to think this isn't ok at breakfast club?

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My children both go to breakfast club Monday to Friday and are there by 8am so that I can get to work on time. They have breakfast there so that they don't have to get up so early at home. I happened to stay a little longer dropping them off yesterday and saw what they are given for 'breakfast' it was 1 piece of (heavily) buttered (Marg) toast and a carton of fruit juice.

AIBU to think this isn't a)enough b)very healthy??? I am prepared to be told that if I don't like it I should give them breakfast at home which is what I'm going to do now but still!! This is supposed to give children a good start to their day no? Also they charge for breakfast so I would expect cereal, yogurt maybe the odd piece of fruit?!

Our breakfast club is free to everyone. They have toast, jam, cereals, beans and porridge with juices and milk. We have 'specials' that include bacon, sausages croissants etc. we run from 8:00 to 8:45 and provide crafts and games too. £4.35 seems really expensive.

God I can't think of anything worse than fried eggs anyway the decision I have reached is I'm probably being slightly Unreasonable however for me I will feel better giving them breakfast at home. Of course until the day I oversleep and all hell breaks loose!

My sons breakfast club provide cereal, toast, crumpets, pancakes (the ready made packet ones), milk, water, juice..basically what they might have at home. My son only has 1 or 2 crumpets and milk at home anyway so that's what he has there. It's £3.80. 7.45-8.50am.
After school club they have fruit, veg sticks, sandwiches, toast, crumpets. It's £6.00 and until 5.45pm.

I think my little boy would be gutted if that was what was offered. He is a right piggy in the morning and enjoys crumpet/toast and cereal and fruit! I don't know where he puts it but at least I know he will keep going until lunch lol!

Fried eggs don't have to be any more fat laden than scrambled depending on how cooked. Small amount of oil used, cooked and placed on a bit of kitchen roll briefly to soak any excess of afterward.

I do love eggs though!

I'm more surprised at how little some people pay for childcare AND food before school. We charge £2.50 including breakfast, from 8am to 8:40am, which I thought was a good deal.

I can only assume those charging such small prices are heavily subsidised from somewhere.

Ours doesn't have fruit at breakfast usually - unless we have surplus from the school supplies - probably due to cost, especially with waste taken into account. However, it is an infant school so every child is offered fruit (no charge) at playtime - so less than 2 hours later.

Kids breakfast club at school in nominally free but they are expected to spend at least £2 on breakfast.

hot drink 40p
glass of juice 50p
Cereal per bowl 50p- no sugary stuff like coco pops though
toast 15p per slice
Jam/marmalade/marmite 15p per pot
bacon rasher 30p
Bacon bap £1
spoon beans 30p
poached egg 20p
Boiled egg 30p
Sausage/vegi sausage 30p
bottles water 50p

The club is run by the school as a fundraiser and is rip roaringly popular as well. All the staff queue up for their bacon sandwiches in the morning as well.

The usual order is a glass of juice, half a slice of toast with beans on it, half a slice with marmite and a bottle of water to take into school.

Ooh I'd manage to spend £1.40 there on a bacon bap and a hot drink.

I used to work in a Breakfast club. This 'menu' is totally unacceptable, especially if they are paying! We used to offer Toast, Brioche, Crumpets, Sandwiches & pancakes with choice of Marmalade, various flavours of Jam or Margarine. 2/3 choices of cereal and a selection of fruit.
Juice & water was also freely availiable for the kids . The staff used to stop by aswell (due to not being able to resist the smell of fresh toast mainly!)which really helped with the relationships between them and the children. You are paying for a service that they are not delivering. It is not on x

Maybe due to wastage they offer a bit at a time. I know where I used to work the children got one thing and then could go back for something else when they had eaten that first. I do think, going off some posts on here, that children are being overfed.

I don't think it's over feeding that's the issue. It's the choice and availability of healthy options. And having a good breakfast to start the day.
Also to all the 'you shouldn't expect the school to feed your kids' brigade, breakfast clubs were initially started to help make sure that children from under privileged backgrounds had a chance at starting the school day with a full tummy and food that would help them learn! I in no way expect the school to feed my kids however I do expect them to offer a range of healthy options to ALL the children who go.

It is if people are saying they don't get enough breakfast. Your OP says it is about not being enough. One slice of toast is more than adequate...two for an adult.

Fried egg is fine eggs don't absorb fat the same way other foods do.

Well I disagree. I think for a 9yr old 1 piece of toast is not enough.

What's wrong with a fried egg? Baked beans are not a healthier choice than an egg in my opinion. I would have both though for my breakfast though.

Nothing in general wrong with a fried egg. They just didn't look very appealing! Also I don't like them so that does influence me. Don't mind the beans on toast I think that's a good breakfast. Overall I think I was just shocked when I dropped my DS off to see him plonked down with one piece of toast for his breakfast! This is not what I imagined breakfast club to be like. Possibly a little working mother guilt

I disagree but then I eat to stop feeling hungry and a lot of ppl eat to feel full. A slice is more than enough for me as an adult if I had toast for breakfast!

But turnip I assume you have stopped growing?? I don't eat very much breakfast but I'm not growing and I'm not learning (if I can help it!!) and my brain isn't developing at the same rate etc etc. My DS's are 8 and 9 and generally at home eat cereal and then toast or maybe a gorging or piece of fruit etc. Then they go off running round here there and everywhere and before you know it they are hungry again!! I have always tried to teach them that when you've had enough you stop eating, neither of them have ever over eaten or expressed feelings of intense fullness!! And mostly they are so keen to get off to the next activity that they literally satisfy their hunger and then they are off!!

**gorging = yogurt!!! I clearly need to go to bed!!

This is totally unnacceptable! I only pay £2.00 per child for the same times, but our club provides much more choice than this. Breakfast items are really cheap and they are in an educational establishment so no excuse for not educating themselves about healthy eating.
Interesting article below:

www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/11998340/Healthy-breakfast-healthy-grades-at-school-study-shows.html

I would email the head and ask them to explain to you the nutritional value of the breakfast and how this is helping the children to understand about variety and healthy eating. Healthy eating is someting all schools are meant to be helping children and parents understand. I would look up the government guidelines and quote these in your email. Make sure you ask the head to put his/her reply in writing, if the response is unnsatisfactory then I would pass this onto the chair of governors and then Ofsted.

I agree with you OP, in a time where we are trying to encourage kids to eat healthier they should be offered fruit, a banana for instance is a great source of energy! I also think they should be offered toppings for their toast!

YANBU! If you sent a kid to school after giving them that for breakfast the dimwits would probably phone social services to report malnutrition.

OP, on the day he was just offered 1 slice of toast, do you think they might have run out of eggs and beans?

Also, once he'd finished that slice, is he welcome to ask for another?

Well it was a Tuesday so I would hope they hadn't run out! No I think they can only go up once. It's served from like a canteen thing.

I wouldn't say that's much at all and certainly not a variety. Mine have fruit on offer everyday, toast, cereal and twice a week pancakes even,at their school breakfast club.