A mum has hit out at her son’s kindergarten, after a teacher said the lunchboxes she is making for him aren’t healthy enough.
The Australian woman, called Katie, posted on Facebook, where she said she included rice cakes ‘drizzled with 70 per cent dark chocolate’, but was told that he ‘isn’t allowed to eat them’ due to the rice cakes having chocolate.
‘Has anyone ever been up against a kinder who are extremely fussy with what you can send in your child’s lunchbox?’ Katie wrote.
A mum has hit out at her son’s kindy, after a teacher said the lunchboxes she is making for him aren’t healthy enough because they include chocolate-covered rice cakes (lunch pictured)
‘I’m now facing this and I’m not sure how to best approach it, we aren’t allowed any face to face time with educators right now so I can’t bring it up with them, I have written an email but am yet to send it.’
Katie went on to say that the kindergarten where her son goes ‘pick on the tiniest things’.
‘This fortnight it’s been that he’s not allowed to eat the rice cakes because they’re drizzled with chocolate (I made these myself, the choc is 70 per cent dark chocolate, kind of think it’s besides the point though),’ she said.
‘[I’m] pretty miffed at this point! They don’t have any specific policies around lunchbox inclusions, only that we should send a “healthy lunch”.’
Katie accompanied her post with a picture of one of her son’s lunchboxes containing rice, vegetables including broccoli, carrots, cucumber and capsicum, fruit, crackers and cheese and the rice cakes with dark chocolate.
Hundreds of parents were outraged by Katie’s post, writing comments like ‘that’s insane, it looks so healthy’ and ‘that lunchbox looks amazing’.
‘I would ask for their food policy. That looks amazing to me,’ one mother wrote.
‘They can’t tell you what you can and can’t send, they can guide you but at the end of the day it’s your choice,’ another mum added.
An early childhood educator commented on the post and said that she is right as educators can’t ‘stop you from feeding your child what you think is appropriate and adequate’.
‘Unless they have a specific, and clear food policy, there aren’t any rules really except for nuts/eggs,’ she wrote.
She recommended sending an email to the kindergarten with a picture of the healthy food plate.
‘Point out that you are providing all food groups for your child, and that they have a well-rounded diet.
‘Most of the time when I see this, it’s because educators take it at face value and assume the kid eats junk all the time – even if it’s only one tiny treat.’
Previously, dietitian Lyndi Cohen revealed to FEMAIL exactly what the ideal school lunchbox should contain, and why you shouldn’t over-complicate things (pictured making lunches)
What should the ideal school lunchbox contain?
Lyndi (pictured) said the ideal school lunch includes slow-releasing carbs, protein and healthy fats
* SLOW-RELEASING CARBS: Grainy bread, pasta salad and wholemeal wraps all work well here, according to Lyndi Cohen. They help with energy levels hugely.
* PROTEIN: Protein is so important for kids’ growth. Whether it’s Vegemite and cheese, egg mayonnaise in a sandwich or chicken, it’s key to balance out the carbs and help kids to feel full.
* HEALTHY FATS: Healthy fats are also important for keeping us full.
* SNACKS: Your children will need snacks throughout the day, and so you need to be prepared with healthy things they can eat. Air-popped popcorn is great, as is fruit, a little bit of cheese or a small yoghurt. Stick to whole foods where possible and you won’t go wrong.
One of Lyndi’s tricks is to mix up your vegetables with a pasta salad in order to increase the chance that your kids will eat them (pictured making lunches)
Previously, dietitian Lyndi Cohen revealed to FEMAIL exactly what the ideal school lunchbox should contain, and why you shouldn’t over-complicate things when making your children their meal.
‘While ideally we would mix up our children’s lunches every day, if you know that your children eat cherry tomatoes, grapes, Babybel cheese and eggs, then give them those things,’ Lyndi told FEMAIL.
‘A child is unlikely to try something for the first time when it arrives in a lunchbox.’
Lyndi recommends packing a balanced mix of slow-release carbohydrates, healthy fats and protein.
‘It’s so important to have a slow-releasing carb like a wholemeal wrap of grainy bread,’ she said.
‘The combo of the carbs, fat and protein will give kids enough energy to actually function.’