School Dinner dilemma!

[Mercy]

What do you give them to eat in the evening and what do you do if you have another child who is not yet at school?

Mine (8 and 9) have school dinners and always have. (Before the started school we had a main meal at lunchtime.) They have always just had sandwiches in the evening, but ds1 is starting to get really hungry now (he's very tall and growing): so we've bought a toaster for them to help themselves to toast in the evening as well.

DD has a full school dinner, but just eats again with me and Dh in the evening. She happily eats two main meals, plus a scnack after school.

Dd has school dinners but is still always ravenous when she gets home from school, and sandwiches just aren't enough for her. So she has a snack after school, and a cooked meal later on.

Not sure what the issue is in the op? That your kids don't get enough/too much food?

I've always made a meal in the evening, nothing grand, and adjust portions slightly according to how much each dd likes it.

I don't think the portion sizes are overly large in schools and ours are always starving. DD changed from packed lunches to school lunches recently and is no less hungry than she ever used to be. DS at secondary school, and eating 2 bowls cereal as we eat after shepherd's pie at lunch time! We just have a main meal as usual in the evenings.

Most primary age chidren eat around 12.15. If they go to bed at 8.00 then that's nearly 8 hours without a main meal. Mine wouldn't survive without snacks after school then another cooked meal at 7.00.

I had a feeling some of you would say your children eat another meal at home!

Basically I'm trying to avoid cooking two meals each evening; atm dd and ds eat at around 5.30 and dh and I somewhat later. Actually ds hardly eats anything anyway but will eat 'tea' type things - baked beans, pizza, sandwiches etc but on the other hand I want him to eat 'proper' meals.

We seem to be family with completely different likes and dislikes unfortunately. It's most annoying.

What's the dilemma?

ahhhhh, I see!

well, partially. I don't understand why the 'dofferent meal for the adults' persists beyond age 4 or so.

Surely you recognise the time will come when you'll just ahve to eact together?

eat together

Ds in Reception has sandwiches for lunch then comes home and has milk, apple, fruit and a proper meal at around 6pm. I think they do need a proper meal in between lunch and bedtime.

I'm obviously being too vague! I'll have to do it in point form -

1. ds is 3 and barely eats a thing. I'm concerned that if he doesn't at least try to eat a cooked meal with his sister/whole family he never will.

2. school dinners cost £10 per week, packed lunch less than half that.

3. dh not home in time to eat at a child-friendly time.

4. dd is desparate to try school dinners. Virtually the whole class is on them now.

I can't see the wood for the trees basically!

Ok well, have a cooked meal in the evenings with dcs, and make something that dh will also have.

Can dd not have school dinners if she wants? I know it's more expensive but if it's nutritious and she likes it then might be worth it.

Are you sure packed lunches are so much cheaper? When I looked into it once there wasn't that much difference.

When does dh get in? I'd be tempted to make a meal for you all in the evening and your dh either heats his up or has a pot noodle

I do a lot of stews or pasta type meals that can be cooked in one big pot and then left in the oven.

The kids have school dinners, a snack when they get home and then dinner at about 6pm. I then turn the oven down really low and serve DH & I the same meal after the kids go to bed.

Guess what?

dh doesn't eat meat, kids love it.

then dh either just eats the non meat stuff heated up or he makes his own (at w/e and freezes it). I couldn't be bothered faffing like that with two meals.

I adapt certain meals due to dd1's dislike of meat. You maybe need to look at all the family meals again.

lol pointydog!

I know, I know. I really need to get this sorted out, it's just a pain when everyone has different likes/dislikes.

dh and ds are the worst offenders tbh. I just sometimes wish I could eat the food I like without constantly having to compromise.

AAAAAARRRRRRRRRGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH

I don't eat meat, but DH and DD do. We still all eat together in the evening. I just make meals that are similar - i.e. the accompaniments are the same - are take similar time/effort to cook. For example tonight DH and DD are having roast chicken, ooven baked wedges and salad. I am having the wedges and salad with salmon. Or we will all have the same - fish or veggie.

Oh, forgot to say. I worked out that packed lunch costs around £3.50 per week for dd. ds doesn't start full-time school until Sept. 2008.

An alternative, that I used when the kids were a bit more picky about food:

Can you set aside some time to do some bulk cooking and freezing? Make up various meals and freeze them in foil cartons (the takeaway sort), varying the dishes to the meat/non meat eaters as you go.

So for example make a load of vegetable pasta sauce and fill a few containers. Add some meat to remainder and fill a few more containers.

Fill freezer with wholesome selection

The foil meals are great - you shove them in the oven for about 30 mins, straight from the freezer. In the meantime just sort out pasta or potatoes etc. Minimum amount of cooking each night, as many sittings as you want, everyone eats what they want.

I used to spend a day a month cooking but then hardly did anything on a daily basis