School dinners - tiny portion sizes

[QueenStarlight]

Can anyone advise what to do? My son and daughter attend different primary schools. Both say that they are hungry at dinner time after their dinners and that they only get a toddler size portion.

They have good breakfasts. A huge bowl of porridge or Weetabix (4 biscuits each) followed by yoghurt with lots of nuts and then a piece of fruit. Dinner is fairly late-ish but they get a snack when they get in from school.

Both are of athletic build.

I have never asked if they have enough, they both independently moan about it. I have spoken to the office of my daughter's school who have confirmed she finishes everything on her plate. I know my ds does as he always has.

I could send them in with an additional packed lunch but that kids of defeats the objective of school dinners (1 I pay for, 1 I don't).

Both offices have said there is bread, but this appears to be rationed also according to my children (as other kids who get it then don't eat their dinner).

I have no idea what to do next.

75g of pasta is an adult portion.

It sounds like they are used to adult portions, so child portions at school seem tiny.

How old are they? The one not having free meals must be junior? Have they always complained or is it a recent thing?

Bottom line is, your child are unusual. I think that's great; the do lots of physical activity and have good appetites. However, I think its down to you to cater for their extra calorie needs, not school.

How do you make them hungry enough to eat all of that at breakfast?
I can see why you would want to give them more but unless they are genuinely hungry they wouldn't eat it.

Dd has always complained. She's 7.

DS is 8 and it's his first school that does school dinners.

What are all these primary aged children training for?
Mine trained for beavers, playing out with her pals and riding her bike.

I remind them that they think dinners are small so they take more breakfast. Tbh dd doesn't always want it but ds does.

My contribution to this thread is that my 3yo could manage 4 weetabix.

Brillo- I have one that was "spotted" at 9 for a certain sport.

They train 5 days a week, and the target is national squad and international competition.

Some sports are even younger/more intense, gymnastics, dance, ice skating etc.

There are kids out there, primary aged, who do "train" hard. It is a positive thing form mine, keeps them focuses and energy levels under control. Plus they enjoy it, and are learning a lot of life skills :)

Dd and ds complained about small primary school lunches especially once the free for P1-3 started. Ds takes a packed lunch. Dd is at secondary school now and says the portion sizes are better as they are bigger now

I think you have to accept that, as their appetite is so much greater than others their age , you will need to step in. So either packed lunch or ask if you can send in a snack. You can't expect the school to base portion sizes on their appetite - the waste would be horrific.

'Bottom line is, your child are unusual. I think that's great; the do lots of physical activity and have good appetites. However, I think its down to you to cater for their extra calorie needs, not school.'

^ this

Skinny with massive muscles??

If you try having the protein at breakfast instead of the carbs, they might break the cycle. I know that when I miss breakfast entirely, or have protein, I am actually less hungry at lunchtime than if I had lots of carbs. I suspect by adding more and more to their breakfasts, you've created a situation where they are bound to be hungrier at lunch. I always think after I've been out for a big meal that I'll not need to eat again for ages, but I'm always surprisingly hungry quite quickly.

Mine are at a PFI run primary school.and complain too that the portions are yoo small. Can you request to see a photo of a typical meal?

'Skinny with massive muscles??'

I dunno. They just have very well defined features. Their ribs stick out and so do their muscles.

8yr old DS looks like an 11yr old though which might explain it except for the fact that 7yr old dd looks like a 5yr old.

I think I would expect school dinners contractors to make enough for the variety of appetites they are presented with. But if they won't and there is nothing I can do about the dinners I would like to find a solution that has them not going hungry and unsatisfied.

Asking for a picture of portion size is a good idea, thank you. DD's office have agreed that she eats everything on her plate and encourage her to take more salad apparently. If Office staff are on she'll get extra bread too but there is no guarantee and the teachers always tell her there isn't enough for her to have more.

My son is 3 (nearly 4) and has three weetabix for brek most mornings. Sometimes he has toast as well and few chunks of fruit!

'I suspect by adding more and more to their breakfasts, you've created a situation where they are bound to be hungrier at lunch.'

Perhaps but the breakfast thing is a fairly new introduction, and as it hasn't worked I asked on here.

I don't think my kids DO do a lot of physical exercise.

I struggle to get mine to eat much lunch at school, what is OP's secret???

No secret. I'm lucky if my chubby 3yr old eats a couple of raisins a day.

My eldest two were out of their buggies way before their 3rd birthdays, but not him because logistically we need to move a lot and move fast. Perhaps that is it?

Either way, I'm still fat and I eat the smallest portion sizes (bar my 3yr old).

Oh, I accept some children are hungrier, and some do a particular sport which means training, but this is unusual to me.

I don't get the veiled criticism on this thread. There are plenty of children who eat like birds. There are others who have a healthy appetite. I know which I prefer! My two are of normal size and built, very healthy, very active, and come home absolutely starving. They have a very substantial snack in the afternoon after school, plus a big dinner.

Let's face it, school dinners are not generous. Which is fine for the children eating like birds, but not for those eating (what to me is) normal portions. Children are different - my two come after me and I was a stick insect as a child but ate like a horse.

Op, keep up the breakfast and offer a decent snack after school, plus dinner. That might see them through lean lunches.