Preschool Lunch Drama: Why a Teacher Tossed a Child's Food

Nurturing healthy eating habits in children is a laudable goal — as long as it’s within reasonable social boundaries. When those boundaries are overstepped, impacting the emotional balance of both children and their parents, it becomes a significant issue.

That’s why when her four-year-old came home from preschool in tears, claiming he was hungry, Alaina Dossat started to worry. "When I asked if he didn’t eat his lunch, my son told me the teacher took it and threw it away. I was furious. That was his only meal for the morning, and once it was discarded, he was left with just a few grapes," she explained.

Digging deeper, the concerned mother discovered the teacher discarded the food because his banana cake contained chocolate chips. After calling other parents to inquire if they had similar experiences, Dossat was shocked. "Yes," more than 30 parents told her. "Our kids have also complained about this, saying the staff sometimes throws away the snacks we send, like chocolate-chip cookies and other treats."

Crackers, dried fruits, granola bars, chocolate sandwiches, cheese, and juice boxes—this is just part of a long list of foods the staff regularly takes from children and throws away in an effort to promote healthier dietary habits among the kids.

Upset, Dossat reached out to the administration of the preschool and school network in Durham, Ontario, Canada. The response she received was distressing. "No one apologized, and no one acknowledged the injustice done to a four-year-old. I don’t mind you want to teach my child to eat healthier, but I have a problem when you do it without my involvement, leaving me out of the equation and making my child feel deprived and hungry at lunch," she retorted.

She further noted that her son returned that day with a paper listing healthy snack ideas, like fresh vegetables, expressing that his teacher insisted he bring only healthy foods henceforth. "It’s a great initiative, and I’m all for it," she agreed, "but why implement it behind our backs and in this manner?" she protested.

"This is a new initiative we're trying to establish in both the school and kindergarten, which includes lessons on the importance of a healthy diet as part of the curriculum. It's definitely not part of our policy to take food from children and dispose of it," said school adviser James McKinnon.

How would you react if your child shared a similar experience with you?