Is this amount of food normal?

[Cuppatea14]

I've just started my two girls in a new Creche. We bring in our own food for the baby so no problems there. My other little one is three, and has the eating habits of a goldfish (ie she will eat and eat if let). She's currently a lovely healthy weight. The new Creche seem to serve up a huge amount of food, but I love everything else about it, should I raise it? Today's menu (she eats brekkie at home...) Croissant for morning snack, savoury mince and rice for lunch, spaghetti hoops, toast and fruit for afternoon snack. I'm probably a bit of a food nazi but would never give the kids spaghetti hoops (let alone for a snack??!) and croissant would be a major treat in our house. What to do?

[HSMMaCM]

She's probably doing loads more running around and burning it all off than normal and they may not be huge portions? Why don't you leave it and see how she gets on for at least a month?

[JawannaDrink]

A croissant would be a major treat? This suggests your attitudes to food are going to be different to most creches. And people in general.

[NannyOggsHedgehogs]

A croissant is definitely a treat in this house breakfast is toast/fruit/cereal in various combinations depending on hunger, a snack is a couple of breadsticks. Spaghetti hoops, toast and fruit is lunch or a light supper - depending on what time the kids are at nursery till, it might well be dinner for some? - but I'd have thought beans would be marginally healthier

[TravellingToad]

A croissant would be a treat here! Like only from a buffet in a hotel

[SavoyCabbage]

A croissant is a treat here too. Ever since I saw how they were made on Teletubbies! A whole block of butter.

[ecuse]

I don't think that's massively overeating in terms of quantity. But I am quite fat.

[Moojay]

Sounds okay to me.. My DDs nursery is one of those 'organic, homemade ' jobbies. Typical menu for her is fruit and veg like carrot sticks, apples etc or organic homemade waffle that sort of thing for snack, and then cheese scone and salad, or sandwiches or homemade pizza for tea. They say that their meals should be seen as more Light bites though.
Spaghetti does have a fair amount of sugar in, but so long as DDs don't live off them I shouldn't see it being an issue. Majority of nurseries are inspected on their menu too ensure its suitable.

[KanyesVest]

In the creche my two are in, morning snack is fruit salad. It's usually banana, apple, pear,orange. If kids are still hungry they get a yoghurt. Dinner would be similar to yours. Ours get spaghetti hoops and toast once a month (the menu rotates over a 4 week basis). Croissants with ham and cheese is a favourite afternoon snack. It appears more often than every 4 weeks though, because if it's too warm for soup, they have it instead. I'd be surprised if there isn't a menu plan you can see, maybe ask in the office? There's a notice board in the lobby area of our creche and the menu is posted there and any changes highlighted.

[KanyesVest]

Oh, and I forgot to say, my two come home at 3pm and eat another snack followed by whatever dinner we're having and they are both 50 percentile for height and weight.

[Siennasun]

I think it's standard for nurseries to offer breakfast, mid morning snack, lunch, including a dessert, tea at around 3pm then another snack around 5 if they stay late.
So in terms of quantity I think that's normal but I think croissant for a mid morning snack is a bit weird. Snack is usually fruit or vegetable sticks. A croissant is like a second breakfast.
I personally would never give spaghetti hoops either because pasta in a tin is just wrong DSs current nursery doesn't do them but I don't think I'd be that bothered if they did.

[SellFridges]

Ours does:

8:30 Breakfast - Toast/Cereal
10:15 Snack - Fruit
11:45 Lunch - Chicken Curry, Naan, Veg
2:00 Snack - Breadsticks
3:30 Tea - Beans on Toast or Bagels with cream cheese or sandwiches
5:30 Snack - Raisins and Apple

I think it's fairly standard.

[Cuppatea14]

Thanks for the feedback all. It's not so much the frequency of the meals that I'm bothered by but more what they're dishing up. The main meals seem to be fine, but I was really taken aback by the spaghetti hoops & croissants, which have zilch nutritional value and way too much sugar. Anyway DD loves the place (and the food, not surprisingly!!) so I think we'll have to suck it up. Will give it another few weeks and see if maybe that was an off-day, today's menu seemed to be a bit better!

[grumpalumpgrumped]

It will most likely be a croissant cut up into pieces rather than a whole one.