Parents said a lack of choice meant their daughters had been coming home hungry (Picture: Getty) Parents claim their children ‘come home starving’ because packed lunches and all meat products have been banned at their school.  Some even said their children were heading to McDonald’s after school as they hadn’t touched the vegetarian food on offer during the day.  Woolwich Polytechnic School for Girls argued its culture of ‘family dining’ sees all students and staff eat the same school lunch of a healthy vegetarian or fish-based meal together.  The school – which opened in September – said the collective eating initiative allows staff to serve better quality meals in an environmentally friendly and sustainable way.  But parents have said they ‘resent’ paying £80 per half term for the service if their daughters don’t want to eat it.  The ‘restricted’ menu of vegetarian or pescatarian meals are instead sending the girls to fast food restaurants outside the school, the parents said. Woolwich Polytechnic School for Girls banned packed lunches in favour of all pupils and staff eating the same vegetarian or pescatarian meal together (Picture: Google) Under the school’s scheme, pupils are offered one meal choice each day, intended to cater for all, while packed lunches are banned to encourage equality. Advertisement Advertisement  But one mother claimed her daughter came home in tears over fish ravioli she had been given at lunch that day.  She said: ‘It is very upsetting that I’m paying £2.90 a day for food that is either vegetarian or spicy that my child does not enjoy eating and so comes home and goes straight into the kitchen to eat.  ‘They also aren’t allowed packed lunches because they want the students to be healthy, but in my defence, going to McDonald’s after school because they haven’t eaten all day isn’t any healthier.’  Several parents have complained online about the set meal each day, arguing that neighbouring Woolwich Polytechnic School for Boys – which has the same owner – does allow packed lunches and offers more choice.  In a statement, the school’s headteacher Subreena Kazmi said the school is ‘consistently working very hard to make sure the food is delicious and nutritious,’ and after working with families, will now be able to offer a meat option at the same price. Some children said they had been going to McDonald’s after school instead (Picture: Getty) Mrs Kazmi added: ‘Most importantly, it allows students of all faiths and different dietary requirements to eat together.  ‘We don’t allow packed lunches because we want all the children and staff to eat healthily together and engage at lunchtime.  ‘With our routines and structure, we are committed to making sure no child ever goes hungry and no child is ever lonely.’  The headteacher pointed out that the school does offer food to children at break time for no extra cost, talked positively about the family dining system which sees students working together to serve and tidy aw