09 February 2023 , 09:09
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Planning your child's lunchbox isn't always easy, especially if you want to keep it as healthy as possible while still giving them a variety of foods so that they don't get bored of having the same things.
One mum has been left outraged after her son's teacher scolded her over the small treat she gave him, as it was deemed "unsuitable" and unhealthy - despite it being sugar-free.
The mum took to Facebook to explain she had given her son a packet of two chocolate chip cookies from a brand called Freakin' Healthy Kids, which are gluten-free, refined sugar-free, and contain no eggs, soy, or dairy, with the packaging even claiming the cookies are "school safe".
The cookies were deemed to be unhealthy (Facebook)
But they were sugar-free and dairy-free (Facebook)But despite all this, the woman's three-year-old son was sent home without having eaten the cookies, and his teacher later sent a note demanding the mum stop trying to give him "non-healthy food options".
The note first claimed that items such as chocolate, nuts, and peanut butter are not allowed in lunchboxes for the safety of children who may have food allergies.
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But it went on to say that any child who has something deemed unhealthy in their lunchbox will not be "allowed" to eat it.
In a post on a Facebook group dedicated to lunchbox ideas, the mum wrote: "My son started daycare two days ago and I got a message from his teacher."
The message she was sent read: "This is a kind reminder that chocolate, candies, nuts, peanut butter, zaatar, and boiled eggs are not allowed. Our food policy is for the safety of the kids.
"Please note that non-healthy food options are not permitted at school and not allowed to be eaten if brought.
"Also, we recommend limiting sugary drinks. Therefore we don't recommend sending boxed juices or flavoured milk - our first choice is water and milk."
Commenters on the mum's post were split, as while some couldn't understand why her son wasn't allowed to eat the cookies, others said letting him eat the snack would encourage other kids to bend the rules too.
One person wrote: "I understand the allergy concern request but no way would I be okay with a school telling me what they think is healthy or not. I'd be talking to whoever I had to if teachers didn't let my child eat something I packed for them if it's not an allergy-related concern."
But another disagreed, posting: "As an educator myself, it is hard to justify to 30 other children why this healthy chocolate cookie is allowed and theirs isn't - so I can understand why he wasn't allowed to eat it."
A third also sided with the school, as they said: "Why would you want your child eating sugar or chocolate for a snack though? The school is right, it should only be water or milk."