Ban packed lunches, head teachers urged

[Northerner]

Head teachers in England are being urged to ban packed lunches to increase the take-up of school dinners and promote healthy eating.

A government-commissioned school food review by two founders of the Leon restaurant chain says take-up is low at 43% despite huge quality improvements.

The authors of the School Food Plan say packed lunches are nearly always less nutritious than a cooked meal.

And heads are being urged to lower the price of lunches to boost take-up.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-23270715

 

[Redkite]

Absolutely ridiculous! Having worked as a midday supervisor for many years, I know that school dinners are neither balanced nor adequate. There may be rules for the ingredients, but the portion sizes are ludicrously small, with most of the carbs coming from the sugary sponge puddings they serve for dessert. The first course tends to be a tiny scrap of potato or about 5 bits of pasta. Bread and salad runs out early on, so the children on the last sittings don't get any. Not that 2-3 slivers of tomato or cucumber constitute a salad anyway!
The school dinner kids were always starving by the end of school, and their parents would therefore meet them at the gate with sweets and cakes.

Anyone who wants to send a packed lunch should carry on!

 

[Pumper_Sue]

I wonder how they will cater for children with special dietary needs.

 

[LeeLee]

When my daughter was at school 20 years ago, there were rules about what was allowed in lunchboxes, with offending items confiscated!

 

[Mark T]

My little one starts school this September so the school has been "encouraging" us to do lunch.

But considering that we all sit down together and eat a warm meal in the evening, we are not convinced that a warm meal at lunch is needed. The cost is ?2 per day which sounds like it is OK value, but I'm not convinced it is.

He took a packed lunch when he was full day at pre-school.

 

[LeeLee]

The trouble is, they're trying to be politically correct. Those who bother to prepare a couscous salad, fresh fruit and carrot sticks must be treated the same as the parents sending their child to school with white bread and meat paste, crisps and a chololate bar.