According to today’s newspapers, the latest idea being bandied about to crack down on unhealthy food in schools is to ban packed lunches.
So, now not only are we being told we can’t put chocolate in packed lunches, and they’re not allowed juice either, (which is the policy in our school) now they’re discussing banning packed lunches altogether?!
How are they going to enforce that one, then? Who’s going to pay for that idea? As I know I’m not about to start forking out £20 a week on two lots of school dinners.
Do they come round and force you to pay, as if you don’t your child gets no dinner?
We’d need everyone to get it all free, for a start, as if you’ve more than one child in school it costs a small fortune.
It’s also patronising and insulting to assume that every parent needs telling what to put in their child’s lunch box, and are incapable of deciding for themselves what is and isn’t healthy.
I know what’s healthy, thanks.
They have a wide range of stuff in their lunch every day – wholemeal sandwich with some protein in, such as chicken or tuna, a piece of fruit such as an apple, banana or satsuma, a yoghurt and a home-made flapjack or bun for dessert.
If there are people out there daft enough to pack their children up with just a chocolate bar and nothing else apart from a bottle full of undiluted squash (which is the reason we’re not allowed juice, apparently) then surely it should be taken up with them?
Not blanket banning the lot of us from things as we can’t be trusted to think healthily and make our own choices.
Nope, it’s not going to work. Unless they’re prepared to give everyone free school dinners.
What do you think?
Some areas have been offering free school meals to all, so I can see it happening but perhaps not everywhere.
Making it free to everyone would be a start and would make it easier to implement.
How do we know how healthy the school dinners are really, though?!
Are they freshly made, and with a wide range of vegetables available?
If packed lunches are banned from chocolate, then how come chocolate pudding is allowed on school dinners?!
It all comes down to trust, doesn’t it – which is what they should do with us.
I’m dreading sending my twins to school in September, so many ways in which I can get it wrong and end up some naughty parent list.
I’d like to think I could be trusted enough to provide my kids lunch, I’ve managed to get them this far without major incident, but what do I know, I’m only their mother and obviously have no idea what to do!
I think the idea of school staff acting as food police and deciding what is or is not acceptable in a packed lunch is absolutely disgraceful, and banning packed lunches altogether is even worse. I had selective eating disorder as a child and could not each hot meals. What was I supposed to do if packed lunches were banned – starve?
Schools are going too far. Parents should have the final say about what their children eat. My children take packed lunches because our schools provide virtually nothing but processed, fat-filled and tasteless garbage. When you take into account various allergies, digestive ailments and food preferences, I don’t see how any school can meet the needs of each child.
That’s a good point about the allergies. Surely if you have a child with allergies you’d feel safer on packed lunches, as that way you’d know exactly what was in their dinner.
Not be forced onto school dinners where you had no control.
Ridiculous idea! Also, my kids would starve. Rightly or wrongly, I have two very fussy eaters. If they had to have school dinners they wouldn’t eat and it would be very traumatic for everyone. As it is, they have a healthy packed lunch full of the small number of foods they will eat!
I agree, this is a really crazy idea. Interestingly, the “news” coincides with the decision not to continue to fund the Childrens Food Trust.
It is a totally crazy notion and one that I donot think will tackle the growing issue, obesity. I mean, the kids can still stop off at the sweet shop on the way home, or gorge themselves on cake and sweet treats. Providing school dinners won’t change that, and who’s to stop them from taking the unhealthy option in school anyway. I do find it all rather insulting really. We are parents, trying to do good, provide a healthy lunch. In our school there is no option of school dinners, as the kitchen is long gone, due to the space needed for classrooms. The school is bulging at the seams, so what would our kids have to do then? Also as you say, paying for more than one child to have school dinners gets pricey ( I have 3 kids). We need to educate! So if you are looking for fresh fun lunch box ideas or even new kit though, do check out Lunchbox World http://www.lunchboxworld.co.uk and let me know what you think? This started up when my kids all started primary school x
That is crazy. I mean what about all the kids who might be on dietary restrictions who can’t eat a typical meal others might be able to eat. Seems not well thought out to me.
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