vegetarian child having school meals - have I been naive?

[bigmouthstrikesagain]

In thinking that the school can provide my son with a vegetarian meal every day...

My son is 4 and cannot be expected to ensure the ingredients of each meal are veggie - that is up to the school. But the very first day he has a school meal he comes home saying he had jelly for pudding - not generally veggie (although it is possible to make jelly w/out gelatine). He couldn't remember the main - but I think that was something cheesy.

So I phone the school for some reassurance - expecting them to say 'oh it was veggie' 'we have x system set up to ensure dietary restrictions are catered for' instead she sounded unsure and said she would speak to the kitchen and asked if i wanted someone to accompany my son at school meal times to ensure he got the right options.

I did not think children in reception would be left to their own devices at lunch anyway, do I have to go back to giving him a packed lunch every day?

What are other veggie parents experience - am i expecting too much?

btw Anna since when did you become the sole arbiter of what is and isn't an essential need to cater for in schools - just because my son will not die the instant a sausage roll touches his lips - does not make it a trivial issue.

Having their parents wishes and deeply held beliefs trampled on is not 'good' for children - imho.

Oh and thank you Riven

You have a very warped sense of priorities, bigmouth ...

lol bigmouthfantastic last post- please don't tripa nd smash any of your brittle bones whilst shuffling to the kitchen..

. and riven- i bloody love you today

Am strangely thinking of the owrd bellicose, not sure waht it means but prob has something to do with too much rich meat makign thinking too hard

and i love the idea that ethical consumerism is somethinng that we can chose to ignore- has anbody thoguht about the school's sustanabitltiy requriements.
Veggie det, is heaklthy, can be incredibly good ethically and doesn't traqsh the world and take food out of thrid worlk countries.

it's methane that's killing us !!

Schoolmeals being veggie would cause lots of toehr issues- for example my lot with dairy intolerances who cannot have milk(unless veggie options have improves amssively since my day most options were either veggie lasagne or cheese based!)

Peoplewho need speicaldiets need to work together not against.

Around this was there are always options of a veggie, a standard (i'm not saying omnivore as that covers milk eaters etc), and a halal with cheese and bisciuits always available and fruit. At Juniorlevel there is also a baguette bar but thats one option and often not veggie (tuna etc)- althougha s thats eaten with sandwich kids you amy as well apck your own.

I ahd to take LEA to almost court level to get school to allow a non milk based drink at snack time frmy sn so I think theres a long way to go yet.

(I wouldnt have an isue with dairy free veggie meals btw, I just dont think our catering services could manage it).

I gave up vegetarianism because of my ehalth but it ws becauise I have complex special dietary needs as well (intolerances as well) and as such i couldn't make it work for me, but I am unusualcase (dairy free, problems with iron absorption etcthat mean I have to high does iron daily to function) but I am very much an exceptiona nd I am sure if I handt had that and been faiting everywhere I would have remained veggie like my sisters have done.

Okay I have sent an email - text below - to ds school Headmaster so I wil see what response I get. Thank you for the input I have found all the replies very useful in concentrating my mind.

I know this may all seem very trivial to some - but respect for and awareness of diffrent lifestyles/ choices/ beliefs should be part of school life.

Dear Mr ----

My son attends -----, he is in the 4+ unit and has been generally very happy since starting school in September 2008.

I have also been very happy with your school and the standard of care my son recieves. However my good opinion has been shaken over the last few days in reaction to the way my sons introduction to hot school meals has been managed.

I am vegetarian so is my husband and we are raising our children as vegetarians. When my son enrolled at -- the fact he is vegetarian was clearly stated on his forms. I have also discussed the issue on at least one occasion with his excellant teacher Mrs -.

So when my son requested he try school lunches instead of a packed lunch I agreed secure in the knowledge that the school is aware of --s dietary requirements. However when my son said he had Jelly for dessert the first day (Wednesday 25th March) I was a little concerned as Jelly is more usually made with a meat based gelling agent. On questioning the school secretary reassured me that the jelly was veggie friendly however the Kitchen staff were not aware that my son is vegetarian and requested 'a note' from me to confirm this. This appears to be a very inefficient and ad hoc way to arrange your catering for a variety of dietary needs.

So I am worried that the school has not set up clear procedures to cater for dietary restrictions. This could have been dangerous, as if my son was allergic to certain ingredients what systems are in place to ensure he is not given the wrong foods? I would like to know if you have a policy regarding this issue and if you have, why is it not made explicit to parents? Or have I missed something?

I would like my son to be able to have a school meal once or twice a week - but I need some reassurance that he will be offered a healthy balanced meal suitable to his needs. Can you offer that assurance? I do appreciate that budgetary and time constraints will limit the range of options that can be offered on any given day but I would appreciate some consideration on this issue.

I look forward to your response. Many thanks.

dag nammit - typo and I have sent the damn thing already he is going to think me a total dullard now - gah!

receive receive receive

Who said jelly and cheese should be vegetarian? Not if it's the jelly made out of bones (which most of it is), or the cheese which is shaped in animals insides (which some of it is) - these are clearly not vegetarian. (Here speaks a vegetarian with a meat eating DD)

there's a missing apostrophe too bigmouth

Good for you - perhaps you should offer to go in and educate the kitchen staff. After all if some schools can do it (and i have seen 2 that can) then why not all ...

Ds had 3 bean stew for lunch yesterday with rice and vegetables - the meals there are so good I am thinking of enrolling

HSMM - the jelly and cheese used in my sons school is veggie in order to comply with the requirement to be Halal/ kosher.

I thought the main factor in cheese wasnt where it was shaped but that it usually contains calf rennet?