Free school meals: Healthy??

[LouieM]

Hiya,

I'm never one to look a gift horse in the mouth and was delighted when it was announced that school meals would be free for reception - Yr 2. But after nearly a term, I wonder how healthy they are - or am I just thinking too much about it? Every day there is a different hot pudding with custard or ice cream. One pudding is ice cream with shortbread biscuits! Today my kids said they had pizza with baked beans plus cake and custard. Am I being over-sensitive or is this really not very healthy? If it was up to me, the pudding would be fruit or yoghurt every day except Friday!

[SLad]

No, I agree. Having a sugary dessert every lunchtime is such a bad habit and can wreak havoc to little systems because of the sugar ups and downs.

Perhaps you could speak to other parents and raise it at the next PTA meeting? Surely it couldn't cost them more in terms of cost per bowl and man hours to have yogurt or buy tinned fruit in fruit juice?

If there's no way out of it I guess it's packed lunches from here on in...

[Monkey]

Agree re: sugary dessert. This has always annoyed me from nursery to date (year 1). I don't think this is to do with free school meals though, just school meals! Not sure what to do about it.

[Pickle]

There should be other options offered too. My (weird) kids don't like puddings with sauce/custard, so always have fruit or occasionally yoghurt.

I work on the basis that I was given a packed lunch every day by my Mum, including biscuits as standard, and I've lived to tell the tale :)

[snowboarder]

The desserts they offer do sound a bit ott I agree. Our school always has fruit/yoghurt as an option though and on the rare days my son has school lunch he usually opts for apple!

What I find really weird is that they are quite strict about what they bring in packed lunches - no way would a piece of chocolate cake be acceptable! I smuggle in the occasional flapjack and feel guilty....

[Fuschia]

If the school isn't an academy, they do abide by quite strict nutritional guidelines.

http://www.schoolfoodplan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/School-Food-Standards-Guidance-FINAL-V1a-140616.pdf

[Fuschia]

http://www.childrensfoodtrust.org.uk/the-standards/the-food-based-standards/final-food-based-standards/no-confectionery

[dollydaydream]

Who wants a cold yoghurt on a freezing cold day and then going out

to play when a hearty cake and custard will warm your cockles.

Also fruit Yoghurt has quite a lot of sugar in so may

not be the so healthy option every body thinks.(unless natural yoghurt)maybe.

[Bellenden Belle]

There is a part of me that agrees with dollydaydream. I think if the main meal is healthy, then an old-fashioned pudding, if it's a small portion size, is actually okay - particularly if they are going to be going outside to play (which I would hope they would). I definitely remember school dinners in the 70s with chocolate custard and sponge puddings.

My little one only really gets those puddings at nursery (and occasionally at grandmas) and has to put up with yoghurts and cheese at home, so it doesn't bother me.

I think a lot of it is down to how active children are. If they are likely to be kicking a ball and running about after school, rather than coming home for an evening of cbeebies, then there is little harm.

[oimissus]

it's only 5 meals of the week. Miss Oi only has yoghurt or rice pud or fruit for pudding at home, so it doesn't bother me that she's getting this at school. I agree that a hot pudding is better in the cold weather. And aren't the portions at school really weeny anyway?

Everything in mioderation and all that. 5 old-fashioned puds a week, termtime only, really doesn't sound that bad to me!

[mima08]

this is interesting: we have just done the rounds of primary schools for starting next Sept and every school we visited stated that they only offer fruit and yoghurt for puddings? I am taking that's more wishful thinking?

[simonethebeaver]

Lots of schools have their weekly menus online - you could have a look to see whether the schools you've visited are among them?

[BeccaL]

I have to say I thought that but the amount of running around my daughter does she certainly burns off any pudding! In this weather I like that she has a nice warm meal in her, not a cold yogurt, and she appreciates that it's "special" - is one of the reasons she loves her school dinners. They also have tonnes of vegetables with main courses, so IMO it all balances out!

[Bumpkin]

You know what, we all had cake and custard for pudding at school everyday in the 70's and I don't think it's a problem at all. they are young and run around and we can definitely over fuss (from someone who only cooked organic non sugar stuff for her baby / toddler). It's a nice treat for the kids which makes them like school meals and probably significantly cheaper to knock out a cake and custard than give out individual yoghurts, the cheap ones of which will be loaded with sugar anyway. I doubt the pudding cakes are that sweet anyway, sugar's expensive.

the meals look to me to be far healthier in general than my ones back in the day and much nicer than a packed lunch.

[peggoula]

My daughter is in reception at bessemer, they get fruit every day and vanilla ice cream on Fridays as a treat. They have a brilliant salad bar that reception kids go nowhere near to but the meals are perfectly balanced.

Wonder what is that school you are referring to is? I want to go there (as currently in a pre-Christmas 5:2 hell ;-) )

[Pickle]

I come from a country where school dinners don't exist, so it's been a revelation to me to see what schools provide. My kids really enjoy most of the meals they have at school, and on days they're not fussed on the main course they will have a vegetarian pasta dish, jacket potato, or a sandwich with the veges/salad on offer.

As far as I'm aware, they are actively encouraged to have vegetables, and the amount they eat is monitored by lunch room staff.

On Fridays they get more of a "treat" dinner - fish/sausage/pizza and chips, and I think it's great. When I was at primary school in NZ the local fish and chip shop used to take orders and deliver fish and chips to the school at lunchtime, it was the highlight of my week :)

From what my son says, the puddings are small. He generally doesn't have them, but loves the carrot cake they get every now and then. He manages to use charm to get double portions on those days!

We are an active family, and eat balanced meals at home. I have absolutely no worries about the fact they get a bit of sugar at lunchtime, it's all about balance.

[Renata Hamvas]

Hi Louie, from September 2014 all pupils in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 in state-funded schools in England were eligible for free school meals (FSMs). The Southwark specific scheme, Free Healthy School Meals started in 2010 (FHSMs). This was initially in pilot schools and was expanded to all schools and all years gradually. The reason it was done this way is so that uptake could be looked at and also kitchen facilities. More children have school lunches now and several school kitchens required upgrading to properly deliver on FHSMs. In some cases for example, it may have meant retiming/altering lunch rotas for kitchens and space in dining halls to be sufficient for all. There are national guidelines for schools dinners, but Academies and Free Schools have a free rein. If your child's school is a Southwark school, I could look into this for you; I am wondering however that it may be Lambeth or Lewisham as you only mention reception to year 2 while the Southwark FHSMs scheme is for all pupils in Southwark state primary schools. If in Lambeth/Lewisham you could talk to the school and also gauge what is the opinion of other parents. Many schools have outside caterers and the school may have such an arrangement and be in a contract, however menus can be changed for the better (The schools mentioned above that have the fruit/yogurt options are Southwark schools but I don't know about other LAs!)

Renata

On a different but related note, I picked up on the article below:

http://www.theguardian.com/education/2014/dec/09/ofsted-water-down-guidance-school-meals

[LouieM]

Yes, we're in a Lewisham school. Maybe I am over thinking it - they also go to the childminder three evenings a week where they tend to get chicken nuggets/ fromage frais and sweets so I'm aware their diet isn't brill overall at the mo.

Yes, the pudding portion sizes are apparently small but the salad bar also runs out frequently before they get there...

Thanks for the thoughts! The food is provided by Chartwells

[mima08]

peggoula Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> My daughter is in reception at bessemer, they get

> fruit every day and vanilla ice cream on Fridays

> as a treat. They have a brilliant salad bar that

> reception kids go nowhere near to but the meals

> are perfectly balanced.

> Wonder what is that school you are referring to

> is? I want to go there (as currently in a

> pre-Christmas 5:2 hell ;-) )

Hiya, yes, Bessemer was one of them, but I thought a few of the others (another 4 altogether) said the same thing. I >>don't>word<< (which altered what i meant to say :)

[mrs.lotte]

Certainly at my children's school staff monitor lunchtime and children have to finish their meals before they have pudding so there's no chance of skipping the meal and having double pudding.

I understand that yoghurt and fruit are an option every day and cake is a fairly frequent although not permanent option, occasional cheese and biscuits. meals are healthy and balanced with daily salad bar and pizza/chips type option only on Fridays. Personally I am impressed with the standard and variety, I do encourage my children to take the non cake option and they claim that they do sometimes. All I remember of school meals are pur?ed veg from an ice cream type scoop - makes me gag thinking about it.

[BellendenBear]

Bessemer lunches are super healthy and delicious. All parents are invited to go for lunch at the start of reception and the food was fantastic with a huge range of salads. They used to have chips on Fridays but even this was stopped last year. And definitely no puddings!

mima08 Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> peggoula Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > My daughter is in reception at bessemer, they

> get

> > fruit every day and vanilla ice cream on

> Fridays

> > as a treat. They have a brilliant salad bar

> that

> > reception kids go nowhere near to but the meals

> > are perfectly balanced.

> > Wonder what is that school you are referring to

> > is? I want to go there (as currently in a

> > pre-Christmas 5:2 hell ;-) )

>

> Hiya, yes, Bessemer was one of them, but I thought

> a few of the others (another 4 altogether) said

> the same thing. I >>don't having a pudding is always a bad thing, I am more

> worried that my son would skip eating a healthy

> meal and gorge on pudding instead...

>

> edited to insert missed >>word what i meant to say :)

[oimissus]

but is that actually the best thing for growing active children? What constitutes a healthy diet for adults isn't the same for young children. Personally I don't think salad for lunch is the best thing for children who are growing, learning and (I hope!) very active. They need calories and fat as well as everything else.

I also wouldn't be happy with lunchtime staff making children finish their meals - children need to learn to recognise when they are full which may not be the same every day. If I thought someone was making Miss Oi finish every last scrap (she's not got a big appetite and is generally uninterested in food) - that would annoy me more than puddings because it's not a good lesson to learn, and would also potentially mean she had less time running around the playground which also wouldn't be good.

[etta166]

At Bessemer, and I assume at other schools too, the salad is just an option. My son usually has it with jacket potato and tuna not on its own. They also have roast dinner once a week and the samosas seem to be popular too. The fruit/yogurt for pudding ties in with the overall approach to healthy eating and it is appropriate to children.

That said, I wouldn't personally mind them getting custard and crumble type pudding either. I don't have any problem with either approach as long as the food is balanced overall.

[esme]

I really wouldn't worry, the schools should also give out fruit and water and there are various savoury options usually. I think we all know a bit too much these days, after all we all ate similar things and survived! As long as they eat that is the main thing and we can control what they have for breakfast and dinner so...

[BellendenBear]

I think it really does matter what they have for school dinners. By the time they reach year 6, Southwark kids have the highest rates of obesity in the country which is a huge public health issue. Perhaps East Dulwich bucks this trend and maybe people posting here won't be the ones with fat kids, but that isn't the point. The 'we all ate puddings and custard in the 70s' argument is a bit like saying 'I know someone who smoked 40 a day and lived till they were 90'. Developing type 2 diabetes in childhood was unheard of for our generation but it definitely isn't now.

Of course kids need fat and calories but what they definitely don't need is loads of calories from sugar. And I'm not saying my kids never eat sweets, chocolate or cakes, of course they do. The problem is that while for some of us 5 unhealthy meals per week isn't a big deal because we give them a healthy breakfast and tea, lots of Southwark kids eat crap at home for breakfast and tea so having 5 healthy meals per week is really important.