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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

... to think that my DD's nursery should be providing better food?

29 replies

sosickofthesoundofscreaming · 10/08/2010 21:30

her record book for today states that she had:

snack - toast

lunch - sausage roll, beans, mash, angel delight

tea - sandwichs and salad

I have no issues with toast, but the lunch menu made me a bit Hmm. There is no veg of any sort, and whilst with the best quality ingredients the main course might just pass muster, I'm afraid that as far as I am concerned, Angel Delight is just not food. Tea is a bit better, except that they often serve up jam and chocolate spread in the sandwichs (no way of knowing what was offered today without doing a bit more digging). Luckily my DD really likes her salad, and I can be fairly certain she ate a bit if that.

Am I being an unreasonable lentil weaving nut-job to expect a bit more imagination, and, well, a bit more veg?

OP posts:
mumtoabeautifulbabyboy · 10/08/2010 21:32

YANBU. Don't they have a menu they publish so you can see in advance what your child will be eating? If they do, prehaps you could make suggestions about including fresh fruit and veg if you see another day like today.
Is the food usually like this or is it the first time?

Flisspaps · 10/08/2010 21:34

What does she normally eat there? If it's an occasional thing then I see no harm, but if they're feeding her this every day then I'd understand your feelings.

Was the sausage roll from Greggs?

MrsBadger · 10/08/2010 21:36

what's the menu generally like?
if you requested the veggie meals would they be better?
we also have an option of putting a child on a 'fruit only pudding' menu, which would help with the 5-a-day

LucyLouLou · 10/08/2010 21:36

Okay, YANBU. That's not a good menu. I'd be asking some questions.

Starberries · 10/08/2010 21:36

Does it list what was on the menu or what she actually ate? could it be that there were other veg + fruit on offer and she chose not to have any?

I'm a bit Hmm at the lack of veg and esp. no fruit?!

PueriSimilisCanis · 10/08/2010 21:36

in what world is veg not mashed potato and beans please?

Oblomov · 10/08/2010 21:37

we have a menu. and it is listed on his sheet what he eats at every lunch and snack.
today he had fish, veg and potatoes. snack of fruit. and then pits and dips.

they have roasts, cous-cous, chilli, curry, loads of veg. loads of fruit. crumbles and fresh fruit salads.

did you ask to see the menu, ask about the food, before she started ?

Oblomov · 10/08/2010 21:38

pita and dips.

chegggersplayspop · 10/08/2010 21:39
Shock

I'm a terrible cook, but even I rustle up better food than that at home andI rely on the nursery to put me to shame from a healthy eating perspective!

We get a weekly meal planner and every meal has fresh veg or fruit with it. Snacks are fruit. Not that my ds eats it, but that another story....

archstanton · 10/08/2010 21:42

That is quite bad TBH. No fruit? Angel Delight is just frothy additives with some colours added for good measure. Wink Nasty!

I'm not desperately uptight about what my DCs eat for one-offs but I'd rather avoid Angel Delight. Sausage rolls I wouldn't mind once in a blue moon but not as a regular meal.

detoxdiva · 10/08/2010 21:42

Agree that at first glance it seems a bit Hmm to me, but what are the rest of the weeks menus like? Dd has sausage roll for tea on one day of her nursery, but the rest of the week more than makes up for my initial Hmm! Maybe I just have sausage roll ishooooos Grin

Do they publish the menus? Again I can see the 4 week menu planner that dd has, and as well as this, they have a daily menu board with lunch, tea and snacks written on it, highlighted with where they are getting their 5 a day from. Might be worth suggesting?

HollyGoHeavily · 10/08/2010 21:42

I'd be concerned if my DD was fed this at nursery - is it a typical menu??

At my DD's nursery snacks are fruit, raw veg, breadsticks, hummus- it's not that difficult for them to provide this. I'd have a word with the nursery manager and try and get an idea of what the week's meals looks like.

SloanyPony · 10/08/2010 21:44

Beans is technically a veg (included in your 5 a day) though I agree the menu is a bit average.

Depends how often she is there as to whether or not I'd be bothered. My son only goes one day a week so not so much but if she's there most days its not great.

Did they tell you what the menu would be when you signed her up?

Original poster
sosickofthesoundofscreaming · 10/08/2010 21:50

so many answers so quickly!

To answer a few of the queries:

I'm afraid in my world baked beans don't count as veg. They are mostly sugar!
Mashed potato is, technically, veg - and not a bad thing generally (depends how it is made) - but when I make a meal I kind've class it as the 'staple' element, and include at least one other vegetable.

I don't get given a menu in advance, but I did check out the food provision before she started. Normally the meals are provided by the school kitchen. (The nursery is attached to a school, but operates independently). Though not fabulous, the school meals are generally acceptable. The problems arise during the school holidays, when the kitchen is closed and the nursery staff take responsibility for the meals themselves. I think they just don't have much in the way of equipment - but this is definitely the worst in the way of ingredients so far.

The thing is, DD is very happy there, the staff are lovely and she gets loads of time outdoors which is really important to me. Everything else is really very good, and I don't want to cause a huge fuss, if in the scheme of things I'm over-reacting.

I think I may try asking for a menu ahead of time, to try and head off any repeat episodes...

OP posts:
Original poster
sosickofthesoundofscreaming · 10/08/2010 21:53

... and they tend to list what was on the menu, and make notes re. if she didn't eat much of one element

(but DD will eat pretty much anything if she thinks there is a pudding to follow)!

OP posts:
chandellina · 10/08/2010 21:55

well i am a good cook but my son still has plenty of days where he eats variations of bread, cheese, beans (should hope they use the reduced salt and sugar ones) and sausage. surely you can give your child some fruit at home, in any case?

PueriSimilisCanis · 10/08/2010 21:57

scroll down to baked beans

Nurseries have savage overheads and often serve low cost food in order to keep costs to parents down, hence less-than-ideal menus being offered

katiestar · 10/08/2010 22:00

'Beans'
What kind of beans are they -baked beans, green beans????

Original poster
sosickofthesoundofscreaming · 10/08/2010 22:09

baked beans, katiestar, and I doubt they are the low salt/sugar version - I think they would mention it if they were.

Pueri - I know that they technically class as veg, but really, when compared to fresh vegetables like carrots etc they are a definite poor cousin. I do sometimes serve them at home, but as a rarity. There really are much better alternatives. Cost-wise carrots come up trumps as well. If you buy the lowest priced in the supermarket they are often cheaper per kilo than potatoes. (Not to mention baked beans).

The consensus sems to be that as an abberation I shouldn't stress too much - but I think I should keep a closer eye on the food diary and see how it goes over the next week or so.

OP posts:
PueriSimilisCanis · 10/08/2010 22:11

fingers crossed this was an abberation

stressheaderic · 10/08/2010 22:12

I'd rather pay a little more to know that my child was eating good food (or at least being offered it...)
Even when the school kitchen is shut, which I understand makes life more difficult than usual, surely it's easy for the staff to peel a few apples and buy a few packs of breadsticks to dip into something home-made?

isthatporridgeinyourhair · 10/08/2010 22:12

I peronally love Angel Delight but would be Hmm if I saw it on the nursery menu. The rest of it doesn't sound great either - at DS's nursery they have something like sausage casserole, quorn curry, roasts or fish in sauce (his favourite) plus veg and then pudding which could be something like a crumble but is often fruit. Snacks are fruit, rice cakes, raisins, pittas etc.

With a bit of amendment the menu could be OK without raising costs - why not sausage plus veg? Can't be hugely more costly?

LoveBeingInBed · 10/08/2010 22:13

It should be looked at over a longer period of time, for example I know today my dd got a choc ice for pudding but this is the naughtest in a three week rotation so am not worried. If you do have any concerns though you should speak to them, remember you are paying for the care of your child. If it were a private school you wouldn't miind complaiing if you needed too.

ElusiveMoose · 10/08/2010 22:16

For the main course, I would say that if it's just an occasional thing then it's ok (my nursery does fish-fingers/sausage, mash and beans sometimes, and their kitchen is pretty good). And the snack/tea depends on what's on the toast and in the sandwiches (ok if toast with cheese and some fruit on the side, for example). But I think Angel Delight is unacceptable, TBH.

Brollyflower · 10/08/2010 23:22

YANBU. Direct them to the Caroline Walker Trust here and here