I WOULD like to respond to the article "Check school meals demand", (The Press, November 16). Who do these parents think they are to demand to spot-check the meals at Derwent School?

School cooks put an enormous amount of effort into providing children with a healthy, well-balanced and nutritious meal that is tasty, low in salt, lower in fat and provides between two and four of their recommended five portions of vegetables a day.

Yet they still get slated at every opportunity.

I think these parents are making a fuss over nothing and, if they are not careful, may end up with school meals being withdrawn from schools completely.

A school dinner is an important part of the school day. Children use their manners and further develop their social skills, not to mention trying new and different foods they haven't tried at home.

Yes, maybe the cook at Derwent School did put additional foods on the menu, but we can't expect every single child to like or want every single food on every menu.

At least she had the common sense to consider those kids and give them another option.

Would these parents prefer a child to walk away from the table with food they don't like and won't eat, or very little on their plates?

I would prefer my children to have a hot meal that strays slightly from the menu rather than have nothing at all.

Yes maybe the menus could do with a little tweaking, but that has nothing to do with the hard-working cooks and their kitchen staff.

For goodness sake, give them a break. It's only a matter of time before someone complains the meals at school are too healthy.

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