ABCDiamond

Would any of these be better:

HOT FOOD

$3.20 Cheese and Spinach Roll
$2.40 Pizza Rounda / Hot Dog / Sausage Roll
$3.20 Beef Traveller Pie
$1.60 Mini Meat Pies (2)
$3.20 Chicken & Vege Traveller Pie
$3.50 Meat Pie
$3.50 Aussie Pastie
$3.50 Lunch Box Lasagne
$3.70 Potato Pie
$4.10 Chicken Burger (Cheese, Lettuce, Mayo)
$4.20 Beef Burger (Cheese, Lettuce, Tomato, Mayo)
$4.80 Toasted Focaccia (Chicken, Cheese, etc.) *
$2.40 Mini Dagwood Dog (with Sauce)

Zenshin

Makes me wonder why people say the UK school dinners aren't any good?
They look like a more well rounded meal than what is being offered in Australia.

Oh well never mind. I suppose the school canteen food is ok for the odd occassion but I certainly wouldn't want her choosing rubbish like sausage rolls or burgers every day. Guess I will have to invest in a couple of ice bricks to keep her lunch fresh in the summer.

ABCDiamond

Not that I have ever mentioned UK schools dinners, but if I did, I would not be overly nice about them, but only because when I last had school dinners, they were 1/- a day, and well and truly pre James Oliver era

I have heard they are pretty good these days.

Actually it may have been 1/- a week...

viviennef

I LOVED school dinners. I think though there is a difference to going into a canteen when its tipping down with rain and ordering yourself a meal to popping into the tuck shop here and going to sit under a tree to eat it. Somehow spaghetti bolognese doesnt quite work!

IndieG

My 7yo's lunch order for the week: Aloo Paratha; Rajma (Red Kidney Beans) & Brown Rice; Chicken & Mayo sandwich; Boneless Tandoori Chicken and roti; mini pizzas; Chicken curry & Brown Rice... She is lucky as she gets to eat all this fresh as I drop off her lunch at school.

My 15yo's lunch order is simpler: A Fresh fruit Salad daily AND A pasta and veggie salad (containing whole Grain Pasta, red kidney beans, Chickpeas, mung sprouts, carrots, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers with a dash of lemon, pepper and chaat masala); Soy Burger; Stir fried veg rice...etc...

All made at home....you can tell I have a lot of time on my hands....actually it takes me about an hour to cook

Zenshin

Yeah I must admit, a lot of the parents seem a lot more positive about them since Jamie Oliver. He was a good choice to promote it.

It is a foreign concept for me since I grew up in Australia and most kids took a lunch box to school. I think it is also a good idea that they have to sit at tables to eat their meal. I remember sitting on the grass or on a bench and balancing my lunch box. Is this still the same in Australian schools?

ABCDiamond

From what I have seen, yes.

viviennef

yes. I think eating by a table is nice and also I used to love the social aspect as an under 12 where you were placed on tables.

I just drool over when I was mother and Mr Wintle was father....

Lorna at Vicenza

What's an Aussie Pastie'

Anything like a Cornish one?

ABCDiamond

The Old Aussie Pastie
1/2 lb steak
1/2 lb potatoes
1 onion
1 teaspoon chopped parsley
1 turnip
Pepper and salt
Rough puff pastry

Lorna at Vicenza

Thanks for that. Was wondering whether to make some or not but I might as well just carry on making Cornish pasties or steak and potatoe pie.

I'm happy to see that school dinners are cheaper here though. For once Italy is doing something decent in schools.

moneypenny20

Based on a small example of one school's menu?

Fly Away

My daughter's school menu in Adelaide;

Sandwiches - bread, baguette or wrap. Baguettes baked daily in school;

ham, chicken, cheese, vegemite etc, $3.00 salad $1

Toasted foccia - as above $3.80 - $5.60

Weekly specials (served once a week) ; Sushi, teryaki chicken, wedges

Daily meals always available;

Homemade veg stir fry $4.20
Homemade pasta with veg sauce $4.20
low fat chicken burger $4.70
low fat Chicken wrap $4.70
Baked potato $4.70
Salad (6 sorts available) $5.30

Snacks; fruit $1, fruit salad $3, popcorn $1.60

Seems to be very much more health aware. Many things are marked less than 3% fat and food is colour coded - red for 'bad' don't eat often, amber for sometimes and green for often.

Safin

Think I need to print this off for our school - there its definately either unappealing or unhealthy and expensive compared to UK school dinners

Geelong Gent

Where is the shusi, the pasta, the fish or chicken, the additional snacks/treats?