SECONDARY SCHOOL MEALS HELP!

[MsGoldilocks]

Hi there - my eldest has just started secondary. She has been a vegetarian for a year.

She now gets to go to a canteen where you pay for the food using a credit card style system loaded up with cash by me.

I've just worked out how I'm able to see what she's eating in a day - and it's 99% rubbish.

Muffins, pasta pesto, vegan sausage roll and croissants are the only things she's been eating. Not a fruit or veg in sight - which for a vegetarian is rather concerning!

How do I tackle this with her? Any ideas? Not sure she'd be keen on packed lunch but if packed lunch guys are allowed to eat with canteen guys this could be an option (at primary they had to sit separately)

This is 100% nothing to do with her weight - my worry is it's all so processed and how the sugar etc will affect her mood and general health.

Obvs I will try even harder (whoopee I already work two jobs and have an 8 year old who's not a vegetarian) to make her evening meals healthier and as full of veg as possible but it can be hard to get her to eat that too when she's tired.

THANKS IN ADVANCE!!

I’m afraid what is available in secondary school canteens is generally poor quality, cheap food, especially since most school catering is now provided by profit making companies.

I would definitely go for a packed lunch for her - pasta salads, soups etc that will fill her up and provide good nutrition. Even for a child who likes healthy food, the limited healthier choices are often very expensive and in tiny portions.

This is part of her growing up and having control of her own food. I don't know why you would be more concerned because she's vegetarian? My DC1 is year 7 too and she will eat all of those except she will have the normal sausage roll. That's not any better isn't it? (DC2 actually prefers vegan sausages and she's meat eating).

Provide her with a good dinner and breakfast and let her have her own freedom at lunch. Educate her about healthy balanced diet. Hopefully when she leaves home, she'll understand.

This is part of the process of her growing up and having control.

I often see the year 7s coming home from school with fizzy drinks and sweets because this is their first taste of "freedom" and they like having that choice. Things calm down as they get older and more self conscious about how they look but I've had 3 kids and they have days where they've only eaten curly fries and a flavoured water.

true at least it's not processed meat I guess!

YeaH I think I might do a PL a couple of days a week - money wise it also makes sense thanks all

What's wrong with pasta and (vegan) sausage roll for lunch? That sounds like a normal lunch to me.
Muffin and croissant as a snack?
Doesn't seem awful. Maybe she could take an apple from home to add to it.

Food available in secondary school canteens is pretty much wall to wall carbs with extra sugary carbs for snacks. You learn to let it go and make sure they eat fruit and veg at other times.

DD is year 7 and veggie and last week wasted loads of money on crappy sandwiches and cake. This week we have looked at the menu and decided what is worth paying for and what isn't. Ive said I am happy to pay for hot lunches or even a panini but not a plain cheese sandwich or just junk food.

Some days she has bought lunch and some days she has taken stuff in, although admittedly it was a sausage roll one day. But I got her to do herself a box of cut up veg and some fruit to go with it.

On the days she takes lunch in I don't begrudge her a treat at break. She also had a 5 min walk to primary and now has a 40 min walk, so assume she needs the extra calories from the crap food.

DS is an omni and ate complete shite for 7 years at senior school and is completely fine. We just made dinners extra healthy. It does come to an end, we stocked him up with food when he went back to uni recently and when I snuck a look at the order he had got plenty of fruit, veg and even salad (he has been known as salad dodger in our house for years).

Thanks so much Dialsmavis that is a great idea - she’s pretty clued up re healthy eating it’s just the options as u all say aren’t really there - will defo go through the menu with her and work out what’s worth paying for - obvs am not averse to her having stuff like sausage rolls / muffins etc just not ONLY stuff like that day in day out x

Also great idea - she takes her own lunch in she can buy a snack