Shocked by the Nursery picnic!

[sharond101]

My DS doesn't yet go to nursery so I don't know how meals work when they go but today we were in the Country Park beside our house and there was a local nursery there on an outing. The leaders had brought a picnic with them and brought out some blankets and the children all raced over for a snack. This was at 3.45pm so I was surprised to see each child being given a filled roll to eat. A while later came the crisps which were passed out and then chocolate biscuits (chunky kit kats)and then some jelly sweets. The children looked as young as 2 years old say up to 5 years old. I would be unhappy to think my DS had been given crisps, chocolate biscuits and jelly sweets all at once. Is this normal nursery practice?? It really isn't anything to do with me, it just shocked me is all.

[deemented]

You're shocked because a child ate a packet of crisps and a chocolate biscuit on an outing? Really?

[MissPlumBroughtALadder]

God I would NOT be at all happy with my DS being given anything like that at nursery. His nursery are quite good with the menu though, and when I enrolled him I made it clear what foods he was not to have (puddings, sweets, white bread etc.). They've always respected this so I am sure you'll find a similarly aware nursery.

[WipsGlitter]

No. It was probably a treat because they were on an outing.

You need to get out more if that shocks you!!

[Littlefish]

3.45pm would have been tea time, not just a snack.

It sounds like a "treat", rather than an every day sort of tea that they would be served in the nursery.

[PlantsAndFlowers]

Shocked? Really?

[MissPlumBroughtALadder]

No I agree with the OP - I would be shocked too. And I hate the idea that feeding children processed crap is seen as a 'treat'.

[Pancakeflipper]

Perhaps it was a one off and they are usually eating 24lots of fruit and veg when at the nursery?

I know our nursery when on a trip took foods easier to carry/less messy/easy for little ones to eat and pombears usually made an appearance.

[justmuddlingalong]

It's ridiculous. Surely an olive and feta cheese salad served with individual bottles of Pellegrino, and a fresh fruit salad would be the least 2 to 5 years olds could expect. And what's with visiting a country park, was the polo match cancelled. Jeez!

[frazzled74]

I would find it a refreshing change from carrot sticks and hummus ! I wouldn't mind my 2 year old having that on a special picnic! I doubt if that's the nurseries usual meal plan, in my experience nurseries are usually quite particular about packed lunchesvetc.

[MoominsAreScary]

I wouldnt care, I doubt they have it every day.

[Martorana]

I don't think you can describe a kit Kat as "processed crap" can you? I usually reserve the word for reconstituted ham, sausage rolls and ready meals. Kit Kats I call caffeine filled sugar poison bars.

[Gileswithachainsaw]

Fine as long as it's exactly that. A picnic and a treat.

I'd be annoyed if it was a daily set up though. But no harm in it provided it's a one off.

[Mintyy]

I would hope a nursery could do better than that for the children, whether it was a "treat" or not. And I consider myself to be very relaxed about food for children, compared to some hardliners.

[Slackgardener]

i think it"s a bit crap really. Kids of that age don't need to eat crisps, chocolate and jelly sweets on a school outing. If a treat was really necessary to enjoy the experience, which i doubt, one bit of processed rubbish would have been sufficient.

[scarlettsmummy2]

Lol. Wouldn't bother me in the least as it is a special treat. I hate going to children's birthday parties where the children are given hummus and carrots etc- seems so joyless!

[Slackgardener]

I used to feel quite sad about the amount of cheap chemical filled junk food people gave dcs at parties, look at the crap ingredients - it's not what I'd call special! There's a balance.

[whereisshe]

I'm with you OP. I don't think kids need that much food when it's not a meal time and I don't think the sugar load is necessary.

Sugar shouldn't be a special treat. I know it is for most kids (and lots of adults) but I hate the way it's normalised given how bad it is for them.

Maybe it makes me a joyless cow but I don't think food should ever be a reward or a treat - that kind of thinking breeds emotional (over)eating.

[JRmumma]

I too would be a bit shocked by that tbh, but after the initial 'thats not what nurseries should be serving' reaction i think id realise that it was a treat (not everyone's idea of a treat granted) and probably more likely that it was easy to carry, not in danger of being spoiled by temp abuse etc.

Most nurseries provide meal plans to parents in advance so I'm sure all of the parents were aware of this and had an opportunity to raise concerns or make arrangements for their own child if that's what they wanted.

[SaveTheMockingBird]

Does sound like a lot of junk. I wouldn't be happy with that even as a one off. Just one of the "treats" is enough I think.

[cosikitty]

I would be shocked too to see a 2 year old eat all that- a bloody chunky Kit kat!

[UriGeller]

Yeah that's horrible. There's no need for jelly sweets to even exist. Kitkat I could almost tolerate, if they are running around and fancy a carby sugar hit. Crisps, another pointless food.

Nurseries should at least have a bit of knowledge about nutrition so they can offer appealing alternatives to the children they are supposed to be caring for.

[cosikitty]

Even if it was a one off treat, that mount of crap is disgusting for a toddler! A small packet of sweets is a treat.

[SaveTheMockingBird]

Yes agree with sugar laden food being so normalised now that it wouldn't be out of the ordinary at all to have a meal like this. And if you try to say anything you end up looking like an eejit, controlling and joyless. My nursery used to give jam sandwiches on white bread for an afternoon snack and although I never said anything, I wasn't happy about it at all. Luckily after an osted inspection they ditched the jam sandwiches (I can't be sure it was related though), so it was shortlived thankfully.

[LaurieFairyCake]

theres no reason for jelly sweets to even exist

They are yummy, yumminess rules

I love jelly beans.