DD's friend said her food stinks

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can’t think of any Americanized Indians who pack Indian food to school or work. Every Indian home I have ever been to smells like curry.

Over the years, I have heard many people complain about coworkers or people who smell or their food smells. You don’t want to be known as the person who smells or whose food smells. Wouldn’t you want your daughter to be liked and not cry in the bathroom???

Dh’s best friend is Indian. One of mh kid’s best friend is Indian and another child’s best friend is half Indian. They don’t go around school smelling like Indian food.

I have Asian friends (non Indian) who don’t like to cook Asian food at home because they don’t want their house smelling like Asian food. One guy I know won’t eat Asian food for almost a week before an important client meeting or business trip. You don’t want the impression of you to be a foul smell.

Foul smell? Curry? So ignorant.

The person I’m thinking of was referring to smelling like kimchi or certain foods with lots of garlic that have potent smells. The same would go for strong smelling ethnic foods of any background.

[Anonymous]

I remember I once ordered lunch from a restaurant that had a large variety of ethnic foods. I want to say they had different appetizers, entrees and desserts. I remember ordering something that sounded good but it tasted awful. I didn’t like it and threw it in the trash. Several people in my office commented on the bad smell and I remember feeling embarrassed. This was food that was not my personal background. I didn’t even like the food. I just felt embarrassed that I made the office stink.

If someone or multiple people around you will be offended by a smell, just try to avoid bringing in a small that others don’t like.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:She needs to be able to handle this and to either deal or bring diff food but TBH steamed broccoli smells awful.

+1 steamed broccoli held for hours at an increasingly lukewarm temperature. Sorry but that does smell.

Steamed broccoli smells bad and so does a lot of Indian food. Let’s be honest.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I feel bad saying this but I would get your daughter some more traditional American lunch foods. As someone who was teased (albeit for totally different reasons) I vowed I would do what I could to make things better for my kids. Kids are mean and your daughter should be proud of her heritage and stand up to her friend. But that's a lot to ask from a kid who would probably just love a PB&J.

I agree and for similar reasons. I am a foreigner myself fwiw

[Anonymous]

I send my kids with our traditional (Asian) food, they love it and many teachers comment they are jealous of their lunches. Your daughter’s friends are rude and need to learn to keep their comments about other people’s food to themselves. That should be her main takeaway.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:She needs to be able to handle this and to either deal or bring diff food but TBH steamed broccoli smells awful.

+1 steamed broccoli held for hours at an increasingly lukewarm temperature. Sorry but that does smell.

This. Don’t make this into a persecution complex. Just don’t pack cooked broccoli to sit in a room temperature container for multiple hours before eating at a communal lunch table.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's the broccoli. I love it but it smells strongly after being stored for a short time. Cauliflower, cabbage, and brussels sprouts are also very smelly. They taste great when they are hot and freshly made, but smell terrible after that.

Ask her what she'd like for lunch. She shouldn't spend her days afraid of lunchtime.

Yup. I’m Irish, raised by a parent from Ireland. I freaking LOVE cabbage. It’s my favorite vegetable, since I grew up with it as a staple. I eat it all the time.

I still wouldn’t have (and didn’t) bring it in school lunches, since it stinks after sitting out for five plus hours in a closed container.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I send my kids with our traditional (Asian) food, they love it and many teachers comment they are jealous of their lunches. Your daughter’s friends are rude and need to learn to keep their comments about other people’s food to themselves. That should be her main takeaway.

There are acceptable and unacceptable foods. I’m sure a cute bento box with non smelly foods and rice are fine. Bulgogi is ok. Kimchi maybe not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I send my kids with our traditional (Asian) food, they love it and many teachers comment they are jealous of their lunches. Your daughter’s friends are rude and need to learn to keep their comments about other people’s food to themselves. That should be her main takeaway.

I don’t think anyone is jealous of OP’s broccoli and rice dish.

Kids never want to stick out in a bad way. You certainly don’t want to stand out as the kid who brings stinky food for lunch. Pack your kid a damn sandwich and call it a day. You can have the smelly food waiting at home after school.

[Anonymous]

Broccoli smells like rotting food. It's just the way it smells.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Wow, looks like one or two posters are working overtime trolling this thread

As I posted once before, I will send non smelly vegetables. My kid would be happy to eat Nutella sandwiches all day, but since I m not in favor of it, she said she will try the PBJ again. She does not like sandwiches in general other than the Nutella or OM lunch meats - I send her veggie sandwiches or veggie patty sandwiches now and then and she does not like them.

My guess is after couple of weeks of PBJ and other sandwiches, she will ask me for what she likes and start to stand up for herself. I will also send non smelly Indian foods alone and see how that goes. If the thread is not locked, I will update.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Wow, looks like one or two posters are working overtime trolling this thread

As I posted once before, I will send non smelly vegetables. My kid would be happy to eat Nutella sandwiches all day, but since I m not in favor of it, she said she will try the PBJ again. She does not like sandwiches in general other than the Nutella or OM lunch meats - I send her veggie sandwiches or veggie patty sandwiches now and then and she does not like them.

My guess is after couple of weeks of PBJ and other sandwiches, she will ask me for what she likes and start to stand up for herself. I will also send non smelly Indian foods alone and see how that goes. If the thread is not locked, I will update.

We eat mostly Asian food at home. I have a kid who also is not a fan of sandwiches. I send in chicken nuggets, cheese and crackers, pizza bites, lunchables. I will sometimes send in rice and dried seaweed. My child likes to buy lunch at school now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are chinese, and I pack kids lunch that are common around here. And, they are lunchable, chicken nuggets, pizza bagels, jelly sandwich, corn dog plus a fruit plus apple sauce plus a juice box. Healthy? Not really. I always ask kids what other kids pack, and they say that they don't know. They don't even have time to eat lunch.Exactly, what are the common lunch item to pack for kids?

Are you ashamed of Chinese cuisine? It has one of the oldest culinary traditions and is one of the most refined cuisines in the world

You've clearly never been in an elementary school lunch room. Kids are mean. Why shouldn't we save our children from teasing? Maybe you should be teaching your children to be more tolerant, but in the meantime, I'm trying to make my kids' life easier so yours won't tease them.

Relax! I'm chinese too. I pack my elementary school kids something like this:

Yes with the dreaded broccoli. Which doesn't stink! My kids don't get teased. Do what you want, but acknowledge that there can be diversity without trauma in lunch offerings too.

[Anonymous]

So sad to hear OP. Shame in being who you are starts from here. I would talk to the teacher and make sure the culprit doesn’t sit next to your daughter. Definitely no steamed broccoli. But puliogre >>>> any lame American sandwich. This makes for a good conversation with your daughter about should she be who she is or try to fit in. If try to fit in, how much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So sad to hear OP. Shame in being who you are starts from here. I would talk to the teacher and make sure the culprit doesn’t sit next to your daughter. Definitely no steamed broccoli. But puliogre >>>> any lame American sandwich. This makes for a good conversation with your daughter about should she be who she is or try to fit in. If try to fit in, how much.

Why are you judging American food? Don't yuck someone else's yum. Isn't that the point?