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Original poster

Quick poll, who sends their children to school dinners?

33 replies

Somanykiddies · 08/02/2006 20:19

Ok, have started a thread about catering for my lot, but need to know who actually sends theirs to school dinners and if you think they are nutritional? I have three in primary and two in secondary.

OP posts:
KateF · 08/02/2006 20:21

I let them have school dinner on a Friday only as I think they are overpriced and not very healthy.

BonyM · 08/02/2006 20:25

We have a menu each month so dd1 can pick the days she wants to have school dinners. The days she doesn't want them, she takes sandwiches.

School meals in Cardiff appear to be pretty good - they use organic beef in the hamburgers, locally grown tomatoes, and there is always fruit available. A lot of the food is cooked on the premises and they don't have rubbish like turkey twizzlers!

poppiesinaline · 08/02/2006 20:27

Both are packed lunch. I know whats in them and I know whats been eaten. Did try school dinners for DD but found it quite expensive and she always came out of school starving - presumably because she hadn't eaten her dinner! I always cook a proper meal at mealtimes anyway so it wasn't saving me any work. We scrapped that idea and went back to packed lunches!

roisin · 08/02/2006 20:28

both mine have school dinners and always have. (They're 6 and 8). The dinners are OK and improving, and they eat very healthily at home, so I don't mind. (All the food is cooked on the premises, and most of it is cooked from scratch.) They also get milk and fruit at breaktime.

Anyway, nutrition aside, it makes the afternoon/evening after-school so much easier not having to cook

poppiesinaline · 08/02/2006 20:28

by mealtimes I mean teatime.

Aimsmum · 08/02/2006 20:29

Message withdrawn

Original poster
Somanykiddies · 08/02/2006 20:29

Poppiesinaline, you need to read my 'catering for the masses' thread to see my dilema. Am only thinking short term to save my sanity and give the children a short sharp shock. Thanks you for your replies.

OP posts:
puff · 08/02/2006 20:31

Ds1 (reception) is having school dinners now. We get a menu each term and I was quite happy with what is provided. I like him having a hot meal at lunchtime in the winter.

FrumpyGrumpy · 08/02/2006 20:31

The choice at our school is 5 days a week or packed for mine. After struggling with trays/menus/drinks etc my dd (4.5) is back to packed. A little something from home at that age. I so wish they'd make it a little more sociable and less like a prison.

FrumpyGrumpy · 08/02/2006 20:32

The choice at our school is 5 days a week or packed for mine. After struggling with trays/menus/drinks etc my dd (4.5) is back to packed. A little something from home at that age. I so wish they'd make it a little more sociable and less like a prison.

jac34 · 08/02/2006 20:33

Mine have school meals, as bonym said the meals in Cardiff seem very good. We eat pretty healthy stuff at home anyway.
They do seem expensive but when you count up what it would cost to fill lunch boxes every day it's not too bad really.

Spidermama · 08/02/2006 20:34

About once a fortnight when I really can't be arsed to make lunches.

cutekids · 08/02/2006 20:34

My kids all have school dinners and I'm happy with that...only because i'm a crap cook! At least when they've experimented in school, they don't mind me trying things out at home. My son actually ASKS me for broccoli, cauliflower etc.!!! My oldest was always a finnicky eater but got better when she saw other kids eating "strange" things. Have to admit, youngest is a little harder to please but we're getting there!

WideWebWitch · 08/02/2006 20:34

I have one in primary and he has a packed lunch.

Feistybird · 08/02/2006 20:35

I do - I think they are 'ok', not brilliant but on freezing cold days, who wants a cold sarnie?

It's good 'fuel' food.

And she loves the hot puddings.

geekgrrl · 08/02/2006 20:36

school dinners for mine because I can't be arsed with lunchboxes. Also means I don't have to make a hot meal for them every evening. (lazy, me)
I don't think the food is great - not as dire as it used be though.

Posey · 08/02/2006 20:39

Dd used to have school dinners but always came home starving. Said there just wasn't enough and really odd combinations. She's a very good and unfussy eater so I knew there must be a problem with them.
Now primary schools in the borough have got together to look at school dinners, put pressure on the council etc etc for more funding for improvements etc. Dd's school is actually looking at doing their own rather than contracting out (to Scholerest ?sp)

Mistymoo · 08/02/2006 20:39

I send my ds school dinners once a week. We have the menus home and he chooses which day he would like to go. I still give him a hot dinner at home though, as I'm not convinced he will eat it all

JennyLee · 08/02/2006 20:52

I send my ds to school dinner as it is free at the moment as we are students , but is no good for him as there is a varied menu but evey day he gets the sandwich tray and that leaves him hungry the whole time after school where he eats everything in sight and he refuses to get the cooked meal at school. aaah,!

Polgara2 · 08/02/2006 20:57

Both dd's have packed lunch at mo, but dd1 has requested school dinners. I have fobbed her off for the time being because I think its too expensive at £8.30(?)or something, a week and am not convinced of how healthy they are. Wish we could pick and choose each day, have to let them know a week in advance if you want to change and its either dinners or packed lunch, not a mixture of both.

Furball · 08/02/2006 20:59

DS did have lunches a three times a week and the menu was supposed to be healthy. I've since discovered pasta = spagetti hoops, which I think is pushing the title 'pasta' somewhat. It says on the menu that one choice must be chosen from each colour section ie. main meal, carbs, etc. He is only 4 so giving him a choice of foods is silly and he'd often choose spagetti hoops, crusty bread and potatoes, followed by jelly. Even though we discussed the menu in the morning and I sort of say yummy this sounds nice, hoping he'll choose it. I've since cut his meals to only Wednesdays as he goes swimming after school.

Blandmum · 08/02/2006 20:59

Mine stay in for dinners, which are good and well cooked. I think that just about all their friends do. They are part of the termly cost as they are ina private school

I work in a secondary and the food there is aslo very good. We are phasing out all the crappy options that kids tend to go for and do more healthy options. Byt the dinner ladies cook very well.

They do a magnifcent quiche and green salad

GDG · 08/02/2006 21:01

Ds1 in reception - packed lunch.

He's very, very fussy so I'm not convinced he would eat well, plus it would have no advantage for me as ds2 has a packed lunch at his morning nursery so I'm still cooking a hot meal for him and ds3 at night anyway. Although, having said that, I'm not sure why I bother as they never eat it but that's a whole separate thread!!!

chatee · 08/02/2006 21:05

my dd has school dinners(£7.75 per week) and enjoys them, mostly the produce is sourced locally and cooked from scratch...they even cater for her dairy free diet..
ds will be getting them when he starts school too.
a menu is put up each week but i must remember to look at it as so far this week dd has had spag bog and lamb minty mince at school and at home

KateF · 08/02/2006 21:05

Mine are only Yr1 and Reception and there isn't enough guidance in choosing healthy options. If you offer a 4 year old rubbish chances are they'll take it . I was also put off when dd1 told me that she'd asked for 2 vegetables as she doesn't like chips and was told she could only have one!