To think a leftover happy meal isn’t the worst packed lunch you could have?

[Tulipdreams]

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/teachers-share-students-worst-packed-36878989.amp

Hear me out first. Of course the article is pretty terrible, children being sent into school with only packets of biscuits for lunch, stories of children having no milk for their cereal and bringing in energy drinks.

But one example was a child took a leftover happy meal to school. Aibu to think that this isn’t the worst thing you could have?

No I have never sent my child into school with a cold takeaway for their lunch, and it would be concerning if it was happening all the time. But I would eat leftover McDonald’s if I hadn’t eaten it the night before. It’s probably no worse than taking a ham sandwich and a packet of crisps (which would be deemed as acceptable).

When I was a child most kids took meat paste sandwiches and a wagon wheel and that was a completely normal lunch.

Because cold leftover burgers in buns are not pleasant.... Would you eat it?

I

I wouldn't but I also wouldn't want to eat some of my toddlers fave foods. Kids are weird.

There's a huge world of difference between a woman who isn't producing milk and has to bottle feed with formula so their baby doesn't die to a parent sending in cold leftover nuggets/burgers and chips.

A lot of mothers have no choice but to give formula and it's is a nutritious alternative.

The parent sending in cold leftover chips probably has other food in the house...

I wouldn’t eat plain pasta but according to my daughter it’s the best meal ever. I wouldn’t eat sushi but people the world over like it, just because it’s not what you would enjoy doesn’t make it abusive. If I asked the average 7 year old if they wanted to take a cold McDonald’s burger in for lunch I bet they’d think it was brilliant, a real treat and the best lunchbox ever. My mum used to make us themed lunch boxes, actually got told off by the headteacher because it made some other kids jealous apparently, I still remember ‘orange day’ when I had sliced Red Leicester sandwich, a satsuma, a pack of wotsits, an iron bru bar and a carton of orange squash. It was fun and novel, it was not nutritious.

You also have to take the child into consideration.

My packed lunch through primary was a drink and a digestive biscuit. DM thought it was better I had something I would eat than a good looking lunch I ate none of.
And I was very grateful. I still hate packed lunches, hate the pressure of needing to finish the food and eating in front of other people.

My sister OTOH had two cheese rolls, a flask of water, a bag of salad and a piece of home made cake because that was what she wanted.

Who can be affording to buy their kids a happy meal as a school lunch? It’s more than a school dinner and way more than the lunch you could make yourself with decent shop bought ingredients. And I’m middle class as all hell. My kid takes sushi and an aloe vera water as a packed lunch. I am definitely too cheap to be spending all that money on crap day old cold food though.

The bar is so low now. Providing a lunch of cheese sandwich, apple and yogurt is basic, entry level parenting. Sending in a leftover happy meal is just horrible.
People are so full of excuses and expect someone else to do everything for them. Get to Aldi. But a loaf, some cheese, lettuce, cucumber and tomatoes and make a packed lunch.

My mum worked in a school for years and this was a safeguarding concern. Cold happy meals/takeaway food generally. She said it was sadly fairly common but if it happened regularly in particular (and the child didn’t have SEN- they were aware of children with dietary restrictions) then yes, it did get flagged.

I can see why, it shows a general lack of care doesn’t it? It doesn’t take two minutes to throw together a half decent lunchbox.

Yes but that's still fresh sandwiches not yesterdays cold minging,left over happy meal.

Theres a boy in my son’s school that only ever really goes to school with chips for his packed lunch, on the odd occasion theres a burger included but my son said it’s rare. I find it very strange, who would want to eat cold chips, they aren’t even in a flask or anything that might possibly keep them warm (though I doubt it) just a plastic Tupperware box. I often wonder if they are from the night before. I don’t think it’s ok.

Genuinely, yes. Could you possibly imagine the type of parent that would send a child to school with a leftover happy meal? Only a neglectful parent would do so.

Agreed. My 5 yo has SEN and has a very limited diet so his lunchbox is usually an innocent smoothie, bear yo-yo, packet of crisps, packet of cookies, 2 Frubes and Babybel. He won’t eat sandwiches anymore and has never touched fruit or veg unless blended in a smoothie/sauce and even then it can be touch and go. I know his lunchbox isn’t ideal and is too sugary but I’m just happy he’s eaten.

My kids school doesn't do burger, but they do chicken nuggets, chips and spaghetti hoops. Another day is fish and chips. 🤷

I don't think either of those is equivalent to a day old, cold happy meal though.

Same!

I'm normally on the soft side of "it was probably hard day for the parents", but a cold leftover McDonald's- no, that is really crap.

I don’t eat any leftovers , let alone MacDonalds, but people have different tastes. 👍

This makes no sense 😭your aloe water and sushi are more expensive than McDonald’s. You can’t seem to decide whether you’re “middle class as hell (🤣) of if you’re struggling to afford £4.59 on a happy meal.

It’s definitely not the worst thing, in fact it’s nutritionally useful if we focus on calories. The cheeseburger and chips is 600 calories, that really WILL keep them going all afternoon. They will be focused and have energy.

Anyone seeing a lethargic, grumpy bunch of kids who haven’t eaten enough lunch will know what I’m talking about.

do you understand anything about safeguarding though or do you just think it’s helping you sound outraged?

To proactively identify children at risk of harm. Harm such as neglect. HTH.

Sorry which is it? A safeguarding issue or to proactively identify children at risk of neglect?

and what is the outcome of either, in your expert opinion?

Are you OK? I was defining safeguarding for you.

To be honest I like cold chips. I like cold roast potatoes too.

I wouldn’t take them to work for my lunch but I would eat at home.

I eat a lot of things cold that most people would find weird. Pizza, samosas, bhajis, chips, roast potatoes.

That’s why I wonder if the whole cold McDonald’s thing is more because it’s socially unacceptable, rather than because it’s going to do any real harm.

My youngest child who used to eat absolutely anything and everything has become incredibly fussy.

At least once a week I send him with cold breaded chicken with a little pot of salad or carrot sticks. He never eats the salad, I know he won’t eat it but I put it in anyway. If I sent him with nothing but breaded chicken I’d be judged, but the salad/veggies make it more socially acceptable even though I know they will come home uneaten.

It’s desperately sad for the poor kid.

I’d rather stick pins in my eyes, than eat a cold Happy Meal!

Occasionally, when we are on the move, I have McDonalds, because at some motorway service stations at night, the only hot food available is fast food! No way, would I ever eat it cold and certainly wouldn’t give it to DC!

Personally I don't think the happy meal example is as bad as the others in the article, especially if it was a one off to not waste the food.

Bit depressing to see how many people are moaning about the school dinners, school dinners at my DC school are actually pretty good and are way more nutritious than the stuff most kids have in their lunch boxes. I've been in and had dinner at the school a few times and have seen lunch boxes as described by pp - chocolate crisps, sugary drink and a chocolate spread sandwich. I make DC have school dinners as I think at £2.52 for a freshly cooked meal, dessert, salad bar and freshly cooked bread it's pretty good.

On the odd occasion he has packed lunch it comes home half eaten as he'd rather be outside playing and he's hangry at pickup time. My packed lunches are average - cheese/chicken and crackers, box of cut up fruit and salad, yoghurt pouch and something like crisps or mini cookies for example.