School lunch rant - Would you complain?

GobbledyGook

I'm raging at my daughter's school. She goes packed lunches as the quality of meals in her school is quite poor and their stock vegetarian meal seems to be macaroni cheese which she isn't very keen on (and I'm not keen on her having 4 days a week).

Anyway they are doing this whole "healthy eating" thing and a few times she's had things removed from her. I really object to it, but didn't say anything and just told her we'd have to follow the rules better (I don't believe in contradicting the school in front of her as I think it's a bad example).

However today she has come home with a slip to say that I owe the school money for her lunch as her packed lunch was deemed "unsuitable" by the lunch attendant (who is a classroom assistant). The note also had a handwritten addition stating that "dunkable type dips" are not an appropriate lunch for a child and she was given a school meal. It also said that the amount of food she brought was far too much. Also enclosed was the food guide they give out.

Her lunch was humus (homemade), guacamole (not homemade), slices of carrot, pepper and celery and 2 breadsticks. She also had a tub of mixed fruit, a tomato (she eats tomatoes like other kids eat apples) and some strawberry milk. Now she did have rather a lot of veg in her box, but I'm happy for her to eat as much of the veg as she wants.

So they took that off her and gave her a plate of macaroni cheese, potatoes, a yoghurt and her water bottle. How is that healthier?

They also told her (she's 7) that she wasn't to bring an unhealthy lunch to school again as she didn't want to get fat. I'm bloody fuming - imo you don't say things like that to children.

Anyway I'm seeing her teacher tomorrow for parent's night, but I was thinking of asking to see the Head in the morning about this lunch thing as I'm so annoyed. Would you?

Thanks. Gemma x

pegginout

Yes I would speak to to the Head.

bylromarha

pegginout wrote: »

Yes I would speak to to the Head.

Ditto.

What started as the best of intentions has created a food police.

Good luck.

skylight

Talk to the head ASAP.

I had to when my (now 8) daughter when 6, asked for exercise equipment for her christmas present. It all boiled back to this not getting fat thing at school - rather than focussing on a well rounded diet. So I had to have a chat with her teacher and the head; who denied the teaching as the problem, the kids had obviously taken what was said the wrong way (mine wasn't the only one)!!!!

We still have odd issues now.

fernliebee

I would def speak to the head, this seems ridiculous. Fair enough, like you say if it was something really bad for them or on the 'bad' list. But healthy food like that going to waste and being replaced with macaroni cheese which has little nutritional value except calories, protein and calcium (all of which are in hummus too.)

Sagz_2

I'd be banging on the Heads door first thing in the morning :mad: and not holding back.

I'm livid on your behalf :mad::mad:

Ok we know that some parents need educating about healthy eating, but you had packed a balanced, varied (veggie) lunch that you know your daughter would eat.

And as for the coment about getting fat.... I'm speachless.

Sagz_2

Oh yes - and the school could whistle for the money they say you owe them!

GobbledyGook

bylromarha wrote: »

Ditto.

What started as the best of intentions has created a food police.

Good luck.

I could totally understand why they brought it in, even though I didn't agree with it. I'm just a bit concerned at a) how far it's gone b) what they are terming bad and mostly c) them using words like "fat" and "banned" to my 7-year-old. There are no banned foods in our house, there are some foods that the kids are allowed to help themselves to anytime (fruit and chopped pepper and carrot) and foods that are limited because they are not as healthy.


I'm just struggling to work out what the woman thought was unhealthy. When she told me about it at first I thought it was the strawberry milk that was the problem, but it seems to have been the hummus and guacamole which has puzzled me.


Gemma x

elektra-2007

I would definatly approach the head teacher, and if i found i had no luck i would take it too the education. I would ask that in future if they have conserns over her packed lunch to ring and speak to you as, you would definalty know what her packed lunch consists of. I have to say im afraid I would be awkward for the next few weeks and opening the packed lunch every morning in frount of the head and assistant and asking if they have a problem with it before you leave. A few weeks of this should tell them. Why not check online to see how much raw veg is the guideline, and weigh it, then you can argue the point about how much veg she has.
Maybe they are slightly ignorant about vegatarian diets? Is there any lunch suggestions on the veg society website you could show them?
good luck....ps i would be fumming!

MILLYMOLLY

I totally agree with you and I work in a school. Sometimes schools overstep the mark because of the 'healthy schools' banner, but our school uses smash type potato which is totally unhealthy in my book, so they're contradicting themselves.
I wouldn't pay the dinner money and I'd write to the chair of governors and i'd give the same very healthy lunch, wish my kids would take that, and dare them to take it off her again. I'd also expect the T/A to apologise.

xmaslolly76

OMG has the world gone mad how can they deem that to be an unhealthy packed lunch surely they should be encouraging children to eat more fresh veg not taking it off them because they think there is too much of it. I could understand about the dunkable food if you had sent her in with those vile cheese dunker things. I would certainly go in and see them about it that is just stupidity in the highest form!