How do I plan meals around school dinners?

mumoftwins

It may also be worth considering portion sizes for the school lunch?

My two left junior school last July and had always had school lunches, but as they got older the portion sizes weren't enough for them and they used to come home from school 'starving' so a I did a hot meal in the evening most nights, although once or twice a week we would have something on toast.

kunekune

My two have school lunches and also a snack at their after school club, but I still do a cooked meal in the evening for all of us. Myself and OH don't usually have a cooked lunch, so we need it. When they started the lunches, I wasn't sure whether they'd need it/eat it, but have found they are completely unpredictable. Some days, the fat one decides he's not bothered and goes off to play on his computer. Other days, he's ravenous and manages three bananas followed by a cooked meal (I only do one course but it's substantial). The thinnish one almost always wants something. What I do is put the 'main' bit of the meal out on everyone's plate and then there will be extras in bowls, such as the potatoes/rice, whatever veges we are having. The children have small portions, and can ask for more. If it isn't all eaten, it is used in another meal, so we don't have much wastage. A couple of times a week I give them something quick and easy, like soup and toast or beans on toast, and the grownups have something the children don't like, such as a spicy curry.

ALIBOBSY

My kids like to have a hot lunch in the winter so prefer to go on school dinners then. But prefer a packed lunch in summer (DS is not a big fan of lettuce so can stand all the salad type lunches school put on in summer). £2.50 a day sounds alot though. We pay £1.75 a day (has just gone up). My son gets good value though as they know if they have leftovers he is one of those who will ALWAYS have seconds. Or ins ome cases 6th rofl. He will they have a full cooked tea as well. But he is like his dad and thin as anything. There is nothing wrong with kids having 2 cooked meals but I would imagine they will have smaller portions at night, DD1 does eat less when on school lunches, DS has the same tea but probably doesn't snack as much when he gets home from school.

ali x

tiddly_widdly

my 2 oldest in high school, take £2.00 per day for their lunch, occasionally a packed lunch. My youngest always had packed lunches until the school went onto cooked meals. They are very healthy and cost £2.20 per day. We get a menu the week before to pick what we want and pay accordingly. She goes thorugh the menu and some weeks has all 5 other weeks she may only have 2 or 3 and the rest packed lunches. I think in terms of cost its similar and I know she has eaten healthily. The older 2 Im not entirely sure what they eat but I look at it this way - I cook healthy meals at home so school is possibliy their 'junk' fix.
I cook the same meals as normal but my youngest started putting on a little weight so we just cut down her portion sizes slightly. (she doesnt know as I dont want her paranoid about weight and diets ) she doesnt always want a lot though either, it balances out.
Personally I wouldnt worry about 2 hot meals, its probably healthier than having too much bread anyway.

SunnyGirl

My youngest is still in primary school and until 3 months ago he always had packed lunches. The elder ones had lunches at high school but I know that they didn't choose the healthy options very regularly (especially the boys) & DH & I always have sandwiches/soup for lunch. I, personally, have always just made a cooked meal in the evening regardless of what anyone has had for lunch. The portions at school are a lot smaller than I would serve to children of the same age and my 10yo is always 'starving' when he comes home. He doesn't eat as big a portion as his elder brothers (16 & 14) but eats about the same as his sister (also 16) if that doesn't sound too wierd.

My husband is also a school governor at both our primary & high school and I know what you mean about loyalty to the governing board but you have to do what suits your family & you. HTH.

Rummer

£2.50 is a huge amount to spend per day on a hot school meal. The local authorities round here change £1.35 - £1.50 for a nutritious hot lunch.

MrsBartolozzi

You might find there is little difference in the appetites of your kids whether they had a hot lunch or sandwiches. My two eat the more or less same amount every night no matter what their lunch was, and they are always starving when they get home from school too.
Putting the meal into serving dishes to allow the children to serve themselves sounds like a good idea, as already suggested by kunekune.

poppet

On the days our children have school dinners they also have their usual hot meal in the evening.

I dont change anything or give them any less on their plate in the evening just because they have had a hot meal during the day.

Two "healthy" and "balanced" hot meals per day is prefferable (IMO) to one hot meal in the eveing and a packed lunch at lunch time.

If your child has a hot meal at school and another hot meal in the evening at home, it isnt neccesarly an unhealthy diet (providing both meals are balanced and nutritious)

fallen121

My daughter started off with a packed lunch but then switched to school dinners after the Council offered free school meals to P1 - P3 for a period of 18 months. That trial has now ended but with the exception of brief periods and holiday clubs, she mainly has a hot lunch. We pay £1.55 per day = £7.75 per week.

We still have a hot meal in the evenings because:

Mum and Dad have packed lunches and need a hot meal
Everyone eats the same
We often don't eat until 7 which even with a fruit snack after school is an awful long time for a young child to go bearing mind she eats at 12
Sometimes if she doesn't like the hot meal she's opting for the school packed lunch anyway!!
My daughter does ballet/tap/jazz/swimming after school so is usually ravenous!!

rachbc

when my son had school dinners he needed an evening meal more than he did now he has a good pack up! Plus being a bit of a control freak I wanted to know he'd had at least 1 good meal a day. If you don't want them to have another meal just give them what you would have as a pack up for a 'table picnic tea' and cook and eat for he rest of you as you would have. No more work or expense for you than would have been making the pack up and just explain to the kids why.

eta 2.50 is a lot for a school meal, personally I'd stick with a pack up