What are the packed lunches like that the children on FSM receive on trips?

[ToTiredToBeWitty]

DD1 is away on a trip soon, she is in reception and receives FSM.

The letter says she doesn't need a packed lunch, but I'm concerned that there will not be enough food.

Does anyone know what they contain?

Each school makes their own.

I'd expect it to have a sandwich, piece of fruit and carton of juice.

All the kids will have similar packed lunches. FSM or not.

You're over thinking this a bit. She's 5. And she'll be too excited and interested about the trip to be hungry.

I don't know about the FSM packed lunches, but DD1 who is in Yr1 would not be satisfied with that as a packed lunch. Last week she had sandwich, pack of crisps, fruit pouch, pot of grapes, biscuit, water bottle filled with squash. Also pack of raisins for snack time.

She still complained she was hungry when I collected her.

A drink, sandwich and fruit at my school. Tbh on trips most bring their own packed lunch.

My DS, is entitled to FSM but won't have them, (autistic), they've never offered a packed lunch but I doubt he would have that from them either!
I make up my own for him.

I am guessing though that a packed lunch would have sandwich, some fruit, a drink and something else. I would add a bag with some bits in that you know she likes in case of rejected packed lunch stuff.

I believe a sandwich, bit of fruit, something else and a drink. Probably content affected by if school have healthy eating status as if they dont allow others to take crisps or cakes then cant provide it. Seems a reasonable lunch for a child i think. My daughter eats a lot as she is very tall but for lunch she still only has 1.5 rounds of sandwiches, fruit, tomato or babybel or something and a cake or bakebar. If you are concerned send one in or rely on them for sandwich fruit and drink and send something snack like just in case

Ask them

at my dc's school they get a sandwich, a home made cake/biscuit, a piece of fruit and fruit juice. There's not loads, but there is enough, although the drink was quite small.

If you're worried, or even just curious, I'd go and have a word. You never know, the cook might let you choose the sandwich filling!

We order packed lunches for everyone eligible for them ( sandwich, cake, fruit and juice) but quite often FSM children bring their own packed lunches so the food is shared out amongst those that would like it! ( and there is always someone who forgets their lunch!)

sandwich, fruit, drink and a biscuit at DH previous school. like spanieleyes they took them with them. FSM kids usually brought their own lunch, but they were used for the " mum didn't give me any breakfast cos we were leaving early" etc kids

Make sure she eats a good breakfast.

A child that age needs 1800 calories a day and so about 1/3 of that should come from their packed lunch.A sandwich, drink and fruit wouldn't come to a high enough calorific intake.

I send larger than normal packed lunches on trips as I think the extra walking involved makes them more hungry. At school sat inside most if the day I send a sandwich, water, fruit and something else like a biscuit or yoghurt. On trips I add extra fruit, maybe 'salad' if tomatoes/cucumbers/peppers and often both the yoghurt and biscuit.

At our school they have left the city council system and provide catering themselves. (privately bought in group that caters for a number of schools in the area) Part of the field trip support from the cafeteria is that parents can buy a pack lunch for a field trip (and their is a box on the field trip form). FSM students get the identical pack lunch for free.

Our lunches are
a sandwich (vegetarian option provided)
some vegetable sticks (usually carrots, celery & cucumber)
cheese string/ cheese & cracker box
fruit bar (school bar, alpen bar, etc....)
pot of fruit
juice box

They used to add crisps & chocolates - but have signed up to 'healthy eating policy' so pot of fruit replaces sweet/ choc and cheese string/ cheese and cracker box replaces crisps.

I pay for school dinners and if the field trip is in a busy week for DH & I work-wise we just tick the box for a packed lunch on the day. If we opt to do it ourselves (which I like to do on occasion) - we get a refund for no lunch that day. I don't think there is any stigma to having the school pack you a lunch here at least.

HTH

Just make her one of your own if you are concerned and tell the school that you are doing it.

If you have the school packed lunch, you may still need to provide a back-pack for her to carry it in, so don't forget that!

I belive our FSM packed lunches are just the same as the standard 'picnic bag' that are on the county lunch menu, that nay child can select on any day.

Ask at the school office what it will contain.

DD's school doesn't provide FSM packed lunches as far as I know, certainly we've never been offered one, and she had a school trip last week.

Grr...

As others have said the school kitchens usually make them up. Ours contain sandwiches, juice, a piece of fruit, a muffin or cookie and a packet of raisins.

Many children on fsm bring their own anyway. We just hand the food out to whoever wants it but quietly give preference to those who were entitled to them.

They are poor and not enough from what I've seen.

A sandwich,
piece of fruit,
cereal bar or similar,
Small plastic pot of juice.

Keep in mind that one trip days, the children get extra hungry. For those kids on FSM, I've always pulled the parent aside and let them know that they are entitled to them, but they are very small and there is nowhere near enough drink in there to last a day. I've always encouraged parents to pack a few extra sarnies, a bigger drink and perhaps a bag of crisps.

I learnt this early on in my teaching career when, on a summer trip to the zoo, my poor reception children with FSM were dying of thirst. So much so that I gave them mine and popped into the café for extras, bought with my own money.

At DS's school the FSM pack lunches for school trips are the same as the ones all school dinner kids get on a Friday so juice, sandwich, yoghurt, cookie/cake/muffin, and fruit.

Separate bottle of water any parent can send in, though?

We have been told to take in an extra bottle of water.

I'm just going to take my own in for her, do I have to let the teachers know?

In my son's school it's:
Sandwich
Crudités
Cake or biscuit
Fruit
Fruit juice

Any parent can order one for their child, (£2.20) but FSM families obviously don't get charged. I decided to do my own packed lunch for DS. (DS is normally hot dinners)

My dc go to a private school where lunches are included and what has been described isn't do much different to what they get on trips.

Cheese, ham or tuna on bread roll, quavers or hula hoops, apple or orange, kit kat & apple or orange juice carton.

And they take their water bottles with them if needed.