O/T: if you have children with free school meals do you also cook a hot dinner?

CookieCrisp

Hi all

Unsure if this goes here but I just wanted to know your opinions on this

I have 4 children...3 of whom are in full time school and the youngest who is in till 12.30 on a tues/thurs

The 3 in full time get free school meals (always hot)

Would you also cook a hot dinner for after school or just do sandwiches etc?

Reason I ask is that I am trying to look at ways to save money on grocery shopping. I've always done a hot dinner in the evenings and never considered doing just sandwiches instead

Thank you

Gemma

Rikki

I would still have a hot dinner. A sit down family meal to talk and enjoy being a family.

PS: Mum's food is always way better than school dinners. It's made with love.

tori.k

when my kids were primary age they would have a cooked school dinner, summertime if the weather was hot i often just do quiche, sausage rolls and picky bits like a high tea. winter i liked to know they had a hot meal dinner time as well as tea, now they are grown i cant seem to fill them up no matter what's put in front of them.

maman

The school meals are very well nutritionally balanced but IMO portions are a little on the small side for older primary age children. That's unless your school cook serves up seconds. Also some children are fussy and eat very little.

As a compromise, I'd suggest having a hot snacky meal in the evening like beans on toast, beans with a jacket, omelette, scrambled egg, HM soup etc. (A hot pudding is also very popular and filling). All of these are fairly cheap but it allows you to sit around the table, chat and encourage good habits.

CookieCrisp

Thanks everyone

Maman your ideas are great! I think I may try that for a week or so and see how the kids like it, see they are all in a small village school, around 50 pupils, the meals are quite large and they always get seconds if they ask but they are always made to sit and finish what they have first if you see what I mean, so I wouldn't say they don't eat enough there but I do understand what you're saying with the sit down meal at home etc

Thanks again

Betty_Crumble

I dont get free dinners but still pay for them as opposed to packed luch and I still do a hot meal in the evening. Just feels right to have a home cooked meal in the evening and in my opinion it is better than what I class as snack food.

littlepinky84

I have 2 in all day and 1 half day and 3 get a cooked meal at night as well as lunch at school

MRSTITTLEMOUSE

When my girls were at school they would have their lunch time meal and when they came in they'd have tea with cake and sandwiches etc.
Later when my husband came home from work we'd all have dinner together.
My kids could'nt of gone without a hot meal of an evening and in the winter especially I liked to know they'd had one.
Having dinner together also meant we could all spend a very precious hour round the table and talk.
I could never fill my lot,they would even have a light supper before bed.

Rikki

Another thought the children need to go to be with a full tummy to enable them to sleep through and allow the body to grow.

QueenB.

I understand what you are saying about trying to save money on grocery shopping, it is getting to be a weekly struggle to stay in budget and eat well lately but i agree with everyone on here a good dinner in the evening especially in winter is a great for many reasons. Just have a look around this board for some great meal ideas that don't cost too much.:)

Luciferswench

My children have school dinners and mostly go for the sandwich option so we generally have a cooked tea. IMO its cheaper to do a cooked meal than make a round of sandwiches plus sausage rolls etc.
Though i have been known to give them a sandwich as soon as they get home and then beans on toast later on. Depends how hungry/starving they claim to be upon leaving school.