School telling what to put in packed lunch?

[Twinkl3]

My friend sent her LO to school with a cheese string and it was removed from her lunchbox because of the salt content, however what the dinner ladies didn't know what that my friends LO only had one once a week as her 'treat' and was being denied it.

 

[kelzyboo]

ARGH you don't want to even hear my response if one of the lunchtime supervisors took something from my childs lunch box!! Needless to say, i wouldn't be pleasent. They have no right to do that, as a parent i and only i have the right to decide what my child can and cannot eat. I'm educated enough to be aware of good and not so good foods and its up to me to decide, not the bloody school! Seriously i'd be fuming.

Our school has 'healthy school' status too but they've never told me what i can and can't put in her lunch, i'd dare them to try! They make a point of only giving fruit and water or milk at snack time (which my LO won't touch, so has none), if they took away what i put in her lunch, or attempted to dictate to me what i can and can't give her, she'd end up with nothing to eat all day. Theres no way they'd try it with me and they wouldn't get away with it if they did.

They only allow water too as an extra drink on hot days, parents are allowed to send in a bottle of plain water to cool them, i send flavoured water. My LO doesn't like water so what, shall we let her dehydrate? No. They aren't aware that i do this but even if they were they'd have a fight on their hands trying to stop me, i'm her mum and i decide, her safety comes before the sugar content or their healthy status!!

I'd be really mad, they don't have that kind of power and if they do (or some schools do) then what about the children that won't or can't eat anything else or doesn't like milk and water, should they have no food all day because they don't consider it healthy?

I'd put my foot down honestly, a few little treats in an otherwise healthy diet is absolutely fine and teaching our kids that it isn't ok to eat anything but fruit is going to cause some warped idea's and relationships with food in the future. They need to teach moderation, not cut things out altogether. Its all gone mad in my opinion! x

 

[Nic1107]

When I was a kid we weren't allowed soda at school lunch, but that's it and I agree with the ban. No nuts I can understand to if there is actually a kid in her class with a severe allergy. But I challenge anyone to tell me what I'll be feeding my daughter, and God help anyone who takes away something I've given her!

 

[kelzyboo]

I also agree with no nuts if there are allergies, but everything else is not up to them to decide! x

 

[StarrySkies]

I was thinking this just the other day. I sent my LO to Pre-school with a pouch of fruit puree that is 100% fruit but because it wasn't in the form of a 'whole apple' he's apparently not allowed it... It's fresh fruit or nothing apparently..

Even at my older two's school they make a habbit of 'checking' the kids lunch bags randomly.. It really annoys me. They don't take chocolate to school although they are 'allowed' chocolate biscuits (as per ther school policy) but when they serve total and upper crap on the 'cooked' school meals, i.e sticky tofee pudding it don't half make me laugh!!

x

 

[smelly07]

They encourage healthy eating at my daughters school and give you a list of foods that are NOT allowed in lunch boxes such as fizzy drinks and chocolate bars before they start school...(they do offer hot meals to but my daughters a fuss pot and doesnt like 90% of the things on the menu) Personally my daughters lunch boxes are healthy anyway and would be even if the rules werent in place however one valentines day i put a small heart shape chocolate in her lunchbox that a dinner lady took away..............which really peed me off it was in replacement of her usual biscuit/sponge based treat and the rest of her lunch was healthy and the small choc heart had less chocolate sugar and fat than her normal treat!

I think there do need to be rules in place as before this took place some of the childrens lunch boxes were terrible, i have even heard a story of a child taking in a left over happy meal to finish of at lunch.

so whilst i think its a good thing i think it can be taken to the extreme xxxx

 

[laurenfreya]

They have this policly at our school. One time i ran out of somthing i replaced it with a sweet, it was taken away and Lauren came home with a letter. I happend to have a look at the school menu that day and they had chocolate pudding with chocolate custard. Yet my daugher couldnt have a couple of chocolate coins???? I wont do it again but if i was to and got the letter i would let rip!!!

 

[lindseymw]

I think it's absolutely shocking tbh. Nuts, fair enough for allergies....but a small chocolate bar? I would go berserk if they took it off my child! Even if I sent him to School with a packed lunch full of crisps, sweets & chocolate, surely that is my choice & the school needs to respect my decision I make regarding my child?!

My mam's a dinnerlady at a Primary School & they don't take away food from the Child.

 

[sabby52]

We have a very strict healthy eating policy at all our schools in this area, no sweets, crisps, fizzy juice and the newest one in Dans school is no salt, his whole lunch time menu has been renewed and all the food are low salt/salt free. It doesnt really bother me as my boys wouldnt get swets and crisps in their lunch boxes anyway and they dont drink fizzy drinks (except special occasions and treats) and I never add salt to any of my food anyway

 

[tina_h75]

My daughter has just started her new nursery and at the last one she went to, I used to send her in with a packed lunch because she is a fussy eater and wouldn't have the cooked dinners they provided. When I mentioned this to her new nursery they wouldn't even allow her to bring in her sandwiches - she has to have the meals that they cook!

 

[mum22ttc#3]

My Daughters school is the same, they regularly send letters home telling you what to and what not to put in lunch boxes. The main ones they are not allowed are chocolate, fizzy pops and crisps. TBH it doesn't really bother me as her lunch box isn't made up of any of these so it doesn't actually affect me 99% of the time.

I say 99% of the time because once every half term (so every 6-7 weeks) we do go to the bakery and she will have a small cake in her lunch box. I don't see the problem with this as like I say it isn't a regular thing and for the rest of the time her lunch box is a healthy one, usually she will have fruit, yogurt and either a sandwhich, wrap, pitta or pasta salad. I would be annoyed though if they was to take the cake away and would be going into the office to make sure it wouldn't be happening again.

Although I do agree with it being a parents choice I do think that it is a good thing that they have rules in place. There is a family I walk behind nearly every morning and every morning without fail they either go into the shop or the bakery and fill their kids lunch boxes with sausage rolls and cakes (I'm not being nosey its just something I've noticed), they also eat cakes or sausage roll on their way to school every morning, I'm assuming this is probably their breakfast and if not their snacks. While it is a parents choice this also can't be healthy Saying this though even though I know the school randomly check they also can't be doing much about it for it to be happening every day.

 

[TaylorsMummyx]

Taylor had peanut butter in.her sandwiches anf I got told of

 

[BunnyFace]

If it was for allergy reasons I'd understand but not because other kids might get upset. I highly doubt they would, I dont remember caring what the other children had at school. Ridiculous if you ask me!

 

[gills8752]

I had that in my school when I was a kid. School rules, no junk food. No one really complained about it either. I don't see the problem really - encourages a better diet and kids can still have their treats at home.

 

[Baby France]

I think there is being cautious and then there is taking things to far.

I know that I allow the kids to have treats, but to be told not to put them in because someone else may get upset is taking it too far.

I wouldn't be that bothered if they sent a letter as part of their 'healthy school' status and I knew before they started what their policies were on things like this.

But sometimes they just need to allow kids to be kids and I tell you what, I would have a few harsh words to say if they took the treat out of my childs box/hands

 

[happygal]

it makes me laugh that they are so strict on what can go in a packed lunch and they say its down to healthy eating but its ok for children who have school meals to have things like chips and cake and custard. doesnt make much sense to me x

 

[maryp0ppins]

I don't have any kids of my own but I remember when my little sister was younger and in primary school she would have a bag of salt and vinegar crisps with every lunch, one day the lunch lady threw them out and told her she couldnt have them----thing is she has cystic fibrosis and needs EXTRA salt above and beyond what a normal person does(at her age the easiest thing to get her to eat was crisps) and my parents had told her she HAD to eat salty things or she would get very ill,she came home from school crying thinking she was going to die. worst thing was the school had been advised of this and told my parents it was okay she had the crisps!

 

[xashleyx]

i think it is soooo stupid! my son aint aloud peanuts of any sort incase anyone has allergies which is fair enough, but if they took anything of my child there would be hell to pay!! they have never said anything to us but i think we all have enough common sense to put in healthy things into there packed lunch, my son gets a sandwhich,fruit,yoghurt and a small chocolate bar or crisps, with bottle of water or diluting juice (very watered down) jeez we cant do bugger all nowadays!

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

My son also has flavored water for his daytime drink lol they do know though but they wouldn't dare try and stop it. One time he re-filled it at the fountain and wondered why it was not flavored lmao!

My son will only eat peanut butter sandwiches at the moment which could be a problem but he does not have his lunch in the hall anyway he goes to a lunch club (hall is to busy) and lucky none of the kids have allergies. I have told the school before whatever I put in, they can eat.


My daughters school said she was not allowed those mini jaffa cakes. Well lets just say that went well and now she is allowed them. I normally put them in on a Friday when the school lunch have ice cream so she does not feel left out.

 

[holly2234]

I would be fuming if anyone ever tried to take anything from my childrens lunches! So it looks like they would rather have them go hungry than let them eat what the parent clearly sees fit. In the end, its the parents choice and everybody needs to respect that. If it happens to my daughter when the time comes, there will be some very strong words.

My DD's nursery even allows them biscuits once a week and they make cakes with the children and they are allowed to eat some. She is allergic to dairy though so they now make all of the cakes with dairy free spread which they were perfectly happy to do. No children miss out that way.