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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

Sch9oll dinners -- do your DCs get them?

102 replies

eleusis · 07/01/2008 16:23

I'm feeling like the nutrition geschtapo for not letting my DD get school dinners. I'm just not convinced they are nutritionally sound. And wondered if I'm in the minority.

So, just wondered if your DCs get them? Do you think they have improved with the new government guidelines?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Clary · 08/01/2008 13:20

what's with the bread anyway? Not sure it's even offered at our school, it was certainly a big highlight when DS1 started at jnrs.

At our school (which is the only one I can pontificate on) the children are served what they ask for (apart from salad bar) so an MDS would encourage them to try some veg and not just have a plateful of white bread. They also do stickers for healthy choices and finishing their meal etc. Not sure what more they can do tbh. Often one of the best ways to educate chidlren (IME) is to give them some responsibility.

Original poster

eleusis · 08/01/2008 13:21

Oh, and I'm quite happy for her to eat potatoes. They just don't count as the veg in my book. They are a carb like rice, bread, pasta, etc.

OP posts:

colditz · 08/01/2008 14:18

At our school the child Have to choose something from the 'meal' trolley, something from the veg trolley, and something from the carb trolley (if the meal isn't carby anyway)

dinny · 08/01/2008 14:23

if your child has a cooked lunch, what kind of tea to do you do in evening?

dd seems hungrier after school lunch than packed - weird!

aintnomountainhighenough · 08/01/2008 14:40

My DD has school lunches twice a week, a lady in the village provides them. They are OK however I think they are expensive at 2.25 and there is only 1 choice. Also they seem to have green jelly with squirty cream and sprinkles every week - euch! When the warmer weather comes she will be back to packed lunch.

I have been amazed though, the same person provides the lunches to the local pre-school - not many parents seemed to worry that the selection of sandwiches always included jam on white and jelly was served everyday!

FWIW I am with eleusis on the white bread - my understanding is that it is practically devoid of any nutrition and brown multi seeded break is soooo much nicer. Am happy with potatoes as a carb, which they are. Also agree with pointydog - butter is good. Fat is actually good - just like everything else in moderation.

Twiglett · 08/01/2008 14:41

yes they do

yes they're great .. cooked on school premises (always have been) fresh food

think you're mad and control-freakery personally

harman · 08/01/2008 14:48

Message withdrawn

prettybird · 08/01/2008 14:56

I've described below what ds eats in the evening (at 10:38).

I'd initially posted under my Christmas name (at 10:24) and then changed it back to my "real" name.

Ds used to get (at his request) a packed lunch on a Friday - but as at the moment all school meals are free, he doesn't get that anyomore - but he's also not asking for it, as presumably his friends who used to have packed lunches are now having school dinners.

We've had to tell ds to stop bringing home wee packets of raisins as he gets them at lunch and doesn't eat them. We now have a whole big bowl of them!

Clary · 08/01/2008 14:57

lol twig tell it like it is

differentYearbutthesamecack · 08/01/2008 16:27

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

roisin · 08/01/2008 16:39

(Clary - he has his light on until 7.30 "reading time"; and also he's an early bird. We managed to get him to stay in bed til at least 8 am for most of the hols, but so far this week he's been up and dressed by 7 am At least he "gets up and gets on with it" quietly these days.)

Original poster

eleusis · 08/01/2008 17:00

That's not really helpful Twig.

OP posts:

roisin · 08/01/2008 17:10

I'm with Twiglett actually.

I know several anorexic teenagers (including boys) and I am really concerned at how we are 'demonising' certain foods, even regular everyday items. If children as young as 4 are picking up from us these food attitudes, we are storing up trouble for the future IMO.

I do not, and never have, disguised or hidden vegetables from my boys. They have eaten a wide variety of foods (including yes fruit shoots, McDonalds, white bread and all manner of other contraband).

But yes at 4 they would accept any and all veg on their plate, and would eat it (at home and at schooo), and they still do not (aged 8 and 10). As they've grown older they've expressed stronger preferences, but they both eat a very wide variety of veg and fruit.

Original poster

eleusis · 08/01/2008 17:20

I'm sorry, what is the connection to anorexic teenagers?

OP posts:

Twiglett · 08/01/2008 18:47

children also learn good eating patterns by eating with peers

I find it strange to demonsise food and hide vegetables personally

you said you feel like the nutrition gestapo .. I think your feelings have justification

let her find her balance .. they will not be serving 'bad' food at school .. go and check them out ..

TellusMater · 08/01/2008 18:53

I used to be a bit snitty about hiding veg as well. But then DD decided she wasn't going to eat anything except tomatoes. So she eats lots of tomato and bean (and whizzed veg) soup, and pasta with bean sauce (same stuff, a bit thicker, vary veg according to availability).

I do give her veg on the side to turn her nose up at though. That way, she eats veg, and still gets to reject some as well.

She will be having school dinners...

dooley1 · 08/01/2008 18:53

chopchopbusybusy - you said you don't give packed lunches because you would be giving cheese sandwiches.
I said I don't see the need for 2 hot meals a day.
So I was asking you if you give cheese sandwiches at night? If so then why not just at lunchtime?

dooley1 · 08/01/2008 18:54

I don't see the problem with a cheese sandwich everyday anyway

stripeymama · 08/01/2008 19:07

Potatoes might not count as a vegetable but they are more nutritious than people seem to think - here

FlameNFurter · 08/01/2008 19:16

I like the dinners at ours. I don't do it anymore because DD needs everything the same, and gets all of a fluster when her sandwiches are a different shape, a new dinner every day was too much for her.

She has requested them again though, so I am pondering... (she requested because mummy forgot her lunch and she had one). I will wait a couple of weeks though until the menu has rotated back to the one she had before

chopchopbusybusy · 08/01/2008 23:50

Dooley - I didn't mention cheese sandwiches.

bozza · 09/01/2008 09:49

In a way I think it is good for them to have school dinners and make their own choices. It is that first bit of nutritional independence. In the same way when we eat out I let them chose their own meals from the menu after discussion. But when I cook they eat what they're given - or leave it.

And I am not keen on the idea of hiding veg but admit that might be because I have good veg eaters.

Original poster

eleusis · 09/01/2008 11:29

I can't really grasp this concept that hiding veg equates to demonising food. DD is just a bad eater all round. Always has been. I have to accept she will eat like a bird. I could drive myself crazy trying to get her to do otherwise. But, I do insist that what little she does eat is nutritious.

She does eat:
white bread
McDonalds
cookies
chocolate
crisps

The list goes on, but she needs to eat something nutritious once a day. And I think her main meal at lunch time is the appropriate place to insist on that nutrition.

I may very well be quite happy with the nutrition on offer in the school dinner. But, I can't know that if they won't tell me what is in it.

Insisting that my child eat helthful food once or twice a day will hardly contribute to futurre ill health -- my intention is quite the opposite.

OP posts:

prettybird · 09/01/2008 13:32

I try to do the same eleusis - sometimes I depsair about how little ds seems to eat and how much energy I know he expends!

I also "hide" veg: my shepherds pie is now a (extremely tasty) masterpice of hidden veg, with tomatoes, spinach, carrots, onion and celery mixed in with minced lamb and parsnips and/or carrots and/or turnips mixed into the mashed potato. Plus he has to eat the peas served alongside! It's about the only meal where I know he gets a proper serving's worth of veg.

When he was wee he loved all fruit and veg - now the only fruit I can get into him are strawberries and the only veg I can get him to eat (nearly) willingly are peas. Where did I go wrong?

But unlike you I am confident that the school meal's he gets are healthy, even though I have never seen any!

HappyMummyOfOne · 11/01/2008 17:45

Our school dinners are great, theres a nice daily choice, daily salad and fruit bar and chips are only on the menu once a month.

DS was a fussy eater before starting reception in September and I thought he would pull his face at the dinners but had no problems whatsoever. He eats far more different things now - probably because he sees other children eating them. He's still not too keen on veg but will eat as much fruit as you can give him so not worried.

I still offer a cooked tea most nights as I cook for us all - as he has dinner at 12 and we dont eat until around 6.30 he is ready for a meal rather than a sandwich.

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