The Super Food Fight debate: School Meals Vs. Packed Lunches!
It's felt like an endless summer holiday but school's back this week; new shoes have been bought, PE kit labelled, and unopened school bags and forgotten homework uncovered from hidden corners of my room. One thing you may or may not need to dig out is a lunchbox, depending on whether you decide that your child should eat school dinners or take packed lunch.
As I was a fussy eater I always had school dinner in the winter and packed lunch in the summer - but now I'm in secondary school I can choose for myself.
I wanted to share my thoughts as a fussy eater on the pros and cons of both choices:
Packed Lunch Positives:
You get to decide what's in your child's lunch box. You can try to ensure that your child is eating the healthy foods you want them to. You can also plan an evening meal that doesn't feature the foods they had for lunch.
Making up your child's lunch means you can take account of their likes and dislikes. Some children are fussy eaters like me. If your child is like this, they may simply refuse to eat some school meals. Also, the changes starting at school brings about may make your child more keen to have the familiar tastes from home.
If you opt for school meals during winter months you can give them a hot soup or pasta in a flask. If your child has special dietary needs, packed lunches are a good option, though most schools can adapt their menus.
Packed Lunch Potential Problems:
Making up a packed lunch every day, especially if you have more than one child at school, is time-consuming. It can be hard just thinking of something tasty, nutritional and varied to put in a lunchbox every day.
Your child may want you to include foods you don't allow at home, because her best friend has it in her lunchbox. Going for school meals means this choice is out of your hands. Just because you've provided the best possible packed lunch for your child doesn't mean they'll eat it. Children often swap food, put it in the bin or just leave it. On the other hand, some schools insist on children finishing their lunches. So give your child the right amount of what they like and you'll help them to enjoy it rather than dread lunchtimes.
Packed lunches can be more expensive than school meals. You are paying around £2.50 a day for a school meal whereas a packed lunch vary depending on how fussy your child is and what choices you make.
I've included a link to the BBC Good Food Packed Lunch Guide with ideas to help keep it healthy:
School Meal Positives:
School lunches have to meet national nutritional standards. So you can be confident that your child is having a balanced meal, without you having to do the thinking.
School meals can be good value. Homemade packed lunches are not necessarily a cheaper option, unless you bulk-buy and cook in big batches too.
You may find that your fussy-eating child is open to trying new foods if they have school meals. Their friends will be having the same or similar foods, and they may just follow their friends habits.
Above all, school meals will save you time. The only thing you'll have to remember is to pay for your child's meals. Most schools have smooth-running payment systems that make it easy for you.
School Meal Potential Problems:
Although school meals may encourage children, especially fussy eaters, to try new things, it can cut both ways. If your child hates everything placed in front of them, they may decide not to eat anything at all.
It may be easier to make sure your child has a balanced diet if you are responsible for everything they eat but before long they will have to make their own choices so give them the opportunity and trust them.
School dinners offer less flexibility. Even though there may be a few choices on the menu, these menus are fixed. This can be frustrating, especially if your child hates one type of food. They are on a 3 week cycle so every meal they dislike on the menu comes back around every so often.
So, I hope today's blog will help you to decide what's right for you and your child! You can check out our fun with food packed lunch ideas for more inspiration.
