Ham salad as main meal

[LOOPYLISA]

I agree with what someone else has said. Some parents like their child to have at least one hot meal a day, so if they've had sandwiches at lunchtime, they want them to have something cooked in the evening.

My husband is the same. He always says the children need a hot meal in the evening. I say they don't. As long as it's a well balanced meal, what difference does it make it if it's hot or cold?

If all the children are happy to eat salad, I don't see a problem with it. I would probably add some crusty bread and maybe half a boiled egg (delicious with ham), but only because my children are picky about salad

[AliceK]

I sometimes do a cold meat salad for evening meal especially if the weather is warm. I usually do some new potatoes with it and sometimes some pasta salad / cous cous. I don't charge extra for meals so I will serve a balanced meal of my choice. Occasionally like the other week we had a family fun afternoon at school which I wanted to take all the children to but it meant I wouldn't have time for the children to eat a full meal and still get to the fun event so I sent a letter home telling parents that on that day all day EY children would get a hot lunch but that evening tea would be a snack that day rather than a full cooked meal. The children chose to have toasted sandwiches. No complaints from parents.

xxxx

[EmmaReed84]

The problem I think, is people see salad as more of an "adult" thing to eat. I went to visit my sister and she put a lunch spread on for us all. There were sausage rolls, crusty rolls, ham, cheese and salad... if was kind of a buffet style and she thought the salady stuff the adults would eat and the sausage rolls the kids would eat...

... Well my son didn't didn't touch the sausage rolls and infact asked for 2nd helpings of the salad... much to my sisters and her partners surprise... DH and I however ate the sausage rolls and left the salad

[hectors house]

Sounds good to me if you know kids will eat salad - how about half a tin of soup and bread first?

Parents just don't seem to realise how difficult it is to feed children when you have to fit in activities and have children coming and going at different times.

On a Wed I do a school pick up and get back about 3.45 pm, I have to get them sat up for tea by 4 pm (2 just have light snack - as parents turn up anywhen between 4 & 5), 1 baby goes about 4.20 pm (mum wants me to give him full tea - haven't managed it yet before she arrives) and one goes at 5 pm (and is very slow eater). I won't sit them up before 4 as need time to settle back in (school ones), wash hands etc.

[Tealady]

Perfectly respectable dinner. Protein, carb & veg so a balanced meal. It is one meal out of the 21 the child will have in a week. If the weather was hotter perhaps she wouldn't have such an issue.

Sorry I have a bit of a bee in my bonnet about parents being funny about what meals I supply

[PixiePetal]

I agree with what someone else has said. Some parents like their child to have at least one hot meal a day, so if they've had sandwiches at lunchtime, they want them to have something cooked in the evening.

My husband is the same. He always says the children need a hot meal in the evening. I say they don't. As long as it's a well balanced meal, what difference does it make it if it's hot or cold?

If all the children are happy to eat salad, I don't see a problem with it. I would probably add some crusty bread and maybe half a boiled egg (delicious with ham), but only because my children are picky about salad

Hot kids meals are usually cold by the time they finish anyway

If all the food groups are in the meal then I see no difference

[Helen79]

If all the food groups are in the meal then I see no difference

I suppose it's just what you're used to eating. One meal in the week isn't worth complaining about though I can see why the parent might have commented.
We have a cold lunch, sandwiches, salads etc and a hot dinner at 5pm. I wouldn't feel as thought I'd eaten properly in the day if I had 2 cold meals even if I had eaten all my food groups.
If I gave ds a salad for dinner he would think it was a starter and wonder where the rest of his dinner was

When I was kid we had a hot meal at lunch time then a snack tea. When I visit my parents I find it difficult to adjust to having a filling hot meal during the day which then makes me feel sluggish in the afternoon and am starving after my sarnies in the evening.

[Tatjana]

If it's a one off I can't see what the problem is and it's not like it's mid bleak winter so that a hot meal is essential.

[janminder]

Well it is all prepared hopefully for quick dish up parent ok this morning. Some days it is so hard to do meals after school run with early pick ups when you are not straight indoors.

[sarahstanbridge]

that sounds fine to me. i love a salad for tea. my lot wont eat it though so i give them some veg like peas or green beans instead of the salad xxx

[Bridey]

and it's not like it's mid bleak winter

Blinkin' feels like it is!

[green puppy]

Well it is all prepared hopefully for quick dish up parent ok this morning. Some days it is so hard to do meals after school run with early pick ups when you are not straight indoors.

This is why I stopped doing teas and now do snack instead. Found everything a rush, prepared or not, and the children just wanted to play/relax etc... Half the time they were not ready for a full meal before 5pm and were happier with a snack. Ham salad is fine though whatever the weather!