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.

Wow, Heis, totally agree with pp. That is not a "skinny kid" picture, by anyone's standards...

I agree portions are very small and my children are/were starving specially when in the infant; however some children don't eat much and lots of food goes to waste; I always prepare a good snack for when they get home; sometimes is like another lunch plus dinner. Also; I think they don't want the kids to be to full and sleepy after lunch I think; no way I am doing a pack lunch; I feed them well when at home

Just to reassure you that you are not alone op, my (thin) dd(10) eats 4 Weetabix for breakfast every day and has done for years (though nothing else on top of that). She is very active and both she and DS moaned all the way through primary that the portions were insufficient. I raised this every parents evening and at the parent forum and it was finally agreed that bread would be unlimited. Salad and vegetables are also now unlimited countywide. Most of their peers do not finish what they are given so a couple of children having an extra slice of bread cannot cost too much. I sent them in with a good size oat bar for morning snack once they got to KS2 but they both still eat the volume of a full meal when they come home from school and then go on to have a cooked dinner. They used to starve when visiting friends' houses as there was never anywhere near enough to eat! I also eat 4 Weetabix for breakfast; I exercise most mornings and cannot make it till lunchtime without getting hypoglycaemic otherwise. 4 Weetabix and milk is about 400 calories, which is about the 20% of daily intake that breakfast should consist of.

I do not get this race to be the skinniest or have the smallest portions necessarily

breakfast (porridge, shreddies, weetabix or similar) a mini wholewheat pitta / cheese at 1st break then school dinner then hot dinner at home by 5.00. No snacks other than the fruit bowl.

My kids would be utterly ravenous on this.

They don't wear skinny fit clothing and have never fitted into clothes of their correct age range.

They are however totally in proportion height and weight wise and yes you can still see their ribs.

There is not a one size fits all solution.

FWIW recent research has suggested fat and fit (yes it is possible) is has more health benefits than skinny and unfit so our understanding at present is very incomplete.

www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2010/mar/09/fit-fat-unfit-thin

not what I read but does explain it. As long as your kids are fit and active in my mind that's the most important thing

Op I don't think you are unreasonable.

There is nothing wrong with allowing a thin child to eat healthy food to appetite.

My dd is similar, in that she eats like a horse, but it also very tall and skinny.

She has on occasion eaten 6 weetabix for breakfast (though usually has 2, but becomes hungry again quickly).

She doesn't complain about school dinners, but does eat lots of fruit afterwards I think (6 pieces one day )

Issy and flogging
I think you're probably right about society and perceptions.

But she is skinny, there is only one child at school skinnier than her.
My family are all a bit stick like. I got bullied at school for being skinny, but I wouldn't dare say anyone bigger than me was fat.

I remember the thread about BMI and it's a similar discussion really. Body shape and metabolic rates.

I use the old Apple trick. Complaints of hunger are met with grab an apple. If they eat that and still want more then the fridge is opened. Mostly though, they don't want the apple and busy themselves with something else.

I hope you solve the hunger issues OP

Portion should be adjusted according to age and needs of the individual. My DD gave up on school dinners in y6 as she was fed up of getting the same little portions as a tiny 4 year old in reception. She is very active, growing a lot and doesn't snack between meals so she needs to eat well at mealtimes. This doesn't mean huge portions but it should at least be satisfying.

Do you think that older children should pay more than reception pupils shebird?

How the hell would dinner ladies serving 300+ kids adjust to the needs of the individual? They would have to not only remember every child but check whether the food got eaten (ever seen the portions many kids serve themselves at parties ) . The waste would be stratospheric.

Bread you can go back for might be an option, or larger.portions for juniors. But individuals?

My DS is 5 and always clears his lunch plate, it's the same size as those in year 6. He has a very fast metabolism, and calorie requirement, and if he could fit 4 weetabix in he would. He had 3 when he was 3 and was underweight. At the moment he eats toasted cheese sandwiches, but so be it, We have to also accept all children are different and some do just need more food. It isn't that long ago that some children had a full English before school, and if their activity needed that much why not.

But their meals are paid for at the same price as a Y6 child ...just not by parents at the moment (plans to change that next year)

Are there Mrz? I thought Cameron had been forced to put out a statement ruling that out?

Watch this space... Never let a denial lull you into believing a politician ??

It's not that exactly. I think they floated it to see reaction, saw a poor one in their key voters and backed off .

George Osbourne and Nicky Morgan are for scrapping while David Cameron has said he's proud of introducing universal free meals for under sevens ...not exactly ruling out anything

Nah, the full statement is much longer. Witters on about it being in the manifesto as a pledge. Don't think I'm fans of the Tories and I'm sure Gideon wants to scrap it. I just don't like Dave wants to let him.

His education secretary wants to scrap it too as do other ministers ...I wouldn't rule it out

I'm not ruling it out. But you said very definitely that there were plans to scrap them . That was a pretty cut and dried statement and I was just responding. I don't think it's anything like as clear as a plan and I think Dave would really rather not after the reception it has got.

I don't actually trust any politicians. Including both party leaders. Don't worry.

OP my dd complains of the same. She is 15th percentile for bmi according to the nhs calculator.

There is a weird obsession with giving children tiny portions on mn when they need energy to grow.

I just give her a decent dinner, sorted.

If the kids are overweight then yes I'd question portion sizes but who says they are? Calories needed and expended varies hugely depending on a variety of factors.

And there are plans to scrap them as reported

Alsp...The only place I've heard negativity about free school meals for infants is mn.

www.theguardian.com/education/2015/oct/02/tim-farron-tories-set-to-steal-childrens-lunches-school-meals-threat?