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Original poster

School snack: Is a cream cracker and some fruit the work of the devil?

40 replies

TsarChasm · 19/11/2008 17:24

Dd 10 has to bring in a snack for playtime.

I always, always give her a piece of fruit (she loves this anyway and it also observes school healthy eating doctrine) But she was starting to get episodes of feeling quite faint before lunch especially if she couldn't get in for the first sitting. So I started to give her some fruit and two cream crackers to bump up the snack.

This has worked very well and kept her going.

Today the teacher has decreed the cream crackers are not to be It must only be fruit or veg. Why?? Other things in this world apart from fruit and veg can still be healthy.

I do absolutely make sure dd eats breakfast. She eats extremely healthily (god I make darn sure all dc do!) and I see no problem with a cracker if the fruit alone is insufficient. FGS

OP posts:
ScummyMummy · 19/11/2008 17:27

over controlling that teacher is. Can you write in explaining about the faintness?

whoingodsnamewasi · 19/11/2008 17:28

It's crazy is'nt it? Send her in with a bag of Haribo tomorrow, see what the teachers make of that

twoluvlykids · 19/11/2008 17:30

A bit out of order, as when she gets to secondary school she'll be able to eat what she wants at break time.

What would the school do if she actually fainted?

Might be worth mentioning to the school, she may be having a growth spurt.

Also, something in today's news about schools not being sympathetic to children with diabetes - what's your dd's school policy on diabetics and needing (possibly) different snacks?

Buda · 19/11/2008 17:33

I can see why you are annoyed - your DD obv needs something else. Just a thought - it doesn't address the issue but your DD might need some protein either with breakfast or snack. It sounds like her sugar levels are raising and dropping quite quickly hence the feeling faint. Would she have a slice of cheese or a Babybel?

You may need to write to the teacher though!

Original poster
TsarChasm · 19/11/2008 17:37

Yes over-controlling is part of this I suspect.

The trouble is the teachers at juniors make it hard for you to speak to them, but I am going in tomorrow to have a word. Dd is very likely having a growth spurt.

I can see they don't want sweets and cakes etc but these aweeping decrees (like I can't be trusted to give her something that is ok) get up my nose tbh.

OP posts:
Spaceman · 19/11/2008 17:40

That's crap. I would never have been full up on fruit and veg alone when I was that age. Still not nowadays.

elkiedee · 19/11/2008 17:42

Seems perfectly reasonable to me, but if you can't win the argument reasonably, what sort of fruit do you give her? Fruitwise, apples and bananas aren't my favourites but I find they work best for me if I'm hungry compared to other fruits, a bit more substance to them.

Original poster
TsarChasm · 19/11/2008 17:42

There seems to be a near obsession with pushing the fruit and veg aspect and anything else is 'not a good thing'.

That to my mind is not promoting heathy eating.

OP posts:
Buda · 19/11/2008 18:04

I find that fruit leaves me ravenous to be honest.

janeite · 19/11/2008 18:09

We had this over breadsticks a couple of years ago and being a wimp, I didn't make a fuss, despite the fact that my daughters had extremely healthy lunch boxes. I think you should see the teacher and explain the situation and ask what the school's feeling is over crackers, oatcakes or something, or even a little piece of cheese.

tassisssss · 19/11/2008 18:09

man this drives me mad

i really think fruit is not enough for most kids ...especially those who don't eat much breakfast

Tsar, I so agree!

Lemontart · 19/11/2008 18:11

I agree Buda. Not only does fruit on an empty stomach make me crave more food, apart from citrus fruit and apples give me indigestion. I find a small bag of nuts/seeds, a couple of crackers with cheese etc a far better snack to keep up my energy levels.
It annoys me that our school has an outright ban on chocolate/cake bars etc and yet happily serve up treacle pudding and custard, chocolate eclairs, trifle, sticky iced bun and even ice cream now and again as their provided school lunch dessert.
I bet that teacher has a choc biscuit with her breaktime cuppa too

CharleeInChains · 19/11/2008 18:12

God how stupid!

My DS's nursery (i know different rules for nursery) gives crackers and breadsticks with fruit at snack time, it's not like you have sent her with a big bag of greasy chips or something!

Lemontart · 19/11/2008 18:12

I thought I read recently something about fruit as a snack without a good drink is really bad for your teeth too...

Original poster
TsarChasm · 19/11/2008 18:18

I'm really going to have to calm down before I pop in tomorrow.

We're going to be covering not only the subject of the contraband crackers but the unrealistic tidal wave of homework too. My blood pressure it at popping point atm.

And breathe....

OP posts:
frankie3 · 19/11/2008 19:08

I sent my DS age 7 to school today with a carrot. It is not right! He is so thin you can see his ribs.

LynetteScavo · 19/11/2008 19:18

I'm sooo0 happy my DS can buy cheese on toast from shool at snack time.

The teacher is maaaaaaaaaaaad! IMO - I'd be straight on the phone to the head.

Original poster
TsarChasm · 19/11/2008 20:11

Mmm cheese on toast. Now that's a snack!

OP posts:
LurkerOfTheUniverse · 19/11/2008 20:17

yes, school policy to allow only fruit/veg at break time

so my dd, fussy at the best of times, dosen't eat from 08:30 until 12:15

she's 6

hannahsaunt · 19/11/2008 20:25

I have really relaxed my attitude with my 2 older boys in the last year. They are still eating masses of fruit and veg - easily 7 portions a day - but they are bottomless pits at age 8 and 5. I give them good quality cereal bars (ie high seed and nut content) for break time and when they're home I'm fine with them eating homemade cake, crisps, fruit (in abundance), biscuits, doughnuts etc. They are both skinny and burning it all off and eat very well at mealtimes. They need it imho.

TheFallenMadonna · 19/11/2008 20:29

Our out of school club is no longer allowed to serve cream crackers. They are banned under some regulation or other - high in salt apparently. Breadsticks too.

milge · 19/11/2008 20:30

Bonkers! Cheese and an oatcake or two has a much better GI rating than a piece of fruit. Complain. Children need energy through food. Agree that snacks should not be Haribos, but I can't see that a cream cracker is the end of the world!

Original poster
TsarChasm · 19/11/2008 20:35

God banning cream crackers and bread sticks would be funny if it wasn't so tragic.

I worry that hard line healthy eating policies are doing more harm than good. Healthy eating encompasses a range of food eaten and enjoyed with confidence.

This over-anxious approach is possibly going to produce a backlash in the oppsite direction back to the very thing they are trying to avoid.

OP posts:
Original poster
TsarChasm · 20/11/2008 16:14

Oh well. That got me nowhere.

The policy (and all the research apparantly ) says fruit and veg are the only thing acceptable and allowing anything else opens the floodgates for all sorts of things ie pizza.

Oh and I ought to be grateful that they don't check the lunchboxes too. But she did say 'yet' after that.

OP posts:
Tortington · 20/11/2008 16:16

crackers.....to pizza

dont be ridiculous.

my child will have crackers. what wilol you do about it.

tell em

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