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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To expect school dinners for my coeliac daughter?

97 replies

jurisfictionoperative · 10/04/2010 02:20

When my daughter was diagnosed as coeliac, I enquired as to wether there was a gluten free option for school dinners.
I was told that there wasn't as 'they couldn't cater for every preference'!
Excuse me for being picky, but surely vegetarianism is a 'preference', coeliac being a health threatening condition, along with nut and shellfish allergies? I think that this is discrimination, would a disabled person user be denied ramps because they prefer to use a wheelchair? And yes, I know that this is an extreme comparison, but the whole thing makes me cross! We go to a restaurant, and the poor kid has to have chips, or a jacket potato, every time, because nobody caters for coeliacs, yet when I worked as a waitress, we had many more requests for gluten free than vegetarian!

OP posts:

PixieOnaLeaf · 10/04/2010 16:12

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sarah293 · 10/04/2010 16:20

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BritFish · 10/04/2010 16:21

this is tricky, i feel for your DD, but why dont you just pack a lunch? that means you get to be CERTAIN meals wont be mixed up, have gluten in them, and that your DD likes them. alas, its hard to cater for every single minority. maybe take it further though if you are unable to provide lunches.

is it just me, or do more people have food intolerances nowadays? is it to do with our changing environment etc? anyone know?

toddles off to google.

Riven thats appalling! so on your DD's behalf.

and im also intruiged how meat makes you physically ill ChippingIn
are you allergic? is it possible to be allergic to meat?

PixieOnaLeaf · 10/04/2010 16:42

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BranflakeGirl · 10/04/2010 16:54

YANBU...it is appalling how little respect people with this condition get, especially when compared to vegetarianism which is a choice of either the child or the parent. Have you tried writing to the school govenors and providing information from your GP? It might be worth a try, failing that I'm afraid it looks like packed lunch is your only option...and sadly gluten free foods are limited, expensive and, generally taste like sawdust!

As for eating out, some places now will provide allergy information so you can check whether there is another option to just jacket potato or chips but it is still limited.

Dancergirl · 10/04/2010 17:18

There is a child with coeliac at my dds's school. The school have been wonderful - they make her something different for her to eat and the mother can take stuff in to keep in the school's freezer for her. Can you suggest this to the school?

jellybeans · 10/04/2010 17:20

YANBU

EvilTwins · 10/04/2010 17:50

YANBU. I have a friend who has a coeliac daughter. I was shocked to learn that children so young can be diagnosed (the only other person I know who suffers is a work colleague) My friend with the coeliac daughter has found it incredibly difficult, and, like the OP, the whole family has had to change diet. They used to enjoy eating out, but now find it very difficult (even a Sunday Roast out has problems - roast potatoes being rolled in flour etc).

Chippingin - did I read it wrong, or did you imply that eating food with gluten isn't likely to make a coeliac child keel over? My friend's daughter suffered dreadfully before she was diagosed - at her worst, she was having frightening hallucinations. She's 3.

saggarmakersbottomknocker · 10/04/2010 17:56

YANBU - please contact the LA school meals service and tell them that your child has a medically prescibed diet. They should cater for her.

bruffin · 10/04/2010 18:30

MY DS has nut and seeds allergies. I have never expected anyone to cater for him, although it's nice if they do. He has always had school dinners

porcamiseria · 10/04/2010 21:01

YABU

and its not the same as wheelchair ramp, as you can easily make her packed lunch. Hopefully once she is older she can choose the right type of hot meals, this is not forever

PixieOnaLeaf · 10/04/2010 21:21

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BetsyBoop · 10/04/2010 21:39

"Hopefully once she is older she can choose the right type of hot meals, this is not forever "

Trouble is it's not usually that simple, even for adults. For example
Sometimes chips/roast spuds are costed with flour, sometimes not
Some sauces/soups are thickened with flour, some not

I know my MIL has real problems eating out, unless she can actually talk to the chef who prepares the dish and understands what gluten is (serving staff will tell you anything...) you wouldn't believe the places they "hide" gluten...

bramblebooks · 10/04/2010 21:51

YANBU It is not a faddy choice but a medical necessity. Please contact your LA.

My DH has coeliac. My DS2 has T1 diabetes and needs his food carb counting so that we can match insulin. Neither of these food needs are choices, but essential to their wellbeing. School includes my DS well and my DH's workplace include him.

We simply should not have to deal with this nonsense about food allergies in this day and age, but just deal with it, cater for it and get on with the important things in life like fun, friendship and learning which is what school is all about.

Original poster

jurisfictionoperative · 10/04/2010 21:55

I'm glad I started this thread, peoples responses are fascinating! I do supply my daughter with packed lunch, and we do have a thermos. But my main feeling is, if the lea is providing the service, and they are catering for any dietary requirements, they should provide for any others who request it. These are medical conditions. Anywhere else, non equality would be frowned upon. Losing out because of a medical condition would cause uproar. At the end of the day, a school dinner isn't the end of the world, but is that the point? It is not difficult to cater for any of these conditions if you put some thought into it. Once provisions are in place, it's generally easy.
Chipping in, you talk about veggie bashing, veggies are catered for everywhere. Try going out and asking for gluten free and see the response you get! My daughter may not keel over if she eats a bit of gluten, but, she would be in great pain, and also, every bit of gluten she eats now, increases her chances of some horrible illnesses and cancers when she is older.

OP posts:

porcamiseria · 10/04/2010 22:00

I think its to risky to expect them to cater for her TBH

However can you ask them to heat up your meals so at least in winter she gets hot food?

I just think there are so many allergies and food intolerances they realistically cant cater for everyone?

bramblebooks · 10/04/2010 22:01

My DH's specialist told him to treat gluten as if it were rat poison.

Thing is, it is so important, as I know with my DS's needs with food due to his diabetes. Kids want to feel the same as their mates and to be included doing the same as their mates. When life deals them a duff hand with health why should things be made any more difficult for them when it really doesn't need to be any more difficult?

wahwah · 11/04/2010 08:55

I am shocked by some of the responses, YANBU at all. This is a clear health need, not a 'preference' and ignorance is no excuse. Schools need to sort their food out and we should demand more for our children.

activate · 11/04/2010 16:24

Some caterers (school caterers) do not actually understand that fish is not a vegetarian option

I would not trust school caterers to be in charge of a health-related dietary issue

I have yet to meet a school catering company that is not completely nut free though

bruffin · 11/04/2010 16:28

"Some caterers (school caterers) do not actually understand that fish is not a vegetarian option"

that probably because a lot people who call themselves vegetarian don't understand that either

3LegsandNoTail · 11/04/2010 16:37

YANBU

If it is a medically prescribed diet then the Local Authority have to make provisions for the school lunch to be made although you do have to fill in a form and get a doctors letter. It's to do with disability discrimination and is a legal duty.

babybarrister · 11/04/2010 18:10

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

tartyhighheels · 11/04/2010 18:17

You are being entirely reasonable - both my dd's have coeliacs (my oldest also has diabetes, and neither of them eat meat!) and they have school dinners for £2 a day - i have to say by the grace of the cook who pushed for them to have it - i think it is very important for them to be included in school dinners, when it is so hard to ever eat out and its generally packed lunches all the way then this should be catered for. We are with Hampshire County Council and afetr persuasion they were very helpful.

Easy for people to say you are being unreasonable when they don't have to deal with this on a day to day basis. This sort of very strict diet is hard for people to imagine (egnever really being able to eat out again, not being able to eat at birthday parties etc again) and it is discrimination to not provide for these children.

bramblebooks · 11/04/2010 19:21

bonding with Tarty as my ds2 has diabetes and is vegetarian (and fussy). School has no problem with it. Our wonderful school cook also was brilliant with ds1 and introduced him to such a range of food.

To add to the joy, my dh has coeliac and an egg allergy. I am just vegetarian.

ProudMumofTwo · 11/04/2010 21:19

Hi!

Maybe its a location thing - but our school (Surrey LEA) have been superb.

Both my daughters have been diagnosed with Coeliac Disease.

I asked the school office whether school dinners would be feasible - and they arranged a slot for me to talk to the school cook (and this might be part of the issue - think our school does a lot of the cooking on site).

The boss cook was great - she wanted me to supply the bread/pasta/pizza bases we get on prescrition - and she said happy to cater for them both. She also said she could maybe charge us LESS than the standard £1.90 a lunch as we provided some of the food - but we said "no" - and she was providing MORE of her time specially catering for is!

If its a tomato pasta dish - she just does our DDs pasta seperately & adds the tomato saucey bit in at the end. If its a quiche - there's no way she'd cook a gluten-free version (we wouldn't expect her to!) - so the girls have a jacket potato that is usually reserved for the teachers (basically our two get priority with the spuds over the staff!).

Because the cook has been so great, we've done things to help the situation out like provide gluten free gravy, etc - and she has appreciated this.

Oh - and she got a big box of chocs at Christmas from our two to basically say "thanks for going out of your way to cater for us".

Our school have about 50% muslim children - so they are used to catering for different dietary requirements - be they on religious grounds or medical grounds. (Again it might help that we are a big primary school - approx 450 children - so there must be many with needs of one form or another).

Ultimately YANBU - I thought all schools have to cater for those with specific dietary needs.

P.S. On the nuts issue - I think all Surrey CC schools have to be nut-free in their kitchens - so maybe they are more on the ball than other authorities??

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