Free school meals for all infant children

[Scarletbanner]

What do you think? I think it's a great idea.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-24132416

Yes, I also have some doubts about how 'healthy' our school dinners are. They aren't made on site, they are made in a secondary school which is miles away and then driven in, we only have a receiving kitchen, no actual cooking facilities at all. They arrive luke warm and basically get a quick nuke in the microwave before serving to the children.

As we are under the paeds and dietitian I have lots of advice on what to put in packed lunches and I really think they are better than the school dinners.

For my two to have school dinners at £2.20 a meal, it is £88 per month. I'd really rather that in CB, which we still sorely miss.

I agree girliefriend. It will bond the kids IMHO, they could end up eating and trying things they dont normally try because their friends are doing so, yet so many precious parents claiming that they want to provide packed lunches etc.

I have many many relatives and friends who pander to their children and worry that they arent getting protein, carbs etc. They offer meal after meal. Just offer ONE meal and if its not eaten, clear away and make clear the next meal is dinner, no snacks, crisps etc. They will soon learn. I dont mean serve them food that is difficult for a young child to like ie sprouts! But a piece of grilled chicken, corn and maybe a potato or some pasta or rice is OK. If they dont eat, then nothing until the next meal time.

Not saying it is Retro, just saying for parents who opt in to have hot lunches or get FSM's its not too bad considering what I used to get when I was a kid... Its just another option is all .. I know it could be healthier, but its a lot better than turkey twizzlers...

Not precious but curious as to why creamy pasta bake,garlic bread,jam tart and custard - with broccoli on the sideare seen as healthier and more conducive to learning than your average packed lunch.

I for one would be barely able to move and half asleep after consuming that lot.And lets face it,how much broccoli would be eaten?My kids love broccoli but they love all the rest too and not normally produced with a meal that fat,carb and sugar heavy at home would barely glance at the broccoli.

Hand how will it bond the kids when half aren't having it and they eat together anyway?

Nad fat and sugar wise how is that better than turkey twizzlers?

You can bet your life the ham in the creamy pasta bake aint naice ham but formed.

Ours have minced fish pieces on a Friday,god only knows what goes into them.

Also, I would still make a cooked, healthy balanced meal for the whole family in the evening where we can sit at the table together and eat, and I don't really want them having two full cooked meals a day, it just seems too much.

Not precious, actually - just wanting dd to actually eat something (preferably healthy) at lunch time. I know how stubborn she is, no way would she eat stuff just because everyone else is (inherited my contrary gene) or even if she is actually hungry and yet she is so ridiculously active she needs a lot of fuel. Not sure how making sure your child has enough of what they like to eat could be seen as precious, tbh .

And it's known that referring to food as treats makes them more attractive - I want her seeing food as food, not as a reward. Mud pie has no place on a daily school menu, IMO.

Not saying eating all of that is better than a turkey twizzler, but for the puddings they also have the option of fresh fruit and a yogurt, which IMO is good because they have to choose one, DD isn't that into puddings, so she usually chooses to have fruit or a yogurt- I don't know about other peoples children but I know what mine are like... Its giving children the choice to pick the healthier option rather than the cake or whatever. I think giving the choice is good thing... To an extent.

Hmmm jam tart or yog,jam tart or yog?

I know which most kids would choose,so much so they run out of the baked goods. Yogs are the running out pud,yes some good children would choose them but the maj(often those that should) don't.

Any how aren't yogs demon foods the bad mummies put in lunch boxes with too much sugar in?

mud pie has no place on a daily school meal = precious!!

When I went to school we had a pudding everyday, it wasn't a treat just pudding and we had things like chocolate pudding with choc custard its was bloody lovely. I managed to survive without growing up to have terrible food habits and be obese. My dd has occasional school dinners as I can't afford for her to have them everyday (I wish I could). I think they are about what I would expect really a typical week is usually: roast dinner, spag bol, curry, fishfingers and beans, pasta bake. Puddings include sponge and custard, fruit salad, rice pudding etc I think its fine, kids do need calories and fat in their diet, as long as they are active it shouldn't be a problem.

Giving choices is great if you accept that some children will make the wrong choices every time and often (not always) they will be the same children who get fed the 'wrong' foods at home to.

DS will eat anything homecooked which probably wouldn't include most of the over cooked stuff that schools serve up. Its a pain in the backside that he won't even consider eating chicken nuggets because there are very few 'quick' options for teas. But because of that I would much prefer to send him a packed lunch with things I know he will eat.

Girls that's fine but sorry I don't think packed lunches many of which will obtain half the fat/sugar and a whole lot more veg should be portrayed as the evil option and dinners the good.

Overall I doubt there is much in it.

Unless schools are going to produce healthy menus,employ more dinner staff,force kids to eat veg and not leave/ choose something else whilst erasing their memory of fast food they consume at home going by the swill bins I've seen I fail to see how this will dramatically change anything.

It would dramatically improve things for the millions of children who currently don't get a proper hot meal every day and for the ones whose current pack lunch consists of a small sandwich, bag of crisps and a chocolate biscuit. Also for the millions of struggling working parents like me who despite being on a tiny income aren't eligable for fsm this would have made a massive difference.

So surely it would be better to use the money to extend FSM across the board so more families are eligible rather than giving it to everyone is a small age range even if they don't need that assistance?

My child often goes to school without breakfast whoever mentioned that one.

Not because he has a Mother who is feckless and can't be arsed or always running late. But because sometimes the stress of actually leaving the house consumes him he can't eat or perhaps because it is the wrong sort of day for eating breakfast or because it takes so long to put clothes off and on because they are touching too much. (see above we are awaiting ASD diagnosis)

But yes 9 times out of ten he has no breakfast, the smallest packed lunch (but healthy) he can get away with until he can get home and eat in comfort. He doesn't get social eating sees not one ounce of enjoyment in it, it is stressful for him, food is just a pain to him and mostly he doesn't like it. So no way would it improve his daily learning, though I appreciate for many it will, that I can understand. But removing his choice so that "everyone" feels better al eating the same together, instantly stops him from feeling better, so someone is still suffering. I imagine this will be very similar for many ASD kids. (not just them but using it as an example)

So surely it would be better to use the money to extend FSM across the board so more families are eligible rather than giving it to everyone is a small age range even if they don't need that assistance?

^
This

In helping the other children it will also ensure others have a worse diet than they did before.

Sirzy - I definitely agree. We wouldn't bat an eyelid to paying for either packed lunch and school dinners for DD. Why should we get this "benefit" when there are yr 3 children from families just over the FSM threshold struggling to afford either? Is it possibly because we are more likely to vote ConDem or vote at all?

If this has to go ahead then I'd like to see a system where we can pay this benefit back to the school (or schools in deprived areas) to fund something more worthwhile. Perhaps FSM for struggling families with older children or breakfast clubs.

mud pie has no place on a daily school meal = precious!!

Really? . Occasionally, yes - I love a massively calorie-sugar-fat laden pudding as much as the next person (maybe more...) but I really don't think children need to be eating them daily. Perhaps your understanding of what precious is is very different to mine. And you are lucky that you have avoided obesity - well done you - the fact (as is now becoming clearer) is that sugar is the main contributor to obesity levels, and levels among children are rising.

So I stand by my assertion that high sugar cakes and puddings have no place in a school menu. Not precious, thank you very much.

And yes, breatheslowly I agree - I'd happily donate ds's fsm to an older child. That would be a great option, if this has to happen.

Dd's, not ds's. although his too when it becomes relevant.

Offering a "treat" pudding everyday means that they aren't actually treats. I'd rather leave treats for the weekend so that I get some too.

Whilst we aren't rich and we won't benefit because we'll have to keep spending on packed lunches because of allergies, I'd much rather that the FSM threshold was raised and those that might benefit from them get them throughout years EY-Yr6 rather than a blanket FSM for all infants.

I'd rather a just-over-the-threshold-but-struggling family get a FSM than my DC, doesn't seem fair.

It seems a little odd to introduce a blanket universal benefit when they are taking old universal benefits away. Why means test CB but give universal FSM? They seem like conflicting policies.

We have also recommended that free school meals should be extended to all primary school children, starting with the most deprived areas

From the food plan, as linked above. This lot are crackers. They have a clear recommendation that the fsm needs to be introduced in the most deprived areas first. So why are they doing it by age?

Lunatics.