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.

Nasty? How is this nasty? Please explain. Which part is nasty?

Saying that it's dysfunctional? It is dysfunctional to not cook and provide. Trust me I know.

It shows that your parents don’t care about you and thats enough of a safeguarding concern in itself.

I think they should concentrate more on the shite they serve for school dinners

It wasn't raw though and I put an ice pack in with it. Just seemed really odd! Sushi inappropriate but nuggets never a problem (maybe because they served them with chips themselves?)

One left over happy meal is a safeguarding incident? 😆

The bigger scandal is the abysmal quality of school lunches. I accept that the budgets are woefully low but we switched to packed lunches because of them. A cheeese, chicken, tuna sandwich on wholemeal bread, a piece of fruit, a small piece of cake, quality biscut or yoghurt. It was more expensive to provide than a school lunch. Which often was: nuggets, burger, pizza, fishfingers, a meat dish (never pork or beef) was accompanoed with over stewed unedifying veg and mash and chips, soggy, were always available. Followed by cake and coloured custard or ice cream (cheap, UPF) ice cream.

I cannot imagine that universal school lunches fkr ks1 are improved. When parents paid, feedback was legitimate; when they don't it isn't and gives scope for further deterioration because there should be gratitude.

In any event, no school meal is free. They are free at the point of delivery, like the NHS.

it’s often luke warm/cold

Nothing would happen but i bet it would be documented
Who in their right mind woykd think it was ok to send yesterday's cold leftover happy meal into school even as a one off.

@RosesAndHellebores yes, the school food is shocking but they ban a choc bar in a lunchbox

Who in their right mind woykd think it was ok to send yesterday's cold leftover happy meal into school even as a one off.

Loads of people wouldn’t do it because they would worry about judgement even if their dc would eat it at home.

Erm... The cheeseburger itself comes in at about 298 kcal (1,251 kJ), with 25g protein, 43g carbs, 16.5g fat, 8.3g saturates, 19g sugars, and 1.98g salt.

We eat left over KFC sliced up in a sandwich, it's delicious. I think it would be worse if the child wasn't having any lunch-better to have something than nothing.

I’d view that as neglectful behaviour.
Poor child having a parent line that!

I think if there isn't any other choice then it's food that's better than nothing !
But if it's being given because parents to lazy then it's not acceptable tbh ! 😞

I don’t see much difference between a cold Happy meal and some of the school dinners. My dc wouldn’t eat either; they don’t like school dinners & McDs is gone before it can get cold.

I can remember seeing this when I first qualified, and was little horrified when `in saw a child in my class having this for lunch. The child, on the other hand, was delighted, and saw it as a treat.
I suppose in nutritional terms it's probably no worse than white bread ham/spam sandwiches.

Being fair @RosesAndHellebores my kids are at school now and the menu is nothing like that.

Some options from this week include bean burrito, jacket potato with tuna or real cheese (not cheez), lasagne, spicy chicken and noodles.

They also have a "veggie table" for snacktime with raw carrot, celery and cucumber pieces.

I am not saying it is perfect but it is not wall to wall upfs by any means.

Surely in thst case the parent should have prioritised school lunch?

@JohnnyMcGrathSaysFuckOff & it’s served hot. Most of it is cooked early morning and then left to sit, may get reheated for lunch.

Warm happy meals taste nice cold ones frim the night before dont

What you put in is what you get out.

@x2boys doesnt it depend on the person eating it? I hate cold food and only like McDonalds fries piping hot & fresh. DH on the other hand loves leftover pizza.

I mean, people who bottle feed say that "fed is best," so by the same measure...

The cheeseburger itself comes in at about 298 kcal (1,251 kJ), with 25g protein, 43g carbs, 16.5g fat, 8.3g saturates, 19g sugars, and 1.98g salt.

I cant even eat their burgers lukewarm cooled down too much from fresh, the thought of a day after cold one sounds absolutely disgusting, and if i wouldn't eat it myself, i wouldn't give it to a child!
And all cold chips get a rank taste and texture.
A child shouldn't just get nutritious food, but food they like the taste of. I can't imagine them enjoying a cold day old happy meal.