2yr old nursery lunch

[pemberleypearl]

My 2yr old DD has just started doing 3 afternoons a week at nursery. It's only 3 hr sessions but starts with lunch (packed). Now, I know it's only her first week so I know to expect things to be a bit different as she settles. But shes just not eating much. And my mum suggested it's because I pack too much in her lunch. Can I get your opinion? Shes normally a good eater.

Smoothie
Yoghurt
Small amount of pasta with veg crudites in side or hummus and veg (she won't really eat a sandwich)
4 cocktail sausages (she loves)
4 baby plum tomatoes
Raspberries
Banana
Banana lunchbox loaf (Soreen)
Water

She's basically just had the smoothie and one of the fruits (normally the raspberries) all week. She'll eat a bit of the rest after nursery

Sounds delicious and very healthy but it does seem a little much for a 2yr old don't forget she's probably very excited aswell and wants to finish eating quicker so she can get back to playing with her new friends

That’s loads! My 3.5yo has gone to nursery with :
Ham sandwich (one bread bun)
Apple
2 small fromage frais
Oat bar from Aldi Mamia kids range

I used to pack more but he wouldn’t eat it.

Does seem a lot but also depends if their lunch is too soon after her morning snack?

It seems quite a lot, but then my 2.5 year old isn’t really a lunch eater.

Mine has a small sandwich (one slice of small bread or a sandwich thin), a fromage frais, fruit of some description - sometimes a easy peel little orange, grapes or raspberries, some organix type crisps-just a handful and a babybel/cheese triangle.

Sometimes she eats the lot, sometimes she just picks at it. I know at mealtimes if we load her plate too full, it does seem to “put her off” so maybe it does look like too much too her.

It looks a lovely lunch but it does look a bit much. I would remove the smoothie completely and have either raspberries or banana (not both) and yogurt or the loaf (not both). That would still be quite a lot for a 2 year old but it wouldn't be quite so overwhelming

That's loads. She'll want to run off and play!

Smoothies are very filling (and yummy) so she's probably eating that and the fruit first (also nice tasting) and then leaving the rest because she's full.

I'd take out the smoothie (and the cocktail sausages because I'm paranoid about choking) and she'll eat more lunch.
She probably won't eat all of it though because it still sounds pretty big - maybe alternate the sweet stuff, one day yoghurt, one day soreen loaf?

That's more than my 8 year olds have and they don't eat everything!

Weird idea maybe but could you guys do a this is your life type PowerPoint show (on tv at home ) with baby photos of mum history of her growing up, your favourite family memories ? Have like photo slide show and you each have notes and narrate a bit as it goes through the slide show?

Sorry cross post

That’s an awful lot of food! My DD goes to school with about half of that and she’s in year 1

Sounds like she's filling up on fruit and sweet stuff, so not eating the substantial lunch.
Can you ask the nursery to give her the pasta and veg first, and then fruit after?
If not, I would take out the smoothie, offer only one fruit and one "dessert" (malt loaf or yogurt not both)

That's more than my 9 year old would have in her packed lunch! Far too much for a 2 year old, although it does all sound lovely.

The trouble with nursery/school is that kids want to finish lunch as quickly as possible and play with the other kids so it's quite normal that kids don't eat as much as at home.

That doe seem like a lot of food.

Is that amount what she normally eat for lunch?

I would cut it down to:

Smoothie
Yoghurt
Small amount of pasta with veg crudites in side or hummus and veg (she won't really eat a sandwich)
4 cocktail sausages (she loves)
4 baby plum tomatoes
Raspberries OR Banana OR Banana lunchbox loaf (Soreen)
Water

So a bit of pasta with veggies and hummus, a yoghurt, a banana/raspberries./fruit loaf and water to drink,.

That is a lot of food for a 2 year old in one sitting, even if they were at home.

That is way too much.

I would stick with
Pasta + veg or hummus +veg
A piece of fruit or tomoatoes/chopped fruit
Yoghurt
Soreen (or another carb...dies she like flapjack?)

At our preschool we wouldn't allow the smoothie, as kids are given milk or water. They would have a cracker and fruit for morning and afternoon snack. We would encourage the child to eat savoury first, then some fruit/yoghurt then their flapjack/cake at the end

Thanks everyone, that's really helpful. I didn't think it was too much but then I guess I was also trying to give her lots of options in case she didn't fancy one of the things. She definitely does want to run off and play! Will try and offer less options and less in general next week and see how that goes.

I think the problem with lots of options, is it sometimes overwhelms them! Keep it simple.

Another issue with too much food is the endless amount of time they take to eat it. I am a nursery supply teacher and when I leave for my lunch some of the children are still eating when I return at the end of my break so do not have time to go out and play.

Way too much. Sounds lovely though. Could you eat all that?

My DD is 15 months and eats loads. I too have a habit of putting loads of stuff in her lunchbox to make sure she eats something- its one of those with all the compartments and I get carried away!

In your list I would personally get rid of the cocktail sausages. Everything else sounds great and very healthy.

Would she normally eat that much at home? If no then probably too much.

My DD is 2.8 months and she has
Two sandwiches ( 1 round of bread )
Cucumber and pepper
Babybel
Fruit. Usually a mix of strawberries, grapes and blueberries
A yoghurt
Small treat eg small piece of flapjack etc
And water.
She manages to eat it all!!

Def smoothie OR yoghurt. Otherwise I think fine if she eats it. If not, cut it down.