If your child uas school dinners, what do they eat at dinner time? And can anyone think of a soloution?

[spookysal]

Dd1 is in reception and has school meals. I think these are filling her up as she isn't eating dinner at home anymore. She is normally a really good eater.

I'm thinking about offering her sandwiches or soup instead.

The problem is that means at 5pm, dd2 (2yo) would be eating dinner by herself as I eat dinner after they are all in bed. Eating at 5 means I just snack in the evening.

The other problem is that dd2 will just want to eat whatever dd1 is eating which means she won't eat her dinner.

I can't face dishing up another dinner to dd1 just to watch her push it around the plate. It would easier just to throw the ingredients straight in the bin and not bother cooking them.

Any suggestions?

My DS and DH are both having school dinners this year and are not really that hungry later on, so we are just having a very small meal in the evenings. Maybe still do a hot meal but make it small?

If she's had a good lunch then I can't see a problem. She may be too tired, not have naturally a large appetite, or going through a not hungry phase before a growth spurt. Soup, sandwiches, jacket spud can be just has healthy as a full on dinner.

Give the younger child a hefty cooked lunch, maybe reheated from whatever you cooked yourself for dinner the night before, then give them both some sandwiches, fruit and yoghurt for tea.

This won't remain a problem, because although your children will get bigger, the school meals don't, and a meal that leaves them stuffed stuffed in reception will have them chewing their fists by home time when they are ten

When ds was in reception he would have a hot lunch and then something like beans on toast and yoghurt for tea, he wasn't interested in a 'proper' meal. He is now in year 4 and has a cooked breakfast, a hot lunch and a hot dinner (all at school) and would eat continuously in between if he could (he is tall and skinnny). I wouldn't worry about your dd not having a full dinner in the evening.