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What do you feed your dc after day at nursery?

7 replies

Issy42 · 08/09/2011 01:24

Do you give your dc a full evening meal after a day at nursery or just a snack?

DD's nursery give main meal at 11am (well actually they've all finished by then Shock) and tea (usually sandwiches) at 3pm. She moved up to the 1+ room from the baby room in July. She was actually 18 months old at the time. When she was in the baby room she always ate a full dinner at home in the evening with a yoghurt for pudding. She also had two or three baby biscuits or some raisins to follow to keep her occupied whilst I eat my dinner and she still usually asked for some of my dinner too. She's never been a fussy eater and has always eaten everything she's given.

Over the past few weeks she's regularly been refusing her dinner and am wondering whether she's now getting portions more appropriate to her age and doesn't need an evening meal or whether she's just getting fussy. She still asks for my dinner though, even when it's the same as hers, so unsure about the lack of hunger part. We don't always have the same food as some food I eat is unsuitable for her and she eats a wider variety of food than I do.

I went through a week of giving her just a slice of raisin toast, a yoghurt and some fruit after nursery but she didn't seem to sleep as well in the evening. Last week my parents were visiting and she ate a full dinner every night after nursery. Today was her first nursery day since they left and she was back to refusing dinner again. The only consolation is that she's suddenly starting drinking cow's milk after 6 months of refusing it.

It seems a long time to go from 3pm to 8:30am without food so just wondering what other parents do?

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nurseryvoice · 08/09/2011 17:10

My nursery has lunch at 12 (1145 for babies) and they have had a small snack mid morning.
They have another snack at 330 and have tea at home.
Maybe reduce sandwiches at afternoon snack time? dont know if thats possible if they are all eating lots she might feel a bit left out?
Or could you ask if lunch could be moved to 1130? as then she wont be so starving hungry at 3pm and eat so much then.

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sheeplikessleep · 08/09/2011 17:12

DS1 is 4 next month. They eat their 'tea' at 3.45pm.
He then has a bowl of porridge or something on toast at about 6pm.
Both his meals at nursery are cooked meals.

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Issy42 · 09/09/2011 13:58

Thanks both for taking time to respond Smile.

Unfortunately moving the lunch is not an option as they like to encourage all the children to nap straight after. DD already not getting enough sleep there so don't want her to miss the opportunity of sleeping when it's quiet. It does seem mean to leave her watching the others eat and not having any. She has been known to steal the other children's raisins at snack time too Blush so limiting her tea probably wouldn't work.

Porridge is a good idea - may fill her up more than toast and still gets the calcium in.

My main concern about her not eating in the evening is that it's rare for nursery to give her two portions of non-dairy protein in a day as they don't cater well for vegetarians - it was a battle to get one portion in. May have to post in food about recipes for protein-filled, veggie snacks.

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SkipToTheEnd · 09/09/2011 18:28

DS is 2 and he is also veggie.

He gets breakfast at 8.30 (even though he's had it at home at about 6am)

Snack at 10.30

Main cooked meal at 12 noon

And Tea at 3.45. Sometimes it's crumpets, today was macaroni cheese.

e get home at 6 and he'll usually have a small portion of what DD and I are having - usually soup, eggy bread, pesto pasta etc. Or he'll have falafel and houmous with rice cakes.

He only goes one day a week so I'm not fretting over the protein thing really.

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woolovermyeyes · 13/09/2011 18:18

You could always just ask the nursery to show you what bowls/ plates the children eat from and ask how full it is to get an idea of portion sizes. Again, if you're worried about not getting enough of a certain food, ask if there's any way yor child could be given a small piece of cheese/ extra fruit etc etc - they have to cater for individual needs, likewise if a child is lactose intolerant, or has a nut allergy, they have to modify meals, not a big issue.

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woolovermyeyes · 13/09/2011 18:22

Nurseryvoice - asking them to move their lunchtime?! Hmm changing the whole nursery's routine for one child? really?!

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sleeplessinderbyshire · 13/09/2011 22:14

DD's nursery do breakfast at 8ish (basically when there are enough in the room to make a table they start and keep serving til after 830 when the latest unfed children tend to come) snack 10ish is breadsticks or fruit or oatcakes. Lunch 2 courses cooked at 1145, snack at 2 or so similar to morning snack, tea at 4-430 sandwiches or homemade pizza with fruit and yoghurt. DD is a fusspot so often doesn't eat much at nursery. I usually give her a slice of toast,a yoghurt and biscuits or cake when she gets home. She still oves ella's kitchen veg pouches and she'll often have one in he car on the way home if she's not eaten anythig much at nursery

I'd be really wary of a nursery getting all children to sleep together - that isn't exactly child led is it? also I think if they sleep when they need to it means there are always children egtting some 1:1 time with the staff rather than always being in a group

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