DD is entering 5th and has bought lunch most of the time. And most of the time I am pretty sure my slow eater has dumped most of what my good money has bought into the trash because she is told to do so by the lunch aides because they need to clear the cafeteria for the next round of lunch. We are going to try to pack this year.

22:41, you sound like a real treat.

I purposely did not sign up and get a code for the lunch account. This made me (even when it was a struggle) to pack a lunch for my K student everyday. The only kids eating that crap everyday are the kids on FARMS or lazy parents.

I think it's sad that we can't have healthy lunches available for our children with enough time to eat them. I don't get it because my property taxes are ridiculous.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/food/article-2957301/What-school-lunches-look-like-world.html?ito=social-twitter_mailonline

I'll take the other side. My kids love school lunch. Only once in eleven years and three kids has any of them ever complained that he didn't have enough time to eat.

My son hates the MCPS school lunch. It takes a long time to stand in the line, buy the lunch and find a place to sit and eat. Most of the time the kids are unable to finish their lunch because they have less than 10 minutes left after buying the lunch.

The school day is long for a kindergartner. Pack him lunch and snacks and milk etc. That way he is not rushed while eating and not hungry for half the lunch period.

You also know what he is eating and how much he is eating when you pack lunch.

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn't feed MCPS lunches to my dog. It is real crap - pizzas stuffed with high fructose corn syrup, burgers etc.

By middle school you can tell the kids raised on it - they are fat and unhealthy.

Pack some healthy food for your kid. It takes 5 minutes a day and is the best thing you can do for your kid to give them a good start in life.

How do you know is? Are the ingredients and nutritional info posted online. I can't seem to find anything. Please help.

Agree that packing lunch gives your kid more time to eat, especially the first month of school. My DD was very excited to buy last year in k because it was so new and exciting. I set limits (only one pizza day, only one grilled cheese day, please no chocolate milk or no dessert). She is not a girl who can tell lie, so I trusted her. By the end of year, the novelty wore off and she's already stated her desire to pack next year. Yay!

We pack lunch 4 times a week and let kids pick one day to buy. Over time, they have come to prefer having packed lunch for the time factor.

I agree that you should have your child bring lunch.

My son is entering kindergarten this fall and his preschool teacher is actually working with them on eating a little faster and opening containers and stuff on their own. With a limited lunch period, it's easier if they already have a lunch with them so that they get used to eating within 20-30 min. Also, there are less staff on hand to help them navigate and open their lunches and juice boxes. To me, it seems simpler to send foods that my son likes so that he can used to the new schedule. I took a look at the lunch menu and it seems like many of the offerings are things he won't eat. I plan to put some money on his school account just in case he needs it but he will largely be bringing his lunch at first.

I wouldn't feed MCPS lunches to my dog. It is real crap - pizzas stuffed with high fructose corn syrup, burgers etc.

By middle school you can tell the kids raised on it - they are fat and unhealthy.

Pack some healthy food for your kid. It takes 5 minutes a day and is the best thing you can do for your kid to give them a good start in life.

Pack lunch! Agree that it takes too long to buy, especially in the beginning of the year when your kid is getting used to everything. By the end of the year, DD was more into the routine (and she got faster at eating!) so it was fine to buy lunch.

I've been there at lunch quite a bit, and IMO, the food is pretty gross. My neighbor's kid is in 4th grade, and after the novelty of 'buying lunch' wore off, he always asked his mom to pack.

I agree with PP - There is so much to get used to, it helps if they can acclimate without the added hassle of the lunch line at first - at least if your child is like mine and can barely hold anything level. :>

As far as the menu is concerned, my older child only likes the pancakes and French toast.

Lunch is way too chaotic especially at the beginning to have your Kindergartener buy lunch. Suck it up and pack her a lunch for at least the first few months of school.

My kids like some of the lunch options but others are just really gross.

I don't mind sending lunch for DD but I've been so spoiled with her awesome preschool lunch program. Can anyone please share their experiences? It's been 30+yrs since I've been on the MCPS lunch plan . They claim to have healthier options.. TIA!