Jam sandwiches at wraparound care

I love a dead processed pig sandwich on a Sunday morning with a hot cup of coffee !! Has to be smoked dead processed pig though, and on white bread with brown sauce.

When my children were little, I had a great book called Toddler Taming, written by a paediatrician originally from Northern Ireland. He mentioned once the horror of a new dietitian at the extremely monotonous diet served on the children's ward - mince one day, sausages the next. She devised a new menu, packed with nutrients, far more varied, and most of it went into the bin because the children refused to eat it. The hospital couldn't afford waste like that and the children needed to be fed. So they went back to the mince and sausages.

This is the problem. The After School Club is catering for children from a wide range of backgrounds, some of whom can't have certain foods because of medical conditions or parental instructions. They are there for a maximum of 2 and half hours a day and most of that time will be spent on play or sitting quietly reading. The snack they provide is just a small thing to keep the children going till home time.

Some of their children will go home to a lovingly prepared bowl of roasted organic vegetables and wild salmon with quinoa and toasted seeds. Some will get the cheapest available chicken nuggets and chips. Some will go home to another jam sandwich. The ASC can't solve all the problems of the world on its own. The inadequate diet some children have is mostly the responsibility of parents. There are lots of reasons why it's very difficult for some families to provide varied, nutritious food including lots of vegetables, and to get their children to eat it. It would be great if we made it a priority as a society to change this, but we don't. I can't see it changing for now, but as the NHS buckles under the challenge of dealing with preventable conditions linked to obesity, maybe things will change.

Remember Snack-a-Jacks ? They were just as bad. Salt and vinegar or cheese and onion flavoured polystyrene discs !!

I think people are suggesting that chia jam sounds and tastes like utter despair not that it's difficult to make.

Yes, what would this duty of care look like?

even if they did make their own chia jam, Aldi chia seeds alone are 74p per 100g even before you add the fruit.

and if you’re not suggesting staff spend their evenings making chia jam, what are you suggesting?

For people who were taking the p out of me by suggesting chia jam. I’m not British nor do I live there, and don’t know the economic reality of ‘wraparound’ costs. Nor do I shop in British stores.
I make my own chia jam. It costs flip all because I buy the chia seeds in Lidl or Aldi. Nor am I privileged- I’m a single mum with limited means. I’m not suggesting staff make their own chia jam, obviously, but I would’ve thought they would have some duty of care to the children.
i agree with the OP - it’s despairing how people just accept bad nutrition.

Why are savoury options better ? Do you think the an after school club can afford to serve these acceptable savoury options, not all kids will be munching on carrot sticks on mass for an afternoon snack they would probably rather not eat anything then you have grouchy irritable hungry children and how does that help anybody? this just ,looks about your personal aversion to sugar.

There’s no shame in that - but it’s not the best thing for the child, even if it is when weighed against everything else (like being able to afford housing and food) or even happiness/fulfilment of parents.

Likewise, there’s no shame in only being able to afford childcare that can provide the cheapest snack possible rather than organic homemade sugar free snacks which would obviously be better.

Noone is arguing that a jam sandwich is great, just realistic given the constraints.

But parents are much more likely to fret about school not meeting their physical/nutritional needs, than parents not meeting their emotional ones.

Many kids don’t like after school club and the jam is probably the best bit.

It isn’t that different. Being in nursery 8-6 or whatever is also terrible.

😂Jesus

It's a snack, not a meal and I'm guessing that they offer jam sandwiches because children with any dietary restrictions can probably eat it - vegan, nut-free, vegetarian, halal etc. If your children are having a proper supper later I don't see why this is real problem.

Nice story babes, still cringing.

How is attending breakfast & afterschool club any different to a child under school age attending nursery for a full day? Yes smaller ones at nursery will nap but from age 3+ most won't

Some parents need full wrap around care and there is no shame in that.

Plus the prep involved in cutting up cheese/carrots.

But some of the children in that ASC might be nearly 8. A couple of breadsticks and a cheese cube is not going to help.

Attachment first, jam second - they’ll be
fine.

I’m the parent of a younger child who worries about the jam and attachment. I wonder how my child will fare 🤔

It seems a poor offering. I'd expect toddler group type snacks. Rice cakes, mini bread sticks, fruit, carrot sticks, cheese cubes. With the occasional offering of toast with jam or chocolate spread.

I used to go to Breakfast Club at Secondary School (it was for students who got there early!) It was the cheapest of white bread as toast with cheap jam. Sometimes there was cereal. The alleged bacon/sausage/egg or porridge options happened about once a term!

School Years are a long slog!! Some things you have to let go…. Just tell AS club not to feed her then or provide a packed dinner? If you were that bothered, you would arrange your work pattern so that one of you is doing school pick ups! Breakfast club AND after school clubs 4DAYS a week is a lot for a 4 yr old. My girls school we weren’t allowed to use after school club till yr 1!! As they said it’s too much for 4/5yr olds to cope with!

You're right there. It reminds me of the Healthy Schools Initiative when parents were up in arms because schools were told to stop serving crap to children. The after school club should have a food policy.
To overcome your situation atm I'd agree with your DC that she can have a jam sandwich once a week.

The queen was born in 1936. Thats basically 100 years ago. She lived in a different world.

My kids go to breakfast club, I give them breakfast before they go but they usually have jam and toast as well at breakfast club. It’s not a big deal to me personally. It’s a nice little sweet treat while they are at school. I find schools are regimental enough without people going all Jamie Oliver to remove the nice things they have left

Can’t believe there are so many pages about jam sandwiches!

And the melodramatic posts about English children and obesity 😂

Previous generations seem to have survived eating things like jam sandwiches daily - and I agree it’s much better that UPF which includes ham. It’s the UPF that’s causing some children to look “inflated” and the huge rise in obesity.

It’s not something we ever have at home but I can’t see it being a huge problem if all the rest of her diet is balanced.

Yeah but extra prep compared to easy singles.

Ultimately I have no idea what they offer 😂