How many lunch options does your child's primary school offer for lunch?

[belowwdeckk]

Ours is a two week rolling menu with a different main meal every day. Jacket potatoes available everyday for those who don't want the main meal.

I should add though that we pay for school dinners (independent school) and the costs are circa £4 a day at primary level. I've had reason to eat at the school dining hall on occasion when I have meetings at the school and the quality is very good IMO.

You have to book the food?

I suppose that decreases waste.

We don't have that system to adding more options increases the risk of waste.

Great menu though!

Yes we have to book it on an app, you can book it ahead for the term or just per week. All cooked onsite, small school (about 68 kids 4-11).
£2.50 for those that pay (free for mine as in Reception).

Ours is also an independent.

Everything cooked on site from scratch.

Five options--main hot dinner, veggie main, jacket potato, pasta with or without sauce, or school packed lunch

At my DD's Primary there was a meat/fish option, a vegetarian option, a 3rd option that was either meat/fish or vegetarian and jacket potatoes available every day with various fillings. There was veg with the meals plus a salad bar. A dessert, drink and fruit available. It was ok but most of the food was quite processed and cheap. I wouldn't have been happy for DD to eat it everyday so wouldn't be happy with no packed lunch as an option.

However, it pales into insignificance with the rubbish available at Secondary. DD mainly has cakes for her lunch with a fizzy drink on the side!

Three week rotating menu. Excluding allergies etc it's like it or lump it!

2 week rolling menu. One hot meal option daily + salad bar for KS1. And then KS2 have the additional option of a cold lunch (rolls and sandwiches of various fillings).

If the food was cooked fresh with decent ingredients and options for autistic DC that struggle with food I would be ok with no packed lunch. I think on balance it should be flexible as some ASD DC just wouldn't be able to eat the school food.

My eldest is very fussy with food so I'll be very cross if the potatoes get taken away!

He would starve despite what people may say

Oh and it was a 3 week rolling menu at Primary and same at Secondary - although an extensive range of cakes is available everyday!

Three week rolling menu with meat/veggie choices.

Plus in colder months jacket potato option, in warmer months picnic lunch option.

No vegetarian option?

They provide a veggie option as an alternative to the meat option, jacket potato every day and sandwiches every day, so 4.

Meat-free Mondays, but that's it

DS left primary a while ago but they had a 3 week rotating seasonal menu, always jacket potatoes on offer. Wednesday was always a roast and Friday fish.

Standard options normally include:
Hot non-veggie/vegan
Hot veggie/vegan
Soup and/or Baked Tattie
Sandwich and/or wrap - salad normally included alongside cold fillings.

It's also good if they can get a sandwich and soup, combines something warm (good in cold weather) with a lighter meal (for those who don't want a main meal at lunch).

If packed lunches are not allowed then I would expect a sandwich/wrap option to be available tbh.

Getting up in arms isn't going to help, but it might be worth approaching the school to find out if there are other options (e.g. introduce sandwiches or soup instead of baked tatties).

Some people might feel this way about the lack of sandwiches.

Three week rotating menu

Meat option
Veggie option
Jacket potato (topping rotates, cheese/tuna/beans)
Sandwich (rotates ham/cheese/tuna)

Two different veg sides each day

Pudding
Fruit and yoghurt

Bread and salad always available

Seems like lots of choice to me! I don't care if mine have jacket potatoes everyday. The topping changes and the fruit and veg change. Seems fine, and more importantly I didn't have to make it!

3 different main meals and two choices of desert.

You order it a week in advance

4 week menu
One select meal or sandwich and fruit

I should say, ours is a state primary. The kids choose what they want with the TA that morning, we don't book it in advance. But I suppose it saves on waste too if the kitchen knows what to make.

I think it sounds pretty good.

We have jacket potato option every day, then a different main and veggie main on a two week schedule.

Plus they can take packed lunch.

My dc’s school offers nothing, no school dinners. Packed lunch only…

Preordered weekly:
Meat option
Veggie option
Pasta or rice pot option
Jacket potato (3 filling choices)
Sandwich option (3 filling choices x 2 bread options)

Primary school with 3 form intake though, I wouldn't expect this level of choice in a smaller school.