Mum Says She Was 'Lunch Shamed' By School For Giving Her 5-Year-Old Daughter Oreo Cookies

Mum 'Lunch Shamed' By School For Giving Her 5-Year-Old Oreos

Who should decide what children eat in school: parents or teachers?

The question has sparked debate on social media after a mother said she was "lunch shamed" by her child's school.

Leeza Pearson, from Colorado, put a packet of four Oreo cookies in her five-year-old daughter's lunchbox.

Pearson claims staff at the Children's Academy told her daughter Natalee she was not allowed to eat the cookies.

Natalee came home with the cookies, as well as a strongly worded note from the school.

It read: "Dear Parents, it is very important that all students have a nutritious lunch. This is a public school setting and all children are required to have a fruit, a vegetable and a healthy snack from home, along with a milk.

"If they have potatoes, the child will also need bread to go along with it. Lunchables, chips, fruit snacks, and peanut butter are not considered to be a healthy snack. This is a very important part of our program and we need everyone's participation."

Leeza Pearson

According to ABC News, a school official said Natalee was offered an alternative snack. However, Pearson says this is not true.

"What the school think is healthy for her is not what I think is healthy for her," she adds in the video above.

"That's between me, her and our doctor."

Pearson says her daughter is not overweight and does have a balanced diet on the whole.

Natalee's lunch also included a ham and cheese sandwich and a string cheese.

The incident has divided opinion on social media, with some people saying parents should chose what their child eats while others believe schools should be able to intervene if they think it is necessary.

Twitter user Sky Christopherson said: "Props for school taking lead on kids nutrition. Lunchables and Oreos are not 'food'."

But Twitter user Smartsy Shopper disagreed, saying: "Schools are not nutritionists. Parents have right to decide what their children have for lunch."

Should schools decide what children eat? Let us know you thoughts in the comments below or tweet us @HuffPoLifestyle

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