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AIBU?

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Original poster

to question nursery as to why they are serving jam sandwiches to babies?

539 replies

choceyes · 17/10/2011 14:11

My DD is 14 months old and goes to nursery 3 days a week.

I won't know whether I am being precious or not, but it annoys me that occassionally she gets given jam sandwiches and also tinned spaghetti hoops on toast for her afternoon snack. I would never give these things to her at home. She always has healthy stuff, no treats at all, cos she is not a big eater, so I don't want to fill her up with junk.

My DS, 3yrs, is also at the same nursery, but there's nothing much I can do to stop him eating jam sarnies, as he would want to eat what his friends eat. and as he eats fairly well most of the time he can afford to have the occassional junk.

The nursery lunches are fine, and they also do fruit, chesse, crackers, tuna sandwiches for afternoon snack , so this probably happens about once a week I guess (i mean she gets either jam sarnies or hoops on toast maybe once a week, the rest of the meals are fine).

I dunno really. I was talking to a friend about it at the weekend and she was appalled at the jam sarnies, so got me thinking maybe I should say something to the manager.

I'm not in anyway a health freak, and against giving kids sugar, but not at 14 months, it's too young for me. And the nursery serves them to kids above 12 months I think.

It's just there is NO nutritional value in jam sarnies. I@d rather they gave her a flapjack or something (and they sometimes for the older ones dessert), which although has sugar, has got good things in it too.

OP posts:
RitaMorgan · 18/10/2011 16:32

Asda Smartprice jam is 48% sugar, for comparison.

ChippingInToThePumpkinLantern · 18/10/2011 16:32

A scientist..... Hmm

Fourthdimensionallizard · 18/10/2011 16:33

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ChippingInToThePumpkinLantern · 18/10/2011 16:33

SunRays Grin

Blu · 18/10/2011 16:37

LaWeasel - surely only Jam Sugar has pectin in it? And it is added? Pectin is a carbohydrate found in plant cells - some fruits have loads of pectin, some have very little, so when making jam with a fruit that has less pectin (strawberries, for e.g) you can either add loads of pectin rich fruit in a muslim bag, or else use jam sugar rather than ordinary sugar. But added pectin won't be artificial, it will have been extracted from pectin rich plants. Jam Sugar has added pectin from such a source!

Moominsarescary · 18/10/2011 16:38

Well jam contains pectin which is known to reduce blood cholesterol levels so not all bad

AphraBehn · 18/10/2011 16:39

I'm going to make campfire donuts with my Cubs later. Best not to google it if you are of a sensitive nature.

Moominsarescary · 18/10/2011 16:40

X post

LaWeasel · 18/10/2011 16:52

Yes, that's what I mean, pectin is a natural ingredient in fruits. The process of making jam is about matching the pectin level to the point it will set. You can make for eg strawberry jam (which has a low pectin level) without adding extra pectin by playing with the sugar to fruit ratio.

Most 'added' pectin comes from fruit sources anyway (and are therefore not considered no sugar).

But pectin still needs sugar to work as a jelling agent it is part of the process of their interaction. In the case of the st dalfour they use the natural sugar in the grape juice to create the interaction. Sugar is being added, it's just fruit sugar. Fruit sugar vs sugar cane/beet sugar are really not that different in most circumstances.

exoticfruits · 18/10/2011 16:53

Any jam is going to have a lot of sugar, if you make your own you would know that. I think it is preferable to the low sugar ones where it will have other sweeteners. I can't see anything wrong with fruit boiled up with sugar-especially when you only need a very thin layer.
Flapjacks are not healthy! I make my own and they contain only fat, syrup,sugar and oats- so are not going to be as healthy as bread and jam. (not that there is anything wrong with flapjacks in small quantities.)

I agree with Mrs Baggins and others who are for making eating generally pleasurable and healthy, and not stressing about the odd thing they eat elsewhere.
If you eat the same foods, as a family, have reasonable portion size, take a huge interest in cooking, flavours, trying new things, not labelling foods good or bad you are modelling a healthy diet and they will follow as they get older.
If you treat it merely as fuel, and some things like poison, you will have a problem. I agree with the poster who said that very often a DC who 'loves carrot sticks, humus etc' very often hasn't had other options. If they have had other things they very often really enjoy carrot sticks and humus (I do)-if they haven't they are likely to be stuffing them out of mum's sight when they get the opportunity. (I have seen it all too often).

The main cause of obesity is portion size, constant snacks and eating mainly processed food. I also think that it is highly likely if the parent doesn't have a healthy diet and is trying to impose it when they don't live it themselves.

If I sent mine to nursery I would have asked about food as one of my main questions before they went.

I wouldn't bother about an occasional jam sandwich and can't see that it is preferable to always have a cheese sandwich.

Blu · 18/10/2011 16:56

I bet a nursery jam sandwich has a thin smear of jam, not a cartoon-jam-oozing-out-in-a-great-thick-layer doorstep of a sandwich.

LaWeasel · 18/10/2011 17:06

I don't know if that contradicts what I wrote earlier or not - I think I have fructose and fruit sugars confused but google won't help me because it's obsessed with corn syrup fructose. I'm ill and sleepy!

Anyway, the point I was trying to make which is that you either have to add sugar or sweetners to make jam and it is impossible any other way still stands.

Original poster
choceyes · 18/10/2011 20:49

well like I said earlier we don't even eat the st.dalfour stuff that much. we buy maybe a jar a year.

I assure you Fourthdimensionallizard and exoticfruits that DD does not gorge on crap when I am out of sight. She is only 14 months old. And this thread is about her.

Whoever said they feed their kid of 13 months old, chocolate buttons, quavers, mini cheddars etc very occassionally. I'm sorry but WHY? Why are these food fun or a treat? They might be fun for a 3yr old, but for a year old baby??

OP posts:
exoticfruits · 18/10/2011 21:40

I didn't mean that she would gorge at 14months! I was really talking about older DCs. I don't know why you didn't ask questions about food before she started.( I also don't see flapjack as superior to a jam sandwich)

bringmemoonshine2011 · 18/10/2011 22:23

I love the fact this thread is still going I have been sniggering at it since yesterday. Allow me to help:

IT IS A FUCKING JAM SANDWICH!!!!!!

Jeez.

BeyondLimitsOfTheLivingDead · 18/10/2011 22:37

I had jam on toast for tea yesterday. Was going to have spaghetti hoops on toast for lunch today but didnt have any :( Had to make do with beans.

Why is chocolate nice for a toddler? Because chocolate is nice?

bringmemoonshine2011 · 18/10/2011 22:41

BeyondLimitsOfTheLivingDead better get to GP forthwith for analysis for rickets, osteoperosis (sp), scurvy and the plague, lest her nutritional deficeit now be beyond help.

Thzumbazombiewitch · 18/10/2011 22:48

it is, isn't it, LaWeasel! Diabetics are encouraged to use fructose instead of sucrose (table sugar) because it has been shown to reduce the blood glucose spike; but fructose can be converted into glucose in the body so isn't completely benign. Of course glucose is essential for normal energy usage; but an excess can be dangerous, whatever the source. this is an interesting article if you like scientific articles on the other dangers of fructose - worrying reading!

Thzumbazombiewitch · 18/10/2011 22:49

Gah!!! Sorry, had gone to bed (other side of the world), refreshed the page and didn't realise there were another three pages after LaWeasel's last comment to me!

Tierdmummy · 18/10/2011 23:24

Aw whats wrong with jam sandwiches??
My little girl loves them and jam on toast not all the time lol but yer a little smear on a slice of bread YUM YUM (messy) but defo YUM YUM! :)

Whatmeworry · 19/10/2011 08:07

I think Jam should have a government health warning on it, like cigarettes. And only organic vegetables should be VAT exempt. Only that way will the Children be saved.

Sirzy · 19/10/2011 08:22

Tired mum. There is nothing wrong with it as long as it's not something eaten at every meal!

Sirzy · 19/10/2011 08:24

And choceyes (rather ironic name!) you picked up the key in your post "very occasionally" what harm exactly is a very occasional treat going to do?

minervaitalica · 19/10/2011 08:57

Well, I started my day with toast and jam this am! Was good - although I may try lemon curd too...

To whoever asked: no i have never eaten spaghetti on toast, and never will. At uni someone showed me a can and the smell put me off forever. My husband is British born and bred and has never eaten them spaghetti in a can either and has no desire to. I would not be happy with them being on the menu of my nursery weekly - in the same way I would not be happy seeing McD on the menu every week (even if I see no problem with going to McD occasionally, as long as I do not actually have to eat there!).

Original poster
choceyes · 19/10/2011 13:22

YOu said excoticfruits
I didn't mean that she would gorge at 14months! I was really talking about older DCs

Haven't I already said I had no problem with my 3yr old having the occassional jam sandwich???

Sirzy - my name is not ironic in the least. I do like chocolate and choc ices, hence my name, and eat them too. However I owuld prefer if MY 14 MONTH OLD DD didn't eat such things.
Was it you that said your 13 month old DD ate chocolate buttons, quavers, mini cheddars, and something else I can't remember very occassionally in the past month? In that case, then all thse foods together very occassionally in a month, adds up to a lot of junk for a 13 month old baby IMO.

OP posts: