school meals

[Elffriend]

I may regret asking this as it smacks of one of THOSE topics but I know you lot will have a view...

We have started visiting schools to get ahead of the gam as to where DS will go. It's very early days so this is not a buring issue but I am a bit surprised...

The schools we saw told us proudly that all of the food was made on the premises etc. and showed us menus. I was genuinely surprised to see puddings there every day - just like when I was at primary school. Now I like(d) the idea of DS having a proper hot meal for lunch (as he does now) but I don't like the idea of puddings every day. What happened to the healthy eating hysteria? Is this why kids all have packed lunches instead? What's the point of me being so careful to start him out right if he hits four and is given treacle pudding every day?! Is this normal.

(DS only 22 months and I'm old - so well out of the whole school loop - hence visiting now! )

The quality of school meals is much better than it was (I tasted some school cake recently that was one of the best cakes I've ever tasted!) - BUT sugar and processed meat is still seved. It depends on how fussy you are about what your child eats, I suppose.

It is normal but doesn't mean it's a good thing. Of course dessert can be a piece of fruit on some days.

Dd has packed lunches because she thinks a lot of the school lunches are junk food. They have improved over the last few years but are still more on the "popular" side than what she is getting at home.

I was just genuinely surprised. At the moment I AM very fussy about what he eats - but he is still very young. I am quite sure I will be more relaxed about processed foods etc. by the time he is at school - I just assumed that, where schools were getting it right (and the menus I saw weren't fish and chips type menus)I was expecting to see more fruit / yogurt type puds.

Thinking about the thread below (chocolate!), I do let him have the odd chocolate button so I'm not evangelical - but wall to wall puds just seems wrong!

Sigh - I'm such an innocent. Perhaps I'll home ed!

I know they need fat - DS already has plenty of cheese etc. in his meals and I don't intend to raise him on lentil stew alone but isn't a pud every day sending out a mixed message?

I'm genuinely confused. Isn't this the same school system that tells off parents for putting a small choc bar into packed lunches?

Yep. My ds has a 'proper pudding' every day. Apple crumble and custard, apricot sponge and custard, flapjack...
There is always yoghurt and fruit as well, but he never chooses them.
It doesn't bother me particularly. He's active and a healthy size. I'm not sure there's much harm in it.

I was pleased dd would get a proper pudding at school. I don't make proper homemade puddings more than a couple of times a year, so she would never get a chance to try treacle sponge and custard, spotted dick, butterscotch tart etc if she didn't get them at school. They're so busy at school I don't think a bit of stodge will do them much harm.

Puddings aren't always cake
ds has dinners and this week has had
fruit salad
rice pudding
yoghurt
cake and custard

Think that a pudding and a dinner is needed for kids when they at school all day.

They all get a piece of fruit/veg at playtime too.

But does every day count as moderation?

I have nothing against puddings or stodge - I have very fond memories of school puddings but am I alone in finding it all a bit contradictory?

I'm quite chilled really - it is a fair way off for a start! As I say, surprised was my reaction - not shock horror (well, alright, maybe vaguely irritated at the inconsistency as well).

Oh ok, lilyloo that DOES sound like moderation.

I'll send him to your school!

Ask the school for some menu's. We get 4 weekly ones.

Although bear in mind this could well change before ds starts as might your concern of him having too much cake

I like it that dd gets a pudding.

Samples from our menu are;
choc sponge and custard
apple muffin and milk
sticky carrot cake
fruit yoghurt and a biscuit
banana oat cookie
flapjack
fruit mousse and mandarins
fruit sundae
fruit crumle and custard

in addition every day there is the option of plain fruit instead, which dd often has.

The emphasis on healthy eating in schools should be about balance. I know it isn't always, but it should be.

I'm pretty happy with the overall balance of his school meals.

Does 5 puddings a week really sound that shocking? It's only 5 meals out of 21 (if you're a 3 square meals a day person), the rest is up to you.
Don't mean to patronise but when my first was tiny I was very controlling about what she ate. Then I ended up with 2 kids under 2 and things relaxed! I still don't buy sweets, crisps or cakes (prefer to make my own anyway) but let them have it if someone else is offering it.
Instead of thinking about all your efforts being wasted, look at it like because of them you know that these 5 puddings are not going to do your child any harm at all.

Apologies for shocking grammar there.

They will not be given treacle pudding every day!

I suggest you relax a little. Your child isn't even old enough to put his name down for school yet and I am surprised they allowed you to visit with such a long time to go before joining the school.

All your good work will not be undone and there is nothing wrong with pudding every day. My children have several puddings at lunch and tea and I am the fussiest mum there is about getting the right foods into my children, as well as treats sometimes.

Buckets - I didn't say it was shocking - I said I was surprised. This was in the context of all the press about schools pushing healthy eating etc. and policing shcool lunch boxes etc. Just struck me as contradictory and it was not what I was expecting.

However, you are right in terms of the overall diet - and I accept that I am probably a bit PFB about it all anyway. Am a novice at this parenting milarky - just trying to do the right thing (yeah, like there is a "right thing").

itati - I was being a little ironic about treacle pudding every day.

I am pretty relaxed - as I have written a few times. Am I not allowed to express surprise?

And the schools we went to were quite happy to "allow" us to visit - but thanks for your opinion on that one.

Of course you are allowed to express surprise. Just as I am allowed to express surprise they have the time to spare to show parents round who aren't even going to be using the school for another 2 years. No need for the

Things could have changed in two years. I think I'd wait until nearer the time he was due to start school.

The school day is long and little ones need a lot of cals to keep going.
The fat kids are the ones guzzling fizzy drinks not three squares a day.