Would giving all children free school meals actually safe the public purse money long term?

[Kendodd]

Really good quality, highly nutritional, tailored to children's needs and vegetarian. I know this would cost a lot, but if it improves the nations health long term, would it actually cost less?

This.

It needs to be targeted at groups that are most vulnerable to have the most impact.

Do you eat meat? I’m not sure you’ve comprehended what the OP has typed. Meaning catering for all dietary requirements.

I didn't say they were all to do with religion though, so we agree.

But why is it the school's responsibility to provide that?

The question should be why is it acceptable to feed our kids rubbish ??

Surely wether its their only meal of the day or not, i dont want our DS eating one meal every day he is in school...that is rubbish

Our secondary doesn't have anywhere to sit and eat. They are literally buying it and getting outside to eat it standing up, and they only have 20 minute lunch break. They'd never manage to feed 2000 kids in that time even though they have 4 or 5 outlets for food.

I'd rather they increased the range of children it's offered to. So we'd be aiming to give it to around half of the children, so anyone earning below average.
And at the same time increased the amount the government will pay per child so they can have better food. Not always virtuous "this is terribly healthy" food. I remember the junior school decided to make burgers "healthy" by serving them with mashed potato rather than bread. 🙄All that happened was the children ate the burgers and left the mash.
They can have pizza, they can have burgers, they can have hot dogs... but alongside other foods too. There is nothing wrong with those in moderation. Doing a variety of food which the children enjoy, will encourage them to try foods they're less familiar with and perhaps think they won't like.

I am not sure I have comprehended what you think you are asking tbh?

Vegetarian is cheaper sources of protein so costs the public less and gets more plants into the kids which is great for their gut health- great idea op! Good for the planet too. Yanbu op

Here's an idea.....
Free "packed lunch" style foods available for all and weekly cooking and nutrition lessons from Reception upwards with added financial budgeting lessons from Secondary school upwards.
So the next generation can cook and budget their meal plans and know what's healthy.

In Wales. They’ve already rolled this out for some school years- all children get a meal and it’s free.

Yes there are vegetarian and halal options catered for.

A ton of food gets thrown away daily, though they only get a 20 min break to eat the food. Little ones can get carried away playing, chatting and forget to eat.

Nobody is saying that it's OK for school lunches to be rubbish because it's only a minority of what kids eat. Of course school lunches should be healthy and tasty.

But school lunches on their own are not going to be enough to address poor eating if a child is having a healthy lunch at school but going home and eating pot noodles, sausage rolls and doughnuts at evenings, weekends and school holidays.

If it’s not meat then it’s not healthy? 🤔👍🏼

Stop paying the catering staff!!!

Oh that’s ok because we can increase their child benefit when they find it hard to make ends meet.

underneaththeash is that correct that kids cannot get all their amino acids atc from a vegetarian diet? Ive cooked from scratch everyday for dc meat free. Have i done them a disservice ?

Very good idea^

Meat is also a good source of nutrition for growing children, and not all vegetarian options are actually better for the planet!

@Wasbedeudetetdas no we don't agree.
I'm not sure what having a peanut allergy or being gluten intolerant has to do with a school being a "non faith" one.

I still don't understand what you think you are trying to say.
Bottom line, I don't think that all the meals should be vegetarian - both meat based and non-meat based meals can be healthy or unhealthy and better or worse for the planet!

I didn't say they had anything to do with each other.
I said that I think most non-faith mainstream schools would find it hard to cater for all religious choices, all allergies, all lifestyle choices and so on. I didn't say allergies were related to religion or that religion was the only reason for dietary choices. It is simply too many different criteria to fit!

don't employ them to start with, this is not what free school meal money is for! It is supposed to be for food. It doesn't go on food.

“What I think I’m trying to say.”

Ok. I think we will just leave it there 🤣🤣🤷🏼‍♀️getting nowhere fast.

You haven't really thought this through, have you?

Far better to improve the nutritious value of what they have. And for older kids too - it’s so hard to get teenagers to eat well when they can get pizza and cake in the school canteen. The food offering at our secondary is expensive and unhealthy.

Well you are either misunderstanding or misinterpreting my comments and then asking me to explain something I didn't say so.......

@Wasbedeudetetdas no offence but your wording was a bit rubbish 🙂

Personally I think the best approach would be to do away with the free school meals for all KS1 pupils and increase the threshold so that more people with children in KS2/3 are eligible.