Does your elementary school DC eat the school lunch or bring their lunch?

[Anonymous]

Hi,

We are returning from overseas this summer and it will be our DS's first time in a US school. Overseas, we just paid for the school lunches (small international school with food made on-site). After reading the post on backpacks and lunchboxes, I'm wondering do most kids in the area bring their own lunch? Is the food not really that edible? I had just planned to buy lunches from the school as before, but now I'm wondering if that's not really a good option. We will be in Fairfax County schools if that makes a difference.

Thanks

[Anonymous]

My kids refuse to buy lunch in Montgomery County. The food is not very good and not so healthy. I can't speak to Fairfax County.

[Anonymous]

My kids have never purchased food from FCPS (aside from the occasional box of milk), and it's their choice not to. I think that as the get further into MS and HS that they will buy at school for convenience sake, and because high school starts too early to pack a lunch in the AM. But the MS and HS options are very different than the ES options.

[Anonymous]

The anecdotes probably don't tell you much. At our elementary it seems to be a mix of about half bring and half buy. Many kids like mine buy a couple of times a week when it's one of their favorite foods. Go online and look at the menus yourself before deciding. In my view, they are healthier than the school lunches I had as a kid but maybe not as healthy as something you could pack yourself.

[Anonymous]

The cafeteria food is disgusting. My kids bring lunch every day. Every so often, like once a year or so, they will decide to try again, I'll give them money, they'll buy school pizza, it'll suck, and they'll ask me to remind them they hate school food.

[Anonymous]

Also, we believe in full-fat, organic milk with no hormones in it. Because obesity is such a big issue in this country, all milk in schools and even restaurants is low-fat.

[Anonymous]

DS buys everyday. He likes it. The portions are very small. DS is underweight, so many days he buys multiple lunches. The lunchroom at our school is crowded, and the lines are long. I know some kids do not buy lunch because it takes up too much time to wait in line for the food. If you have a slow eater, then you may want to pack. Our DS eats fast, so not a problem for him. He usually has time to go back and purchase a second lunch if he's still hungry.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DS buys everyday. He likes it. The portions are very small. DS is underweight, so many days he buys multiple lunches. The lunchroom at our school is crowded, and the lines are long. I know some kids do not buy lunch because it takes up too much time to wait in line for the food. If you have a slow eater, then you may want to pack. Our DS eats fast, so not a problem for him. He usually has time to go back and purchase a second lunch if he's still hungry.

I don't think buying a second lunch is permitted in elementary schools in FCPS. My child brings every day. Kind of a pain to make it because she isn't a sandwich kind of girl - but worth it health-wise.

[Anonymous]

My kid won't even buy the pizza anymore from the cafeteria. A couple of times when I forgot to pack her lunch the night before she will scrounge up something in the morning before she will buy lunch at school. The food is really bad.

[Anonymous]

I would pack a lunch for dc because we avoid meat and dairy with antibiotics, hormones, etc., and processed foods in general. That said, I ate school food every day in elementary school, so I guess it can't be that bad for your health.

[Anonymous]

Sometimes he buys and sometimes he brings. Depends on what's on the menu. We are also Fairfax County. Welcome!

[Anonymous]

DD brings her lunch 4 days and buys 1 day. Her choice.

[Anonymous]

I have two children in MCPS elementary schools, and from what I can tell, most children buy, most days. There are only a handful of children who always pack. (We always pack.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DS buys everyday. He likes it. The portions are very small. DS is underweight, so many days he buys multiple lunches. The lunchroom at our school is crowded, and the lines are long. I know some kids do not buy lunch because it takes up too much time to wait in line for the food. If you have a slow eater, then you may want to pack. Our DS eats fast, so not a problem for him. He usually has time to go back and purchase a second lunch if he's still hungry.

Yes, children can buy more than one lunch at my DS's FCPS elementary. Sadly, on chicken nigget day DS will buy 3 servings of chicken. I recently volunteered over lunch and met the lunch ladies. They all knew DS and commented that he buys a lot, but he really eats it all. dS likes the way it tastes. I guess other children don't. OP, I guess you'll have to try it out to see if your DC likes it.

[Anonymous]

OP, Thanks everyone. I guess I'll have him look at the menu for each week and make sure there are items he'll at least try the first month to see if he actually likes the food or not, but also send a small backup lunch just in case. Does anyone see a problem with that? I mean can they buy lunch and bring something too, or is it one or the other? I'm also a little worried about how crowded I hear the schools are, esp. for lunch. My DS is a very slow eater, so if he has to wait in long lines for lunch, I'm not sure he'll have to time to actually eat. I guess it will be trial and error the first month.

Thanks.