do school dinners leave kids hungry?

[knittinginknots]

Our school dinners have strange names and small portions (2 ounces of meat per child). Kids come home hungry because they didn't like the strange concoction, or there wasn't enough left when it was their turn, or the portions were too small. Has anyone else had these problems and how did they resolve them

I refuse to allow mine the hot lunches because they came home so hungry they were begging for food when they finished school - this never happened when they had packed lunch. i truly hate having to make packed lunches every night & would love them to have school lunches but they were just so hungry & they would have combinations like pizza & broccoli, that's just wierd!

DD in Reception has school dinners and absolutely loves them! Our school is in Surrey and also uses myschoollunch. Also DD's appetite is huge lately. She has gone from never finishing a plate of food to eating everything in site and eyeing up how much leftovers there are before she has finished eating. I did wonder to begin with whether it was because the portions at school are smaller but she has also put on a bit of weight so I don't think that is the case. I think she is just really enjoying her food at the moment and possibly going through a growth spurt.

I am really glad that she enjoys the school dinners as I work part-time and having to do a packed lunch for her would just be more stuff for me to deal with.

My DS is a fussy eater yet regularly eats all his school dinner (usually followed by cake and custard). So yey for school dinners. There's always a choice of three dinners and two sweets and as the school pride themselves on healthy eating they have more success than I do in getting the vitamins into him.

Oh how times have changed! Infant school meals in the late 70s and early 80s (one dinner, one pudding, no choice, packed lunches not allowed) seems a long time ago .

Now, the consumer is king and more choice brings as many problems as it solves. The authority provides a dinner for a child. Choices are offered. They will not please all parents and all children all of the time.

If you don't think that they offer value for money, don't get them and send a packed lunch in. If your child is genuinely hungry then they'll eat the variety of food you provide in the lunchbox.

But then again, I don't see a problem with a sandwich, fruit, a drink and a yoghurt every day if you're providing new foods to try at home .

There are no choices in my DC's school, it is just like the 70s