AIBU to think this is a bit mean for a snack

[Tailtwister]

I need some perspective on this, as I don't know if IABU or not. DS changed to a school nursery last year and I've been surprised at some of the things the children have received as their mid-morning snack. For instance, today they were offered an oatcake with jam on it (1) and some milk. I was under the impression that nurseries were expected to provide some fresh fruit too. The children in the class range from 3-5 and imo need more than 1 biscuit to sustain them until lunch. Sometimes DS comes home to say he's had 1 digestive biscuit!

AIBU? At his previous (private) nursery they would get some fruit and something like rice cakes with mackerel pate. What is the norm and would I be reasonable to raise this with the nursery? It doesn't seem in line with healthy eating guidelines to me.

[OnceUponAThyme]

my dd is 4 in school nursery, and does 2 1/2 days.
for morning snack, they are given a choice of slice of toast, crackers or oatcakes with butter, cheese or jam. drinks are water or milk.
afternoon snack is fruit and veg selection that they can pick at.
so it's possible they offer fruit or veg, but only after lunch. my dd loves her 2 full days as she gets to have two snacks as well as lunch there

[5Foot5]

What kind of oatcake? Staffordshire oat cakes are a nice big savoury sort of pancake which I would think quite a substantial snack for a small child. Or is it one of those nasty, wee biscuits?

[willesden]

Oatcakes .

[Tailtwister]

Yes kinky, I am going by what DS has told me. There isn't anywhere with the snacks listed down, so it's hard to check without seeming dissatisfied IYSWIM. I kind of wanted to get some perspective on it before I waded in and possibly ruffled feathers for no good reason. The nursery is brilliant in every other way and DS seems very happy there, as do the other children.

Thank God for Mumsnet!

[kinkyfuckery]

Sounds like something the kids would be offered at my kids (school) nursery, but there would also be fruit offered if they wanted it.
Are you sure that is all that was available? Are you going by your 3 year old's word?

Ask to see the snack-plan for the week. Ours displays the snack plan on the wall in the cloakroom, so we can see what they have had/will be having that week.

Sometimes, it's toast and jam/spread, or pancakes, or biscuits, sometimes soup, or super noodles. Quite a variety of stuff. I prefer the biscuit and fruit option, if she's had super noodles she'd never eat her lunch.

[Tailtwister]

That's ok insancerre, I understand your points completely.

DS has been on the waiting list for such a long time Coconutty, that I can't remember if they mentioned snacks tbh. I think part of the difference is that at his previous nursery they had an in-house cook who took care of all the food, so the snacks were maybe more varied because of that. At the new place they have a canteen which I believe is operated by a contractor (the food is brought in, not cooked on the premises), so the nursery has to provide snacks separately. They do have a kitchen, but it's not as if they just nip in to collect something which has already been prepared. When DS starts in P1, they are allowed to bring a snack in from home for the morning and afternoon breaks.

I know the fruit thing is kind of a red herring, especially when it comes to teeth. My two are real fruit monsters, but their teeth are in good condition (so far!). I suppose if that were different then I'd have to be more careful of the natural sugars issue.

I'm a lot happier knowing that this level of snack isn't unusual and I do take on board what you're all saying. I guess when DS does start in P1 he'll be doing full days and be having lunches in the dining hall. I have seen the menu and it does seem to provide a good balance (fruit too!) and I can add bits and pieces to his snack box if need be.

[CheerfulYank]

I think it sounds okay, but I do like that they have fruit most days at DS' preschool. I can hardly get more than a few bites of breakfast in him, so it's nice to know he will have a banana, crackers, and milk a few hours in at preschool. Sometimes they have cupcakes or cookies but usually it's fruit, crackers, and milk or juice.

[someoftheabove]

On another thread someone said their dentist believes fruit is the biggest threat to healthy teeth in children because of all the sugar it contains. It's tempting to think that if it's natural sugar it won't rot their teeth, but that's not the case. Not to say children shouldn't have fruit at all, but that its reputation as a healthy snack doesn't seem justified.

[Softlysoftly]

It sounds a bit odd, at our preschool the kids take in 1 peice of fruit in each week, some parents go outside that and take eg Bread sticks.

They are then broken up into the snacks for the week. Could you suggest something like that to them? the other parents may hate you.

[Goldenbear]

I don't think YABU. It doesn't seem very much IMO but that is because when my DS attended a private nursery at age 3 the afternoon snack was sandwiches or a crumpet or pitta bread with houmous, veg sticks followed by a malt loaf slice or banana bread slice. Needless to say, when he started school he was very disappointed in the snack selection. He is in Year 1 now and will often go without because the only choice is lots of mangy old carrots!

[JackieTheFart]

Hmm our school gives them a piece of fruit and a carton of milk. Mine don't eat a lot of fruit so I'm happy they eat some there, but I would be fine if they had an oatcake. It's a snack, appropriate in size and it's not their responsibility to make sure they are eating the right thing. Surely it's just to tide them over if they have not had a big lunch/breakfast?

Our is not a private school and is in a deprived area. We pay 50p a week per child for this.

[insancerre]

Sorry to put words into your mouth op
I used to work in private nurseries where most of the food would be wasted but they used to serve it anyway. They had a bigger budget as they charged more,
Pre-schools and school nurseries have a much smaller budget, especially if they survive on the free funded hours which hardly covers anything, let alone snack.
We could offer our children more but they don't actually need more.
We do have a fruit bowl available all the time so if children really need sustaining they can have a whole piece of fruit to themselves.

[Tailtwister]

I never said he would drop from starvation insancerre! I'm was just questioning the snack as it was so different from what was provided at the previous nursery.

Yes, I agree that a balanced diet should be provided. I do think that some fruit every day should be available, but of course I don't know what all the children get at lunchtime since DS isn't there for lunch. At home they have a free rein of the fruit bowl and cut up veg as and when they want it. I don't think that's going to make them obese!

[exoticfruits]

I would be complaining if mine had rolls etc! They don't need much if they had breakfast and are having lunch.

[insancerre]

I work in a nursery and snack is a very small meal, in fact, it's just a snack.
We try to provide a variety of nutritious choices, as advised by the EYFS.
We had houmous with breadsticks and carrot/cucumber sticks this afternoon. This morning it was toast.
Tommorrow will be cereal in the morning and fruit in the afternoon.
A handful of raisins sounds fine as a snack to me- as does an oatcake with jam.
I am at the children possibly dropping from starvation because they have not eaten for a couple of hours.

[impecuniousmarmoset]

I think that is a mean snack, yes. My 2yo DS would be an absolute nightmare on that - he'll easily demolish a whole peanut butter sandwich for morning snack, then a big lunch. He obviously isn't eating too much because he's right on his growth curve. His nursery usually do something along the lines of cheese on toast with milk, which seems much more appropriate. Toddlers are not adults and this talk of setting them up for obesity if they eat little and often is nonsense - they have small stomachs and high energy needs! One low-fat biscuit for three hours of playing is definitely pretty meagre.

[CMOTDibbler]

If most children are ft, then they will be having a substantial hot lunch at 12, so they don't need much in between. And they may have found that when they had more at snack the children didn't eat as well at lunch.

Ds didn't go to nursery at his (private) school, but certainly in reception they had maybe a quarter of apple for morning snack, and lunch bang on 12 (3 veg, 1 fruit in the set meal for reception and y1), so they weren't starving!

[parakeet]

You say you're worried about sustaining him til lunch time, but an apple probably has fewer calories than an oatcake with jam on.

And no, healthy eating guidelines does not mean that every snack has to be fruit.

[Whoknowswhocares]

Young children sometimes need a small snack between meals, fair enough. A rice cake and jam seems perfectly ok for that.
Is it really such a good idea in these times of obesity to programme our young to expect a constant grazing diet? Surely they should be moved gently towards a 3 meal, plus SMALL snacks diet anyway, which is exactly what is on offer here?

[MrsLouisTheroux]

Assuming a child has had breakfast before nursery, say 8am before a 9am start, do they really need a bigger 'snack' mid morning? A biscuit and some milk sounds fine. Lunches for young children are usually around midday and end is usually 3ish. Just fill your DC up at breakfast and I'm sure they won't starve.

[Tailtwister]

I was just thinking the same thing myself Jins!

[Jins]

Oatcake with cheese and carrot sticks sounds perfect :)

Might go and have a rummage for one myself

[Jins]

In what way is handing out a few bits of fruit making more of an effort than opening a packet of oatcakes?

Fruit is a lazy snack sometimes. They should try to provide a variety through the week. Giving kids a bit of manky apple seems to tick everyone's healthy eating boxes but it's not that great

[Tailtwister]

Yes, I suppose from the energy point of view an oatcake does make sense. Maybe if there was some cheese on it and some carrot sticks or something alongside?