Teachers can confiscate "unhealthy" items from lunchboxes.

[3littlefrogs]

Just read this in the Telegraph.

I wonder if they will be given any training by qualified nutritionists to ensure they are sufficiently knowledgeable before depriving children of their lunch?

They'll be getting short shrift from me if they do.

They're not nutritionists and it's none of their business. If they have concerns about what I'm feeding my child they can talk to me, not confiscate items from him and leave him hungry.

I have been really shocked in the past at how ignorant school staff are on the subject of child nutrition. I think this is a very poor decision.

As long as a list of prohibited foods needs to be given to parents. And it's the same for the whole country. It should generate a robust country wide debate.

Do they hand the offending items back to parents, or gobble them for their own lunch.

Does my head in when children are taught hamburgers are unhealthy and are then served hamburgers, sorry "patties" for lunch.

When my son was settling in at his nursery, one of the teachers wouldn't let the child have her Apple until shed eaten her ham sandwich. Why on earth not?

I think the same opinion lynnette,,,though we have beef button not patties, cake or biscuit every day for pudding, My Ds had yoghurt one in 4 years because they had a new toffee flavour...

I teach my DS balance..He can have biscuits /cakes but also has to eat the fruit veg...

I read yes they could dispose of it.

At our (overseas) school, we could send in anything except chocolate because it was hot. Th primary kids were asked to eat fruit first because it ensured they ate it and reduced gas. In the classroom as it ferments on top of other digesting food

My DC's school doesn't allow packed lunches except for medical reasons. This would be fine if they made the DC eat the school meals.

I also just thought, will they make allowances for children with cystic fibrosis?

I wonder if this will extend to secondary where a large number of kids think a balanced breakfast is a bag of Haribo.

Y2 child 3 weeks ago, 5 full size chocolate bars, no other food.
If taken away would the child starve, well yes until 3.30 as nothing else to eat.
Parent doesn't like the authority menu so free school meal not taken up.

Staff at my kids primary used to prowl around and peer into their lunch boxes to see whether food was "healthy" or not. I like to think my kids lunches were healthy but it really pissed me off and this was over 5 years ago.

The stupid thing is that nobody seems to take into account is that certain items then take on a kind of added appeal of the forbidden.

Teachers have always had some sort of veto over packed lunches. I remember being little and having letters sent to parents etc, and having items confiscated over lunches.
Tabloid hype perhaps ?

Yet nearly 400,000 children fed by Trussell trust last year through food banks.
Ridiculous

Teachers shouldn't be anywhere near your dc's lunch box - we are having our own lunch break then, thank you very much!

Lunchtime supervisors probably can confiscate if the school has a policy about items that can't be included.

My thinking on this, as a teacher & a parent, is: school dinners in this country are generally absolutely appalling. That needs sorting. Once it has been, schools will be in a credible position to tackle the not insignificant proportion of packed lunches that are also appalling.

Meanwhile, I send my dc in with pack ups that meet their school guidelines. It's not actually difficult - just no nuts (allergy reasons), no sweets/choc (fair enough - no-one needs those during the school day) & no drinks that aren't water in water bottles (but fine to send in cartons/bottles/cans of juice, so I don't know why I don't get to reduce the packaging waste by pouring juice from a litre carton into a re-usable bottle. Still, their gaff, their rules).

I'm about to move, kids'n'all, to take up a teaching position overseas at a private international school, & they're absolutely taking no prisoners on lunchboxes. It's protein filled sandwiches, water, as much fruit & veg as you like, & that's it. Non-negotiable. No crisps, no cake, no sweets. They are for weekend treats. You don't likey, you buy a school lunch - which is also remarkably stodge-free by comparison with the UK equivalent.

I suspect both the dc & I will be considerably more svelte & tucking into our evening meal with enthusiasm .

If you saw the crap some children have in their lunchboxes you would be amazed. Sadly, some parents really do not seem to have a clue.

The lunches at the school I work at are actually pretty good (we are lucky to have an excellent cook who cooks like most of us probably would, but in bulk) yet people refuse these meals and send their children in with boxes of junk.

beefburgers aren't unhealthy. It's having a double whopper with added cheese in a white bun with chips that's unhealthy.

very few foods are unhealthy in themselves - it is the nutrients and portions that matter.

unhealthy foods:
crisps (fat and air)
cola (toilet cleaner)

can't really think of anything else! Cereal bars and diet foods are fairly full of crap but do contain some nutrition among the simple sugars.

amused to note more press coverage today on the stupidity of juicing. Bet people think that mushing up tons of fruit means they are eating 'healthily'.
Fruit of course is fine in the way it arrives from the tree.

I think it's ridiculous. I mean it's all about balance isn't it. They could well have had poached eggs on home made wholemeal toast for breakfast and be going home to a loving my prepared lasagne and salad and fruit for pudding. so a jam sandwich or a handful of crisps or a kit kat in their lunch is a small that and absolutely no one's business and is not something someone would worry about. leaving kids hungry when they have no idea what else they have eaten is just wrong. There's no such thing as unhealthy food. It's all about balance and portion sizes which schools are in no position to be fully informed about regarding each child

haribos

I was about to say I hope they do have a countrywide list, but it would probably just be the change for life lowfat everything... Which while it might be better than nothing but junk food still isn't actually an ideal healthy diet for growing children!

Lunchbox policing used to worry me a lot when DD needed a dairy free diet, she was pretty fussy and cakes etc helped with getting calcium in her alongside lots of healthy fruit and veg, protein etc.

I'm a teacher and I don't think it's any of my business what you put in your children's lunch boxes - for the most part. Someone that came in with a kit kat and a Lucozade every day might get noted as part of a bigger picture, but I wouldn't confiscate it.

I read this with interest as I have just made my children's packed lunches, and they are not something I am proud of today! However, most of the things I would like to put in there would be revolting by lunchtime, having been left in a warm Locker for 7 hrs. I will be balancing out their meals with a decent breakfast and tea, but if I were to be judged on what is there for lunch, oh boy would I be judged!
And I am a teacher.....