to want free and compulsory school meals?

[LissyGlitter]

I really think that they should make school dinners compulsory. Two choices, both healthy and balanced, preferably seasonal, even better if it can be local or grown/raised/cooked by the kids themselves. One of the options could be vegetarian/vegan, but any other dietary requirements would have to be proven by a doctors note or religious requirements. The kids would kick off at first, but they would soon have to learn to eat what they are given. It would stop parents sending a packet of biscuits for lunch (my sister is a teacher and sees all sorts of ridiculous packed lunches sent by parents who obviously don't care) and would teach kids to try new foods. They would most probably end up healthier as well.

I do agree that big changes would have to be made to the school menus. My school lunches were subcontracted out to rentokill, for a start (I kid you not). There are also practicalities around medically advised diets and so on, but as a basic principle, I think it stands.

I think cookery classes would be a brilliant idea. In fact, I think every school should have a farm, growing and raising some of their own food. Everyone has seen how much more likely a child is to eat something if they have grown and cooked it themselves.

In Italy they are compulsory in a way (if you choose to send your dc full time and not until 12.30) as it is impossible to send packet lunches in.
I don't feel it's an interference, it saves me to think about 1 meal, thank you very much. I have breakfast/snack and dinner to exercise my parental influence/impressive cookery skills and total control of my children's life.
School meals are far from being perfect here, but they are based on a varied diet.

Two more thoughts - I have a young relative who is a severe nut allergy sufferer. As the LA confirmed that they cannot guarantee that their school meals are nut free, her mum opts to send her in with a packed lunch. She could theoretically be at risk of dying should she be forced to eat school meals unless a nut free menu AND environment can be guaranteed.

I did like the idea of DC raising their own food as well as growing it. As a vegetarian I can forsee that if this were made common practice there would soon be far less meat-eaters in our schools as soon as the children realise that they are eating Henrietta, the hen they fed and cossetted a few weeks earlier!

Oh, and I would ban after school cake sales. I hate all of this "we are a halthy eating school. Please don't send chocolate for lunch... Cake sale at 3:15" Oh, okay, because chocolate is more nutritious at 3:15 then it is at 12:00.

after school cake sale? Never heard of them.

Our school would never serve food with nuts in it. Everything we bring in must be nut free. We can't even have a nut bowl at a parents evening in case it contaminates the junior hall.

YABU I can understand the sentiment behind it but it wouldn't work. My dd-6 is an extremely fussy eater. I have to give her packed lunch or she would just starve at lunchtime. And yes it is healthy - sandwiches (usually han and cheese) orange juice, yogurt, banana, apple, tangerine, raisins, and the occasional packet of quavers or mini jaffa cakes.

I grew up in a country with free school meals (sweden) and noone ever had packed lunches. Dietary requirements were sorted and you ate what you were given. Nowadays children often have a choice between two meals, back when I was little you didn't have a choice. In general the food was good and we would sit as a class around a table, with the teacher (teacher's get paid to eat with the children, teaching them social skills and table manners). I miss it in schools here and think it would have been nice.

Athene, your experience is common in primary school in our experience but the problem raised its head when the DC went to secondary. Its a really long story which would detract from the op, but in essence gave DCs family genuine cause for concern as the food was prepared without nuts although not in a nut free environment.

For the record my DC take school meals but at least I have the choice in that, for which all three of us are grateful. If school meals were compulsory many schools would definately have to improve the variety and quality of their vegetarian and vegan menu.

I don't think this would ever happen, for reasons of cost and for the fear that a family would sue the whatnots off the LA if a child suffered as a result by, for example, going into anaphylactic shock.

free school dinners sounds great - i used to live where they were free to everyone and it was great!
However they shouldnt be compulaory - my dd has issues with some foods - its worse than a fussy eater and i know she wouldnt eat what they give her, i send her a healthy (ish) packed lunch and she eats it.

have to say i wish she would eat dinners at school - save time and thinking about packups!

after seeing the sizes of the schools healty dinners yes might look nice taste nice but , one roast potatoe one yourkshir pud slice of meet and spoon of vedge I was like and this is for kids from 4-11 though 11 get 2 spuds.but was told well kids can help selves to much salad as they like , but not fruit its a slice of orange/apple or 6 grapes

Stewie

I agree with you. Seems to me it depends on what you are used to. Some of the more remote islands within the British Isles have never had a school meals service, and think the concept bizarre. What, build a kitchen in every school and run it at great expense so as to ensure the few children that otherwise wouldn't eat well to have a hot meal? Can't that aim be achieved as effectively and more cheaply in other ways.

I would have thought that some schools in poorer areas should have a school meals service, as the need may well be substantial enough.

But doesn't it seem strange , in 2009, that the state primaries in Alderley Edge, Solihul, Virginia Water, let alone Kengington and Chelsea all have school meals services as an anti-poverty measure brought in in Victorian times?

my girls took packed lunches in summer in primary school and had school dinners in winter they had a fantastic cook who did meals such as roasts,pastas and baked potato they only had chips,burgers and pastries etc on the menu once a week. but then the Scottish executive in their wisdom brought in across the board changes and the meals went downhill, probably better in some of the schools as our local school did likes of burgers and chips on a regular basis.Youngest was still at primary and couldn't have additives her behavior spiraled out of control and we actually had parents campaigning to bring back the old menu's to no avail.Eldest has nut and egg allergy and could never find anything in high school canteen.My son would starve as he is asd and I either send in a flask of home made macaroni or make him a baguette if he has to order food and its not what he pictures it like in his mind he wont eat even at home he'll only eat favorite foods which are made the same every time for example he loves stew but will only eat it with French bread if I forget the bread he'll not eat it but he can't explain why we have to guess.So in principle not a bad idea but every child has different needs.

Our school meals are 'healthy' but the quality of the ingredients is pretty poor.Have seem the veg being delivered -often at the point of 'turning' or huge thick carrots that look like they are made of wood.Fish is always from really near the tail and the presentation is poor.
Our school cook often manages to add a strand of her thick black hair to the meals too !!