious 🤣

Maybe this trip didn’t want to add additional food costs on? It doesn’t mean either method is right or wrong.

My experience of long coach trips with children is that most food will be eaten within the first couple of hours. They're being optimistic if they think everyone is going to have neat little meals ready for prescribed times.
Just pack plenty of easy, child friendly food. There'll probably be quite a lot of swapping going on too but he'll survive.

But 18 hours on a coach?! No thanks.

I’m not saying it is better. Although I think a slight increase in cost to make sure meals are spread out over the time and not all eaten in the first 2 hours is preferable personally.

Honestly from a food safety perspective I'd rather eat a 17 hour old cheese sandwich than a McDonald's from a service station

Nut free is literally specified in the OP..!

Soreen, rice pudding pots, jelly pots, flapjack, crisps, fruit, snack bars,

An 18 hour coach trip for 9 year olds seems ambitious in the first place so the pack lunch would be the least of my worries. Travel sickness will make for a much more troublesome coach experience than the a slightly squished cheese sandwich.

breakfast is easy really: pastry and fruit. For lunch I’d be tempted to do pasta rather than a sandwich but I wouldn’t overthink it. My 7yo would be over the moon to have a baguette and loads of snacks.

When I went on a trip to France I bought a Camembert that I stored in my suitcase for at least a few days before brining it home. My parents couldn’t believe the smell when it got home.