Banning School Packed Lunches

[bunyip]

I don't see how they can enforce it. I don't think they could "force" parents to pay for a school meal.

I agree. they can't force parents to pay, and I can't see how they can persuade catering firms to manage all the different diets without inflating the costs beyond what the exchequer would be prepared to pay. How can they impose it without obliging LA' to breach 1000's of existing contracts with the school catering rackets ?

If schools are to take responsibility for ensuring a child is fed, and if a child refuses what is put in front of him/her will that represent a welfare issue?

I can see another repeat of mum's passing food over the school fence, like they did in the wake of the ridiculous Jamie Oliver 'turkey twizzler' rant.

In fact, that's the nub of the problem: egotistical and hypocritical self-publicists dictating a ridiculous food agenda instead of teaching some useful science and giving people the knowledge, income and dignity with which to make good choices.

[bindy]

Yeah I remember having to eat all on my plate at school to the point of throwing it back! The reason I never make a mindee eat anything he/she does not want, nor do I use food as a reward or punishment and never say if you don't eat A you can't have B. Probably the reason why I don't really like the idea of my child eating school lunch, to me its not only the food , its how someone I don't know is going to be telling her to "Eat up Eat up" giving a sticker for a clean plate, which I really hate.

[Bumble Beez]

http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/...les.asp?id=500

Look what I just had come through via email...
Some good ideas...maybe if we all try a little harder (although my boys eat well anyway) the whole abolishing packed lunches won't happen.
I'm gonna bring this up with my school (where I'm a governor) at the next meeting and maybe see if we can hand out some of these ideas for parents...anythings worth a try hey?!

I do agree tho that I don't think as parents we can be forced to use school lunches for our children.

Sarah x

[Samijanec]

I think it's ridiculous, all my children have had packed lunches and will continue to have for as long as possible. It's not packed lunches that are making children bigger. It's play stations, computers and the likes!!!!

[bunyip]

I think it's ridiculous, all my children have had packed lunches and will continue to have for as long as possible. It's not packed lunches that are making children bigger. It's play stations, computers and the likes!!!!

Well said.

But Gove isn't going to mention that. Too many vested interests between the regime and the ICT industry. Which is why we're encouraged to increase the amount of screen time our lo's are exposed to.

Children watching other people doing sport: the great Jubilympics legacy.

[AliceK]

Healthy & Fun Lunch Ideas for Kids | SparkPeople

Look what I just had come through via email...
Some good ideas...maybe if we all try a little harder (although my boys eat well anyway) the whole abolishing packed lunches won't happen.
I'm gonna bring this up with my school (where I'm a governor) at the next meeting and maybe see if we can hand out some of these ideas for parents...anythings worth a try hey?!

I do agree tho that I don't think as parents we can be forced to use school lunches for our children.

Sarah x

Doesn't the author realise that packed lunches containing anything with nuts is banned in most schools? She mentions nuts rather a lot in her advice.

xxx

[Samijanec]

Well said.

But Gove isn't going to mention that. Too many vested interests between the regime and the ICT industry. Which is why we're encouraged to increase the amount of screen time our lo's are exposed to.

Children watching other people doing sport: the great Jubilympics legacy.

They know its the problem though, playing fields get built on, open spaces are harder to find and streets just aren't soft for kids to play on, so what else do they have to do? They need to invest money in local councils for play areas and spend less paying all these nutritionalists that give different advice each time the wind changes...

[Tunja]

Well said.

But Gove isn't going to mention that.:

Give him enough rope. TEE HEE.

I know how he can save more money too. Start school at six.

[madredann]

I used to work at an Infant school and at lunchtime I had the dinners and found them to be acceptable and even sometimes nice lol. I also used to be a dinner lady and the amount of waste was huge both for children that had dinners and sandwiches. I also used to see children chatting to their friends whilst eating the things they enjoyed- I could see what was in the lunchboxes so maybe just targetting the children that always come with foods that have little nutritious content and empty calories instead of all of the children.
I am sick and tired of hearing of new ideas which takes away the fact that parents have a responsibility for their own children. Educate educate educate both parents and children. We are all told and rightly so that children are individuals and should be treated as such children eat different things/eat different amounts etc etc what is wrong with that a balanced lunch box can contain a chocolate bar hopefully after they have eaten they are going to go and play outside with their friends or maybe have a led activity to burn off the calories perhaps thats where they need to make improvements. They cannot enforce this and if it seems that they will then parents really need to make their voices heard-it is taking away the freedom of choice for goodness sake! makes me sooo mad

[LauraS]

My dd forgot her lunchbox last week and the school kindly provided her with a school lunch. She came home delighted to tell me that she had eaten pizza and chips and jam sponge and custard, cleared her plate and had seconds of both courses because the kitchen had leftovers.

Strangely, the school newsletters often request that parents don't put unhealthy items in lunchboxes but yet they happily serve pizza and chips?

I don't see how compulsory school meals could ever be enforced for all the reasons mentioned above