Kid keeps eating school lunch

[Anonymous]

I live in a school district that provides universal “free” school lunch. I don’t want my kid eating the food because it’s processed. I pack leftovers from dinner the night before for her lunch. She usually tosses it and eats the school provided lunch. Any suggestions for how to handle this? Or should I just give up and accept we live in an unhealthy food system and stop trying.

[Anonymous]

You have to pack something more appealing than the school lunch.

[Anonymous]

At my daughters school they provide free breakfast and free lunch to all kids. Both the breakfast and lunch are junk food.

I don’t let her get the breakfast. I feed her something healthy at home and drop her at school late enough that she doesn’t have time to get the breakfast.

But I decided her choosing to eat school lunch is not a battle I want to fight or that I can win. Each night I tell her what school lunch is and she tells me yes or no. If she says she doesn’t want school lunch I pack a normal lunch for her.

If she says she will eat school lunch I pack her a bunch of healthy sides bento box style to help round out the meal.

In the beginning of the school year she had school lunch 75% of the time. Over the course of the year it’s become less and less- now she only wants the pizza, chicken nugget and breakfast for lunch days.

[Anonymous]

I don’t know how you can win and you’re going to risk setting up a relationship with your daughter where she lies to you or withholds information. I think you have to decide if picking that battle is worth the risk to your relationship.

[Anonymous]

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

[Anonymous]

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

This . Big deal

[Anonymous]

Or consider that your kid eating school lunch de stigmatizes eating it for kids who cant afford bring things from home. And work on advocacy to improve school lunch so its not junk.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Or consider that your kid eating school lunch de stigmatizes eating it for kids who cant afford bring things from home. And work on advocacy to improve school lunch so its not junk.

I spent 4 years of my career as an underpaid advocate. I’m burnt out quite frankly. It’s ridiculous that feeding kids healthy food is considered a political topic.

I don’t want poor kids to be stigmatized, however I also don’t like the trade off of my kid’s pallet being changed to one that craves crappy food as a result of this program.

[Anonymous]

OP...my now-adult kids were in school when the schools where we lived started free for all lunch. I had always packed lunch before (because it was cheaper and healthier) but I let them choose.

They ate school lunch a lot at first but after awhile, tired of it, and started packing again. All of them! And as adults, they are all fit, healthy, and one is a vegan.

I think the novelty will wear off and I'd let her know that packing is always an option.

[Anonymous]

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.

[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.

Go private then you clown

[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.

8:33 pp here. My kids schools started that too-I just gave them breakfast at home, they tried school breakfast a few times and again the novelty wore off. Plus the bus didn't get there early enough to eat half the time.

[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.

They're going to start eating whatever they want as they grow older (outside of the house) anyway, so mainstream american junk food is not something you can physically shield them from forever. Just try to model healthy eating while they're still at home so they can circle back to it as adults.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At my daughters school they provide free breakfast and free lunch to all kids. Both the breakfast and lunch are junk food.

I don’t let her get the breakfast. I feed her something healthy at home and drop her at school late enough that she doesn’t have time to get the breakfast.

But I decided her choosing to eat school lunch is not a battle I want to fight or that I can win. Each night I tell her what school lunch is and she tells me yes or no. If she says she doesn’t want school lunch I pack a normal lunch for her.

If she says she will eat school lunch I pack her a bunch of healthy sides bento box style to help round out the meal.

In the beginning of the school year she had school lunch 75% of the time. Over the course of the year it’s become less and less- now she only wants the pizza, chicken nugget and breakfast for lunch days.

DP
This is the most reasonable healthy approach. Once your kid is able to pack their snacks and lunch, make it her responsibility and talk through what a healthy meal is (although it sounds like you already do that).

So grateful our school has healthy lunch. For us, I nudge my kids to eat school lunch because it's easier and a hot meal. It's that or they pack it themselves. I think the little one took lunch 2x this school year and the older ones never did.

[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.

Keep shielding your kids from all things junk