AIBU to think schools already follow the new food rules?

[Pigeonangel]

To think schools don't serve deep fried food already?

I've worked in four schools since 2012. None of them even had a deep fryer in the kitchen. All of them prepared meals based on dietary guidelines, provided by the LA, on levels of salt, sugar and fat. Chips were only allowed once a week and were oven cooked. Desserts had sugar limits, contained fruit most days and there was always a fruit alternative.

So, why is today's announcement new?

It's true the quality of meals could be improved, but that's because of cost/funding. Schools are already following the "new" rules IME.

I work in a school, and have worked in several since 2015. None serve/d deep fried food. It's all oven cooked and prepared as per national nutrition guidelines. The school I currently work in already serves desserts that are 50% fruit!!

All I can think is that these rules weren't mandatory, and simply a guide.

I agree. I’m thinking the government wanted a positive story so are making more of it than it deserves

Completely agree, it seemed like a ‘stating the bloody obvious’ news story!

I worked in a school up to 2008. We had a fryer but hadn't used it for about 2 years. I thought when I saw the headline I'd missed something somewhere.

Agreed, my school has never had a fryer

I agree. We are in Scotland so this doesn't apply, but our school meal menu doesn't have anything deep fried either. In the three week menu which you can look at here: https://www.eastdunbarton.gov.uk/media/d4icsz0z/primary-school-menus.pdf there is one mention of anything being fried - the herby cubed potatoes on the Tuesday of week 2. The fish, fish fingers and chips are all done in the oven. No hot/sponge puddings and custard.

I agree with lots of this, however I think the changes that will alter our menu are the reductions in cheese and the requirement for pulse based meals. I teach SEND children who often have a safe food. Eg one child always chooses a cheese sandwich and another has a jacket potato with a spoonful of baked beans. The changes won’t persuade them to eat a more varied diet, it will just mean their parents provide more pack ups.

Diet restriction is a common trait for pupils on the Autistic spectrum. Parents of SEND pupils already disproportionately provide lunches due to their child’s sensory needs. At present, we can make reasonable adjustments, but it’s unclear if we’ll be allowed to continue to do so following the changes.

On the East Dunbarton menu, there are only 2 days out of 15 that are cheese free. There are no meat free days and I can’t see any pulses whatsoever (unless it’s a lentil soup)

What are the rules around cheese? I haven't seen this in the article I read. My children's caterers both seem to rely on cheese a lot for the vegetarian meals (which are pretty poor) so this will be a big change from the POV.

Also never worked in a school with a fryer and find the meals very balanced. But I am primary based and wondered if it is about secondary as a colleague was mentioning how her daughter was able to get things like hot dogs and sausage rolls as snacks, which would never be served in primary.

But there is a choice - children aren't eating everything. Children can have the lighter option of sandwich and soup, OR one of three choices of main. Every day there is a vegetarian/vegan choice. The Monday menus are clearly labelled "meat free Monday".

I mean it's not perfect, and my main issue was that the same portion size was served to all children, whether they were 4.5 years old or 12. But there is no need to eat cheese if you don't want to.

Isn't the point with school menus to remove the unhealthy choices though?. I.e. to remove the possibility of choosing cheese everyday, although I'd dispute whether a small (which it will be because of cost)daily serving of cheese is actually unhealthy for a child.

I assumed they were including "all schools" in this but I admit I haven't looked properly. My daughters secondary school sell burgers, sausage rolls, chips, hash browns etc etc every day 🙄 they do have soup and salads available.
My sons primary all the meals are really healthy, not a fryer in sight (unless its fish friday!)

What about cheese? One of the highlights of school for me was cheesy pasta day.

Overweight children aren’t overweight because they ate a bit of cheese at school for lunch ffs

I'd put money on Fish Friday being oven baked.

It's not very good for vegetarians if nearly all meals are cheese based (some of the options for my child are things like a cheese and onion pasty when the meat eaters have curry - a very easy meal to do a veggie version of - or a jacket potato with cheese as the main option when that's an option every day anyway!). Small schools also don't offer several options - my school is far too small to offer a choice of main/jacket potato/sandwich.

I do totally agree with pp that overweight children aren't overweight because of cheese though and would go as far as to say it would be a struggle for any primary child to become overweight because of school dinners, which are small portions of pretty bland food. Our whole food culture as a country needs to change.

Both my kids schools are pretty shit for food!

Primary school:
jam on toast, honey loops and hot chocolate for breakfast
lunch is sausage roll and beans, macaroni cheese, ham and chips, fish burger with frubes, biscuits, cake, ice cream and jelly for puddings

Annoys me as I'm a childminder and can't serve any of that to early years children! School children deserve better too.

My eldest's secondary school does offer proper meals, but there's neither the table space nor time for all students to get one so most get something from the snack trolley - potato waffles or hash browns, pizza slices, chicken burgers etc. Cakes and cookies and cans of fizzy fruit juice.

Hotdogs and sausage rolls are both on the regular menu at our primary.

I thought this. The school I work out has meat free Monday, chips one day a week with chicken or fish oven baked, other days its a curry, a roast, chilli, garlic chicken pittas, sweet and sour and the dessert is reduced or sugar free and homemade.

YANBU I’ve not come across a school kitchen that is in possession of a fryer, if they do have one it won’t be in service and likely won’t have been used for a long time. I’ve also never come across a primary school catering menu that serves pizza more than once a week, things like sausage rolls are typically served one day out of 15 and are about a quarter to a third of the size of a greggs sausage roll so hardly a massive portion either. Most primary caterers serve veg/salad with every meal, veg/lentils hidden in sauces and puddings already incorporate fruit in various ways as well as offering fruit as an alternative pudding.

I’m not sure what more they can do, you want the kids to eat healthily but you have to balance that with what the children will actually eat and the budget constraints. It’s a fine line. A lot of the kids won’t eat the veg, but some do and I think it’s good for kids to be exposed to different foods even if they don’t eat it.

It seems like it’s secondary schools that tend to do the daily pizza, pastry and cake thing. It all seems very ‘snack on the go’. Sometimes my dd comes home having had some wedges and a cookie for lunch no fruit or veg in sight, other times she’s had a pasta pot, wrap or baguette which is better. But they don’t seem to encourage heathy eating like they do at primary school it’s more just serve what is quick and convenient and price everything individually so it costs more for less. I let my dd have school dinners twice a week as overall she eats a good variety and I don’t think two meals a week will have a negative effect. But I do wish they’d get rid of the more snacky daily things that should only be eaten in moderation. No need to remove them completely, just incorporate them into the menu rotation and have pizza day once a week.

Really? I just read your post above as well. I actually have seen Mac and cheese on a menu, but I have never seen sausage rolls or hot dogs and frubes.
What region are you based in?

South west.
There's something sausage based every week.

I'm Yorkshire and both hotdogs and sausages rolls appear on the menu of the primary school I work in. Macaroni cheese is only a veggie option.

I will be updating the staffroom tomorrow, as we were chatting about how it mustn't be about primary schools. I am really surprised as every school I have worked in has had very strict balanced meals.

My daughter's lunch today was hotdog in a bun with cheese and beans and arctic roll for pud😂
They can choose an apple or banana instead for pudding!