A headteacher attempting to introduce healthy school meals was spat on and branded a 'food Nazi' by angry parents, she claimed.
Julie Copley, from Radleys Primary, in Walsall, said she even saw her family threatened for introducing fruit, vegetables, soups, and casseroles to lunch menus.
But the determined teacher said the condition of one pupil helped her stick to the plan to save the children, which she said were being 'killed with kindness' as parents fed them fast food and unhealthy snacks.
The young student, whose weight had increased at an alarming rate, was the driving force behind her school's policy, she said.
And the success achieved by Radleys saw it become the first school in the borough to be awarded the silver award in the Food for Life initiative.
Speaking at the launch of the 'Feeding Our Future annual report by Walsall director of public health Stephen Gunther, Mrs Copley said they have faced enormous challenges from families in getting them on board.
She said: "I've been called a 'food Nazi', I've been spat at, I've been threatened, my family and staff have been threatened."
Mrs Copley said problems with parents were prevalent during the two Covid lockdowns, with healthy snacks and lunch boxes being rejected, reports BirminghamLive.
She said: "We ended up with Walsall's fruit and veg mountain. Our parents would come and get their box and they would systematically go through it and pile up the fruit and veg in one pile and cereals in another.
"They'd take some of the tins and then ask, 'can I get a Maccies voucher instead?'. We were drowning in fruit and veg. We made soups and casseroles and nobody wanted them. It was a real battle."
After joining the Food For Life scheme, the school made some radical changes to its menu - including having 'meat-free' days, as well as vastly increasing options for vegan and vegetarian children.
It has a variety of menus and has linked up with Wintery Lane Allotments in Rushall to get the children connected with growing food - and the school is seeing a change in attitudes.
Vicky Hollender, family support worker and Food For Life lead at Radleys, said: "Children were not wanting to try the new menu, even though we took their opinions into account. Our children didn't know how to eat some of the food, didn't know what they were, but we stuck with it - even though parents were not happy because they were saying 'I'm not sending my child to school meals because they're not eating them'.
"We kept pushing through and finally our school meal uptake has gone up and our children are enjoying the food."
Mrs Copley added: "Everybody likes comfort food, everybody likes a beige platter. However, it keeps coming back to [the student].
"That's the reason we keep head-butting against parents. That's the reason we keep going with what we do. Every time we have somebody barking at me, I see that young [student]. Not a statistic, not in a report, but in front of me. Literally watching them die and it is that serious."
Walsall director of public health Stephen Gunther said: "Putting the child at the heart of that story is fantastic. They've taken massive leaps and bounds and also changed the perceptions of not only the pupils but also the parents in the face of hostility.
"It's a testament to Radleys and their silver award and their perseverance in the challenging circumstances they've faced."
