Bl**dy government/schools healthy eating, thou-shalt-rear-thy-children-on-lettuce-leaves-alo directives

[frogs]

So there I am, clearing out ds's schoolbag of half a term's accumulated detritus of squashed bits of homework and out-of-date party invites when I find a snotty little note:

'Dear Parent/Carer
As part of our bid to gain Healthy Schools status we have been checking children's lunchboxes to support families in helping their children eat healthily. Earlier this term you were given a list of foods that should not be brought into school, and we ask you to respect these guidelines when preparing your child's lunch.
Thank you
Headteacher'

The list includes, predictably enough, sweets, chocolate bars, biscuits(!), crisps, any drinks that aren't water or plain fruit juice and pretty much anything else containing sugar or fat. No playtime snacks are allowed apart from fruit.

Ds has been ill, on and off, since before Christmas with mysterious viruses that give him temperatures. He's always on the skinny side, but currently looks like gulag boy. Every rib and every vertebra is visible, he's deathly pale and he has little hollows under his cheekbones.

How, fergodsake, am I supposed to get enough calories into this child when the govt and schools are hellbent on persuading us we should be feeding them nothing but carrot sticks and apples? He has a healthy diet, eats lots of fruit and veg (when he eats at all, that is), we have nonsugary breakfast cereals, wholemeal bread, freshly-cooked suppers, no fizzy drinks and very few sweets. What is bl**dy well wrong with putting a packet of crisps and a penguin biscuit into the lunchbox of a very active, naturally skinny child who clearly needs to be fattened up a bit? Yes, I know there's a national obesity crisis, blah blah, but not in my family there isn't. And not in his class either, from what I can see -- all his friends look like twiglets on legs as well.

I'm not looking for advice really, just sounding off. Think I will include a note to his form teacher on Monday saying that if they want to discuss the contents of ds's lunchbox they can telephone me in person. I just really hate this idea they're giving the kids that there are healthy foods and unhealthy foods, and that everything containing fat and sugar is automatically bad for you.

Kohl-rabi, maybe soapbox?

and my ds hates pulpy fruit too Blu, your poor ds

Soapbox - make some up. Cor Redroot is very nice, Mesopotanian Screel, Shredded Sealwort, Rammage, Taproot puree, Ebollo Tips. They won't dare question it for fear of revealing faulty foodie credentials!

Marina - I don't think they actually forced him - but he was trying to be helpful and compliant.

The thing I don't understand about lunchboxes is that the new healthy school meals have steamed puds with custard, crumble, occasional ice cream, fruit yogs (wih sugar) etc, so why shouldn't lunchboxes contain an equivalent pudding? IMO the emphasis should be on what IS in (i.e please make sure your child 's lunch contains a substantial main-course such as cheese sandwich, as well as any small sweet snacks for dessert or extras such as crisps')

Haven't had time to read the whole thread, but I also don't agree with the "all sugary foods are BAD" message children are given.

Perhaps speak to the school and say that you feel that an approach where they check that the children have a "balanced" lunch is acceptable, but that banning all biscuits etc it not. Perhaps they could send a letter saying they would like to see all children with a lunch containing carbohydrate for energy, and suggest sandwiches, crackers etc; protein for growth and energy and suggest meat, cheese, soya etc; a piece of fruit and so on. Then they can say that "occasional treats of a single chocolate covered biscuit or similar - not a large candy bar are acceptable".

I have seen this before at DD's old school, but tbh, it didn't annoy me enough to fight it.

However, I would look at their school dinner menu and see how healthy it is. DD's school used to serve quite nutritionally bland stuff (hence the packed lunch) and what did irritate me was that they didn't ahve the same "rules" for their catering firm.

Blu

Marina - has had Kohl Rabi (one of the benefits (or cons if you are DS) of a box scheme is that you try all of this kind of thing! No-one seems to have cottoned on to the notion that the reason that they are not 'mainstream' veggies, is that many of them don't actually taste that good

I think we might go the plantain route for this week - as can pick those up in Catford after ballet

I think in our neck of the woods you can easily bluff your way out of it with Blu's list, don't you soapy? I should think the plantain will be enough to excite interest.

Personally, I think the list is absolutely reasonable, though it would have been more sensible to build up gradually to excluding the different junk foods. Chocolate, biscuits, etc. are nutritionally empty calories and to me don´t have a regular place in anyone´s diet. I never buy them so they are never in the house to tempt me or the kids though I don´t hesitate to buy them as treats when we are out and/or when other children are eating them.

In Belgium, a ban on chocolates and sweets in primary schools seems to be the normal thing and completely accepted. There are also weekly "fruit only days" for playtime and chips only on the last day of term. I´ve never heard anyone complain here.

Frogs, I think you´ve overacted to the note because you´re quite rightly worried about your lo´s health. But this doesn´t mean that he shouldn´t have healthier high calorie foods. And just because someone looks slim does not mean that they have a healthy heart. I think you have to teach children how to eat well from an early age so they get into good habits for life. Don´t all you ladies on a diet agree with this?

PMSL @ Blu telling Soapbox to make up some vegetables.
Absolute genius.

Celia2, that is so sad, poor wee thing