Should schools dictate what goes in your child's lunchbox?

[JustineMumsnet]

Hi all,
We've been asked by the Press Association to comment on the Packed Lunch Policy, which advises that lunch boxes should include at least one portion of fruit and one portion of vegetables every day and should avoid crisps, chocolate bars, biscuits and sweets. Maybe you've been told off for putting a treat in your child's lunchbox? Or maybe you're pleased that government's helping you stand up to pester power? Do you think the guidelines necessary/useful? (Thanks in advance)

Here's why they are asking:

By Rosa Silverman, Press Association

(ADVISORY: First ran yesterday under embargo)

Page 1: 02:47

Nearly two thirds of parents believe schools should not dictate what they put in their children's lunch boxes, according to new research released today.

The Government's School Food Trust (SFT) has issued advice on the subject and early last year drew up a Packed Lunch Policy schools could use.

But a survey suggests parents resent such intervention, with 64% saying schools should not tell them what to put in their children's packed lunches.

Just 10% of parents interviewed admitted that their children were not eating the healthy lunch they packed for them, the study by consumer researchers Mintel found.

Emmanuelle Bouvier, senior consumer analyst at Mintel, said: "Mums and dads may feel insulted at the assumption that they don't know what to put into a simple packed lunch.

"Many parents choose packed lunches precisely because it gives them greater control over what their child eats - much more so than with school dinners.

"These new guidelines clearly take this control away and understandably this is putting people's backs up."

But the survey also suggested that parents had been making healthier food choices for their children since the Government published its guidelines.

In 2006, before the latest initiatives were introduced, 66% of mothers said they tried to give their children a mixture of healthy food and treats.

In the latest survey this number rose to 86% of parents.

Nearly three quarters of parents (71%) thought school dinners were healthier than they used to be.

The SFT said its packed lunch guidance was intended to help schools work with parents to ensure as many children as possible received the fuel they needed to stay healthy and alert.

A spokesman said: "Our research has clearly shown that the average packed lunch is not as nutritionally sound as a school dinner which is, of course, now subject to rigorous standards.

"It is up to individual schools to adopt policies of their own but many parents have told us that school meals can take away the worry of putting together a packed lunch because they are nutritionally balanced."

The guidelines include advice that lunch boxes should include at least one portion of fruit and one portion of vegetables every day and should avoid crisps, chocolate bars, biscuits and sweets.

:: A sample of 532 parents or guardians of children aged four to 16 were interviewed.

end

Really? Do you never go from 9 to 12.30 without eating? I'm the size of a small house and I do that every day! Maybe I'm living on fat reserves!

Sorry seeker, I did not realise you were a school child!

Why do they have to have breakfast so early? If they do, could they not have a snack on the way to school? And a banana at break time? And whatever you want to give them when they are picked up from school. That means they only have to survive on fruit, yougurt, cheese, sandwiches, vegetables, juice and water from 8.30 to 3.15.

That was directed to hotcheeseBURNS, gorione

seeker, I am asking for the right to feed my children according to their lifestyle is that really so wrong?

What does it matter to you why my children are having brakfast so early? bottom line is they have to!

I realised after , sorry seeker.

My dcs school doesn't have any snack at break except the free fruit. I am quite happy with that, I don't think my ds needs a snack between breakfast and lunch. What I don't like is criticism of perfectly ordinary foods and the assumption that he isn't getting a balanced diet based on looking at 5 meals a week. Like lots of small boys he is a slow eater and I like him to have things that he will eat quickly which means it may not have the exact proportions of carbs/fat/protien/fibre etc. He usually has either pasta or rice and one piece of fruit because if he has sandwiches he eats too slowly. I don't want to be told that he can no longer have mac and cheese because cheese has high fat and salt, or he can't have spag bol because it is cooked with oil and has Parmesan on it. Its the criticism of normal food that I am against. (by normal I mean cheese/yoghurt/small plain biscuit or cake/marmite/jam rather than penguin or crisps, even if it is only a small bag with reduced salt). Only eating fruit and raw veg and only drinking water (ds thinks milk makes you fat) is not a healthy diet.

I think a blanket ban on additives which cause hyperactivity would be a good idea.

You keep missing the point Gorionine, this is not all about your children, it is about the entire pupil population. The school decides on these matters with the benefit of all in mind. I might like my children to go to school wearing a tracksuit because it is comfy and practical, the school has a strict uniform. I have to follow that because that is the school I chose and (presumably you did too) that is what is the best for the majority.

No, never. I guess everyone's different, including children.

Who eats breakfast at nine anyway?

i don't think that schools should tell us what to put in our pack lunch boxes. the only think i agree with if the class is asked not to bring nut pruducts/or any other things a child in that class my be allergic to, into school. if my son has a bit of his friends sandwitch which contains nuts he'll be of to hospital.

FGS!!No one is suggesting banning cheese or pasta, it is about fizz, chocolate, crisps and sweets. Maybe providing alternative suggestions to having 2 sausage rolls every day.

Our school is suggesting banning cheese and yogourt because of high level of sugar and salt bamboustalk. It is not just about fizz and sweets, it is becomming about anything that has more sugar than a celery stick (hyperbole alert)!

bamboostalks, sorry about your name

I'm a bit surprised that schools actually ban cheese or yoghurt. Those policy guidelines in the OP aren't suggesting that. Banning crisps and chocolate and sweets is totally different from banning things like cheese.

What would veggie children be having in their sandwiches, if cheese, marmite and nuts were all banned? It doesn't really seem feasible.

My children do have the sort of packed lunches which Gorianine sees as totally inadequate for a child during the school day. They are active, do lots of sports and outdoor play. They seem perfectly healthy and not half starved on it. If they are hungry you can add another sandwich.

Oh when I am told by school and by several good intentionned people on the thread what I should put in my children lunch box, it does indeed make it about them, weather you like it or not.

OP also was about YOUR CHILD LUNCH BOX so I am answering for my children because I know their circoumstances.

A "one size fits all" school policy is not right as children do not all have the same lifestyle and appetite. If It was about putting more food than your child can cope with would you agree on the bases that some children somewhere are underweight?

Fennel, Seeker, bamboostalks when did I ask for sugestions for my lunchboxes again? I am perfectly happy with it thank you!

The school foods trust is saying that full fat cheese and milk should not be served at all and cheese (reduced fat) should not be served as a vegetarian option more than once a week. If these enforceable guidelines are extended to cover packed lunch than we are talking about cheese (and pasta as they also recommend that brown/wholemeal rice and pasta are used instead of white). Yoghurt served by schools should be low fat too which would lead to low fat only yoghurts in lunchboxes. There is also a lot of talk from the schools food trust about plain yoghurt only.

Marmite has been banned by one council in all its schools although only in breakfast clubs, not packed lunches. I don't see any reason to think that they wouldn't ban marmite in packed lunches too if their own rules covered packed lunches provided by parents as well as food sold in schools

I have read more than one thread on here about peoples dcs being told that they shouldn't have a jam sandwich.

These are ordinary foods. We are not just talking about fizzy drinks and crisps.

See no problem with schools banning sweets and fizzy drinks and our school does. Wish they would ban crisps too.

OTH am not impressed that our school has impressed on the children that many normal food stuffs are 'bad' and that fruit and veg are 'good'. I have spend ages trying to get dd to understand that carbs and fats are also good and have turned into my mother with my 'Everything in moderation' rant.

If they started to ban jam and cake and toher things like that then I would not be impressed at all but tbh I cant see the school doing this and am a bit gobsmacked that there are schools doign this.

Gorionine - no I can't rebel against the bizarre cream cracker ban much as I wanted to. The teacher looked like she was going to be giving dd a hard time over it .

I did go in though and the teacher and I had a lively debate discussion on the matter, but she wouldn't budge and had the might of 'school policy' backing her up

She also said I was 'lucky' that they didn't check lunchboxes 'yet'. Good lord that really did wind me up and I'm quite an easy going sort as a rule.

I suppose I could take it further, but it's so absurd I can't be wasting time on it. Anyway I could feel a subtle black mark against me being issued just for questioning them in the first place. How very dare I!?

The ironic thing is that dd is so very keen on fruit that it's really part of the problem. Grapefruit (any fruit!) is virtually all she will eat for breakfast, no matter what I try to tempt her with.

The trouble was she was feeling quite faint before lunch time and I felt the cracker option would have helped her. Also they keep putting her in for a late lunch sitting which means she often eats later than midday.

I wasn't sending in sweet biscuits or cakes - I gave it some consideration because contrary to their belief I think I do know what I'm doing when it comes to feeding my dc.

I do so agree with you TsarCasm as I think in this day in age everyone seems to know how to feed your child exept yourself, well not just you but the parents in general (still according to their belief)

I am at the fact they would be be giving a hard time to youd DD for something YOU, for the good reasons that are yours have packet for her.

I said I'd agree with guidelines (and I still do), but reading the thread more in depth, I've realized that the idea of a "healthy diet" has been taking to extremes in some schools.
Banning a cream cracker for snack time sounds a bit silly. A good number of children need some carbs mid morning. Crackers/cereal bars aren't ideal, but are fine as part of a more complex/varied diet.

not taking, taken

the reason there is so much fuss about this is that the majority of parents do feed children on junk because it is convenient and you get pestered into it. I've done it myself - but I know it is bad for my children and I'd like to be under less pressure.

Strange that everyone claims to feed their children healthy food but I've only met 2 children who actually ate like that even most of the time - and my children have a lot of friends from a wide range of backgrounds.

And if nuts were permitted in any school my child was at I would be talking to the governors!

no - mu daughter is only at preschool _ shes just turned 3. She has packed lunch 3x a week.
All her food is home cooked, mostly organic, lots locally sourced too. I rarely buy anything processed at all. First day i sent her with some homemade flapjack that had chopped apricots and raisins in - that was sent back. BUT i know other children who go and they are allowed to eat processed cereal bars that are crammed full of all sorts or rubbish. Then i was her birthday, on the food policy it said bithday cake was allowed, so on the monday she had some, they let her have it - but on the tuesday she wasnt allowed. Totally ridiclous i say. She eats a very balanced diet 95% of the time. It makes me very very angry that they should dictate to me what i can and cant feed her... unless i was giving her rubbish everyday- in which case they should have a word with the parents, not speak to the child about it.