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?

Then definitely YABU. You're muddying the waters and pushing a political/ideological point. All it would do is dilute the benefits as pupils wanting meat will avoid the school dining hall and go and get their own from local shops, local takeaways, etc., or bring in packed lunches. The last thing we need to do is restrict choice. If we want to invest huge sums of money into providing universal free school meals, then it has to be for "all" which includes vegetarian, vegan and gluten free "choices" but without compulsion.

I think they have to improve the quality of what is provided first and foremost, although I wouldn’t be against universal free school dinners- both because they are so important, and they probably do save money in the long run.

We are getting free school meals in London for all primary children. SUCH an incredible thing! But also great as a teacher. We had parents in £100s or even £1000 from school meals. It was the abaolute worst job to try to chase this money from families who couldn’t afford to pay. All within me just wanted to write it off but also we are minus money as a school. I have more than once paid myself (including going into my overdraft). It’s just desperate for those working poor families on the breadline. The UC switch has caused the most appalling poverty.

I don't think it would save money, although it certainly would be handy!

We live in London and this year (and next year) all primary children get free school meals. Unfortunately, this seems to be correlated with a noticeable drop in the standard and quantity of food provided. I don't know if the funding received by the caterers is less per head than when parents were paying, or if there is just no need to provide appetising meals when the money is guaranteed. I do know my son ends up eating rice and cucumber most days, which won't kill him, but you wouldn't want to be relying on it nutritionally.

Older children make bad choices in the school canteen, and we are protecting nobody from bad parenting by this ridiculous school canteen set up

Please complain about this. There are nutritional standards. I’m teaching in London and see the meals daily in our school and we definitely don’t have cucumber & rice for lunch! The caterer should be challenged.

@Dancerprancer19 the cucumber and rice is probably "sides" and that's all the child eats.

Actually I'm doing them an injustice - there are other options available but my son is not a fan of "gross pizza" (vegan Tuesdays), "brown stuff" (Wednesday), or "orange broken stuff" (Save The Planet Thursdays). And they can always get cheese, crackers and an apple.

A truly hungry child would eat more of it!

She's very yabu. Kids need meat in their diet

They will never spend enough for it to be of a good enough quality to improve health long term.

Also absolutely not vegetarian. Meat is really nutritious for children, haem iron is better absorbed than non haem. Not to mention that getting more nutrients out of a vegetarian diet often involves adding highly processed food.

You lost me at vegetarian fine is parents and children themselves wish to be veggie but meat should be offered.

Don’t make up crap. Of course we can get all our amino acids from vegetarian diets. Kids aren’t cats.

The money would be better spent on teaching children how to cook & eat healthy meals.

It's rarely lack of knowledge it's money for the food and the energy to cook it plus the time it takes. Many families in poverty have disabled dc you can't spend much time away from them in the kitchen cooking from scratch.

In principle, I like the idea, but what does healthy & nutritional mean?

At DD's school they seem to think Quorn other UPF shit are healthy options and proudly championed new vegan and vegetarian choices on the menu. They were all chemical crap with poor nutritional content.

38 school weeks x 5 lunches is 190 meals

Assuming three meals a day that is 902 meals outside of school lunch.

I think it's vital to provide free school meals to low income kids as a means to reducing the cost to their parents slightly of feeding them.
I think there is an argument for free school meals for the entire school as a mechanism for encouraging all children to sit down together, improving social skills and "etiquette" even what we mean here is just holding a knife and fork and to encourage community. This assumes that adults will also be eating with them.

But I don't think 190 meals a year will make a dent in health - if the kids are eating 902 crap meals the rest of the time, 190 healthy veggie meals probably won't make a great difference to their health.

Well if anyone wanted to know why we have an obesity crisis this thread gives good insight!

I disagree with that, but even if they did need meat, they don’t need it in every meal surely?

I also baulk at the hackneyed phrase. "nutritious hot meal".
It's lazy thinking to assume hot = good / cold = bad.

I’m not in the UK and we have free meals from nursery up to age 18. The quality is great and very healthy (no beige UK food) and they eat. Yesterday was spinach soup with egg and most ate two portions.

Your post implies vegetarian only, YABU for that alone

Ok it’s possible too, like I said above I’m not in the UK. Children are taught how to cook as well as free breakfast/lunch/fruit/afternoon food.

I wouldn’t want my child eating what is on offer. Carb heavy, packed with salt, sugary desserts. Chips, pizzas, burgers, sausages (e.g stuff that doesn’t get served at home) No way.

This is an example of what a week can look like.