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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To send my toddler to nursery with takeaway curry?!

217 replies

Mooey89 · 15/05/2016 19:29

I send my 3 year old DS to nursery with lunch and tea. Usually a sandwich/something on toast and then leftovers from the night before, spaghetti bolognaise, shepherds pie etc.
Tonight DP and I are having curry (takeaway) - non spicy vegetable based.
There's bloody shitloads left over!
He eats anything and everything, loves curry when I make one, very confident he will eat it.

DP said it would be an 'epic parenting fail' to send him with it, I think it's fine as a one off...

AIBU?

OP posts:
MrsJayy · 15/05/2016 20:16

Tbf its takeaway food reheating im harping on about not reheating curry and rice that was made at home

Fairylea · 15/05/2016 20:17

I am ShockShock at all the people getting worried over a one off salty meal for a toddler. It's not like he's having take away every day! I wouldn't have even considered the salt intake. At all.

My son is 4 and has a severely restricted diet - he has asd and learning difficulties and is under the care of a dietician. He only eats bread, pasta and the occasional bit of cheese. That's it, ever. If he ate even a bite of a take away I would be dancing on the ceiling.

LBOCS2 · 15/05/2016 20:20

It's stewed spiced vegetables that - shock horror - someone other than his mother made.

What the fuck is wrong with it?

Send it in, OP. We occasionally feed our 3yo DD kebab. Because it's grilled meat, a pita bread and lots of salad. Oh noes.

Joolsy · 15/05/2016 20:24

I'd send it in in a heartbeat if I was sure he'd eat it. With the rice as well. I've reheated rice, both my own and from a takeaway hundreds of times over the years. And never, ever had food poisoning. I'm not saying it doesn't happen, but I think it's pretty rare. And even rarer if it's heated up properly, and I would trust a nursery to do that

Ringadingdingdong22 · 15/05/2016 20:25

I think as a one off it is absolutely fine. I'd maybe cook up some fresh rice tonight to go with it, make sure it's cooled down quickly and refrigerate. It does not make you a crap mother!

PurpleRainDiamondsandPearls · 15/05/2016 20:26

It's fine, although I'm not sure I'd trust anyone who has leftover takeaway food. Shock Seriously though, it's a one-off. He won't die from salt poisoning. Let him enjoy!

MrsJayy · 15/05/2016 20:29

You can get ecoli from green vegtables even stewed ones not sure why you had to swear Lb you are getting a bit angry about a curry the op asked for opinions i gave mine she is sending it in calm down jeez

GreenTomatoJam · 15/05/2016 20:34

Lasaraleen - BUGGER! - I'd put bacteria first, then read 'spores' when looking it up and assumed.....

I only have Combined science at GCSE... that's my excuse :D I know the practicalities at least

OrangeSplot · 15/05/2016 20:35

Can't see a problem.
We've never died from reheating our own rice after a day or two in the fridge.
They won't know its not home-made if that's a concern.
A bit of extra salt will not cause long lasting damage.

BarbaraofSeville · 15/05/2016 20:37

Can someone please tell me what I'm doing wrong. I'm a bit fat so could well do with losing a few pounds and food poisoning would be an easy way to do it .

Mumsnet repeatedly tells me that reheating rice and/or takeaway is guaranteed to give me food poisoning, yet I have done it, rather haphazardly as in it is not always that hot, at least 3 times a week for the last 25 years and I have not had food poisoning once. And I don't usually put it in the fridge but leave it on the side overnight.

But seriously, OP YANBU. Takeaway portions are massive so no wonder you have loads leftover. There's probably nearly as much salt in ham sandwiches and cornflakes as there is in a toddler sized portion of takeaway curry and I never see anyone insisting that such items are To Salty To Be Healthy and a lot of people think it is perfectly normal to have cornflakes for breakfast and a ham sandwich for lunch.

Marcipex · 15/05/2016 20:40

Send the curry of course.
Don't send rice because if they have paid attention to their compulsory food hygiene courses they will refuse to reheat it.

LaurieMarlow · 15/05/2016 20:42

Lol at some of the answers on this thread. Send it with bells on. Sounds delicious.

I reheat rice all the time, no ill effects.

NeedsAsockamnesty · 15/05/2016 20:45

I would but I would send in a microwave pouch of rice as those are the only ones my kids setting are allowed to use.

A veg curry even from a takeaway is probally a lot healthier than many other things that will be seen routinely in early years settings and those things wouldn't raise an eyebrow

nousernames · 15/05/2016 20:47

I'd do it but I'm all about appearances so I'd totally make it look homemade.

AliceInUnderpants · 15/05/2016 20:48

I wouldn't share, but if you would/do, nothing wrong with it.

How many kids at that nursery? Imagine having to prep/heat all those meals Shock

Marcipex · 15/05/2016 20:50

It should be against their policies to reheat any rice, home cooked or not.

SplinteryBottom · 15/05/2016 20:50

Are you absolutely certain it's not made with peanut (groundnut) oil? My concern would be oily curries get EVERYWHERE and clearing up rice is nigh on impossible. If nursery have a little one or crawler with a nut allergy that could be bad news.

Am hugely in favour of giving a 3yo the occassional takeaway curry though, would bloody love it if mine ate that. They only eat ONE very particular type of curry not homemade. Sigh.

AndTakeYourPenguinWithYou · 15/05/2016 20:52

Are you absolutely certain it's not made with peanut (groundnut) oil?

This doesn't matter unless it is a nut free place. Which it shouldn't be unless there is a child with a severe allergy.

SplinteryBottom · 15/05/2016 20:53

Are they not all nut-free? (anywhere my two have been has been, but that could just be coincidence?)

Afreshstartplease · 15/05/2016 20:54

If all the children being there own food then they will have seen MUCH worse than this. But I agree about the rice, they should refuse to reheat it if following policiiees

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 15/05/2016 20:55

Because of the rice reheating issue, could you send him with a sandwich, and give him the curry for his tea?

Oysterbabe · 15/05/2016 21:04

I've had food poisoning from reheated rice and it was fucking horrible. I started being violently sick within half an hour of eating it.
I would send him with the curry, it'll be fine. Maybe with some kind of bread to eat it with rather than rice.

TheFairyCaravan · 15/05/2016 21:12

I'm another who has had food poisoning from rice. It was horrendous, the stomach cramps were like labour pains. I wouldn't send rice in, ever.

We got it when we attended a charity function in a 'posh' hotel. One woman ended up in intensive care. It's not as rare as you think, most people blame the meat in the curry/takeaway when they've been ill, but it's more likely to have been the rice.

Dexterjamesmummy · 15/05/2016 21:16

I've reheated takeaway rice loads and been fine, until the last time I did it! It was bloody awful and I won't do it again.

Lasaraleen · 15/05/2016 21:32

To be fair GreenTomatoJam I have a degree in microbiology Grin

I think the main danger with rice is the cooling period rather than the heating. To get food poisoning from B. cereus the bacteria need time to multiply and start producing toxin. This is far more likely if cooked rice is left sitting around for hous before putting in the fridge than if you reheat it inadequately and then scoff it straight away. It is also more common when large quantities of rice are refrigerated because the rice in the middle will cool down slowly.

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