I really feel that some things need to be taken with a pinch of salt and this is one of those headlines.
Yes it is a headline - Government going to ban packed lunches.
But take a further look and it is just a suggestion, just someone looking at getting people to react. And it is certainly working.
I heard a very sensible Head Teacher on the radio this morning saying that banning packed lunches just wouldn't be practical and that that the government could not get away with doing so.
Actually what has happened is a report commissioned by the government has made a recommendation based on information and research that the authors had conducted showing that packed lunches are nearly always less healthy than packed lunches.
I know many people whose children have packed lunches for a number of reasons including Pippa's BB who has Diabetes and this make sure that Pippa is aware of his carbohydrate levels for medical reasons. Other people chose to give their children packed lunches due to fussy eating, allergies or for financial reasons. The fact is it is their choice and there is no way the government will remove this choice.
I also feel that there is nothing wrong is highlighting the the fact that school dinners are a good option for children at school. That they have come on in leaps and bounds and are tasty and nutritionally balanced.
This is an example of the meals at my sons' school., They cost me £2 per child per day and I think they are great, as do the boys.
Not everyone's pack lunches are as balanced or appealing as Pippa's from A mothers ramblings, in fact I would say that she is very unusual in spending as much time and effort on her childrens lunches.
Yes it is a headline - Government going to ban packed lunches.
But take a further look and it is just a suggestion, just someone looking at getting people to react. And it is certainly working.
I heard a very sensible Head Teacher on the radio this morning saying that banning packed lunches just wouldn't be practical and that that the government could not get away with doing so.
Actually what has happened is a report commissioned by the government has made a recommendation based on information and research that the authors had conducted showing that packed lunches are nearly always less healthy than packed lunches.
I know many people whose children have packed lunches for a number of reasons including Pippa's BB who has Diabetes and this make sure that Pippa is aware of his carbohydrate levels for medical reasons. Other people chose to give their children packed lunches due to fussy eating, allergies or for financial reasons. The fact is it is their choice and there is no way the government will remove this choice.
I also feel that there is nothing wrong is highlighting the the fact that school dinners are a good option for children at school. That they have come on in leaps and bounds and are tasty and nutritionally balanced.
This is an example of the meals at my sons' school., They cost me £2 per child per day and I think they are great, as do the boys.
Not everyone's pack lunches are as balanced or appealing as Pippa's from A mothers ramblings, in fact I would say that she is very unusual in spending as much time and effort on her childrens lunches.
An example of Pippa's lunches
So what I want to say is please do not jump to a conclusion based on a sensationalist headline in the news.
There is nothing wrong in trying to educate parents on what consists a healthy packed lunch. I know children who go to school with jam on white bread, a packet of crisps and a biscuit. There is a whole generation of people who did not have home economic lessons and do not know what they should and should not put in school packed lunches.
Jamie Oliver started a revolution to improve school dinners, it is only right that packed lunches get the same attention and that they are improved too.
I think that's the point though, they aren't saying they are going to educate they are saying that what they think should happen is everyone should step in line and let the Govt tell us what we should and shouldn't feed our children and ourselves.
ReplyDeleteI know that the govt aren't going to stop school's from allowing packed lunches to be taken in, but again they are telling many people that what they do isn't good enough.
And a jam sandwich at lunch when balanced with other foods over a day should be the least of our worries, not something used to beat parents up about.
Many School's are doing lunches right, but still so many aren't. You're lucky your boys have a good school and I know that if they didn't you'd be down there making sure it got sorted out quickly ;)
Thanks for the shout out too.
Salad, fruit and dry fruit, some sort of protein, carbohydrate homemade cake or similar fruit bread if times is short all end up in our pack lunches. I would say the pack lunches that leave our house are way above health wise most school dinners.
ReplyDeleteEven the great school meals, are actually much higher in salt and sugar than really is recommended.
As for the government perhaps they should look at bringing healthier foods down in price instead of still allowing poor food value food to be sold for next to nothing.
Yep as usual the government have got it so wrong but then where is the surprise there!!!
You are lucky you have options at £2. That's the price of a drink at my dd's school canteen, and of course they sell chips and cake, and the children can choose what to buy....this needs the schools to change, not our packed lunches!
ReplyDeleteOne thing the report also said was that school meals should be universally free - but the headlines don't seem to be shouting about that so much.
ReplyDeleteI understand why everyone is so cross about it, but for a lot of children this could really help them to have at least one good meal a day. I wrote a blog post about it: http://singlemotherahoy.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/why-this-government-idea-of-banning.html
Something does need to be done for the children whose parents don't know/care how to give them a healthy packed lunch.