Kid keeps eating school lunch

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:School lunches are not that bad compared to what 90% of Americans are sending their kids with for lunch or providing at home. I do get it - my kids all went to a Montessori day care where they had beautiful meals on real dishes with a French-trained cook, so it was always a bit of a jolt (for me- not them of course!) when they started K and switched to pizza and chicken nuggets. My older two are now in middle school, and they both have very healthy habits, even though they buy lunch at school, and it's nice not having to worry about packing lunches. In retrospect, I am glad this is one battle I did not worry about.

+1. School lunches better now than when we were kids. I have no idea what school district OP is in, but it's not always true that school lunches are more expensive and less nutritious than home meals. I think many people overestimate the quality of their own home packed meal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Have you told her she's not allowed to? You're the parent and she's to eat what you pack? And then make sure it's stuff she likes.

Of course if your kid does whatever she wants and ignores what you say, that's a different problem.

I have done this repeatedly, and she just ignores what I say. I think a part of it is wanting to fit in with the other kids. Most of the meals I pack are things she likes because she chose them for dinner the night before. It could also be an aversion to eating the same meal two days in a row, but I don’t have it in me to cook more frequently.

[Anonymous]

At our school you can tell the school what your child is not allowed to have from the cafeteria. Just tell the teacher.

[Anonymous]

Be glad she eats anything. We went years where I would pack lunch and my son would be offered school lunch and he wouldn't eat anything. He had a serious aversion to food and it took years to work out. So, be glad she's not seriously hangry by the time you pick her up.

[Anonymous]

Sorry mom, but if she’s actually choosing that crap over what you’re sending with her your only option is to up your game. All of my kids would rather go hungry than eat the school provided breakfast or lunch. Not because we’re above it all (they eat way too much ultra processed crap at home), but because the school version is just effing gross.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Have you told her she's not allowed to? You're the parent and she's to eat what you pack? And then make sure it's stuff she likes.

Of course if your kid does whatever she wants and ignores what you say, that's a different problem.

I have done this repeatedly, and she just ignores what I say. I think a part of it is wanting to fit in with the other kids. Most of the meals I pack are things she likes because she chose them for dinner the night before. It could also be an aversion to eating the same meal two days in a row, but I don’t have it in me to cook more frequently.

Some kids might have made fun of her for bringing leftovers everyday so she hid her doggy bag food to fit in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At our school you can tell the school what your child is not allowed to have from the cafeteria. Just tell the teacher.

Teachers do not eat lunch with the kids.You can not expect them to police the lunch room.

[Anonymous]

School food is an absolute disgrace , ESPECIALLY because it’s supposed to be a safety net for poor kids. They need good nutrition the most! It’s absolutely appalling what they get served.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:School food is an absolute disgrace , ESPECIALLY because it’s supposed to be a safety net for poor kids. They need good nutrition the most! It’s absolutely appalling what they get served.

Childhood obesity has tripled, clearly no one is starving.

But for some reason, funding keeps getting used to just provide MORE junk food (free breakfast, free lunch, free food for weekends, free summer food..). Instead, schools should give limited options of nutritious foods. A fruit, a white milk, a simple sandwich. A total misuse of funding is happening

[Anonymous]

Did you know that throwing away your lunch is part of a pattern of disordered eating?

But you just keep on controlling her, that'll teach her to eat how you want her to eat. And when she's 30 and has orthorexia, well, that's not your problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s 5 meals a week of 21. Make the other 16 healthy and don’t worry about the 5

And what about when it’s university free breakfast too? Now that’s 10 meals of junk per week provided. Thanks public schools.

My kids eat school lunch every day. It's actually helped them to try new things! They are pretty tired of it at this point in the year, and that's fine. If they ask to pack lunch, I let them and they pack it. They pack a sandwich (often PB&J) chips and fruit. Fine. We cook a healthy dinner and eat most nights together. We eat a variety of breakfast foods. They are healthy and thriving. I just don't understand people getting so worked up about school lunch not being perfectly balanced. My main issue is the skim milk, which is a trash food. At least serve whole milk which tastes good and someone might drink instead of just dumping it in the trash. I also wish they'd give cups of water. But these are small quibbles.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s 5 meals a week of 21. Make the other 16 healthy and don’t worry about the 5

And what about when it’s university free breakfast too? Now that’s 10 meals of junk per week provided. Thanks public schools.

Why wouldn’t you give your kid breakfast at home?

Most kids won’t eat when they’re not hungry.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:School lunches are not that bad compared to what 90% of Americans are sending their kids with for lunch or providing at home. I do get it - my kids all went to a Montessori day care where they had beautiful meals on real dishes with a French-trained cook, so it was always a bit of a jolt (for me- not them of course!) when they started K and switched to pizza and chicken nuggets. My older two are now in middle school, and they both have very healthy habits, even though they buy lunch at school, and it's nice not having to worry about packing lunches. In retrospect, I am glad this is one battle I did not worry about.

+1. School lunches better now than when we were kids. I have no idea what school district OP is in, but it's not always true that school lunches are more expensive and less nutritious than home meals. I think many people overestimate the quality of their own home packed meal.

This. And they don't see that Johnny dumped all those carrots in the trash.

[Anonymous]

Let it go.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I want to thank everyone for chiming in here. it has really been helpful to me. I currently involve my daughter in meal selection and cooking at home. I will just continue to encourage healthy eating at home, and give up at school. I will try and encourage fruits for breakfast before school. Thanks again.

I wish I were rich and could afford private school. But given my pocket book, I think this is the best approach. Hang in there fellow moms!

That's the right call, OP, good for you. If she's eating healthy meals AND SNACKS outside of school, one meal a day isn't going to make a difference nutritionally even if was the junkiest of the junky school meals. And our Sodexo menu isn't great, but it's also not bad. The menu on paper looks great (chana masala, tofu, multiple veggie side options), but it's the most airplane food style processed version you can imagine. Some kids love it and some hate it, but it's still not BAD compared to the corndogs and crinkle cut fries we ate. Letting her make her own choices and not trying to control her food intake is much more important than what she's actually eating.