School Dinners

[Milims]

My daughter started High School yesterday and I thought that I'd let her try the more grown up cafeteria type school dinner thing - especially as we've had a few hiccoughs with packed lunches. I had to giggle when she came home last night and the first thing she said was "Mam please don't make me have school dinners - they are mingin'!"
So today she's gone off with cheese salad sarnies (made with organic veg, butter and home made bread), home made lemon drizzle cake and cheese scone and an organic apple - and a big smile!
I also read an article recently about the eggs used in school meals not being free range, which has added to my concerns about the real quality of what is provided.
I'm more than happy to make packed lunches for my kids, and very pleased not to pay for sub standard carp, but I would have thought than in this day and age, when they are allegedly trying to provide healthier meals, they'd check out the provinance of the ingredients. After all what's the point of making a salad sarnie full of chemicals, hydrogenated fats, pesticides and the like and then calling it healthy?

[thesunflowergal]

One of the reasons that I chose my dd1s primary school, is that all the ingredients in the lunch are organic or free range etc etc. They also grow quite a bit of their own veg in the school gardens, and this is used in the lunches. Orin is having her first school dinner next week, we have choosen Organic meatballs and spagetti. I will be interested to see how she gets on.
I think that we must be extremely luckly, as a lot of schools seem to serve rubbish.

[mrsflibble]

I was never allowed school dinners when I was little due to allergies, but to be honest I think sophie will be taking packed lunches as she's just so flipping picky!!!

[MrsD'ville mkII]

DD was having school lunches for a couple of terms which I was okay with but not wild about as they always had a heavy duty sugary pud. We had to economize and cooked lunches were an early casualty and now she wouldn't go back to cooked! She usually has egg mayo sandwiches with our own eggs (must have another stab at making mayo), home-made muffins or meusli bars and then some bought cr*p I keep the sugar and salt under control though

[Green Aura]

A long time ago now, and I know things have improved, but I stopped my daughter having school lunches when I realised she'd had turkey drummers and chips at least 75% of the time. And something similarly knitted for the other 25%.

I couldn't believe the total lack of either choice or encouragement to have anything plant derived!

[boboff]

Our kids have school dinners, and one loves them, and the other doesn't. There is a good choice, Weds Roast, Fri Fish & Chips etc, lots of veg, and fussy daughter tries stuff like....OMG Carrots, because her friends eat them. On balance it's a good thing I think for Primary school.

[thesunflowergal]

I can't say that I am surprised at what some schools serve for lunch.

At dd1's school they have there main course, with a choice of a side serving of organic or home-grown veg and bread. Pudding is a choice between a yoghurt, fresh fruit, something like a flapjack or cheese.

They have days were they invite the parents in to eat with the children, I can wait to send hubby in and hear his thoughts

This only serves to make me realise how lucky we are.