Nursery Meals - appalling?

[TheBlushBaby]

I have been looking at nurseries and the meals provided. I plan to raise my son plant-based with white meats occasionally, and with no processed foods. I like to cook everything from scratch and can happily make extras. I make all sauces, seed loaf, and everything else I can.

Of course this works under our roof as it's how we eat, but this isn't the way for everyone.

I was very shocked reading the meal plan for the nursery. Can I send my son with packed lunch? Does their menu seem very carb heavy to anyone else? It's all cheese, breads, pastas, potatoes! Am I overthinking this?

but 8 months down the line, hopefully they'll be sleeping well at night and so will I

Why does everything we have to eat have to have nutritional value anyway? Why can't we just eat something because it's delicious, whether that's tofu salad or deep fried mars bars?

I laughed at the navity of the above comment too but pre children I am sure we all said such things.

Surely these types of guidelines are a complete middle ground for the masses and are written on the basis that some people feed their kids crap 24/7 and have absolutely no idea about nutritional requirements?

So suggesting a low sugar cereal is better than saying white bread, butter and jam but not as nutritionally beneficial as overnight oats/porridge and a banana for example?

So suggesting a low sugar cereal is better than saying white bread, butter and jam but not as nutritionally beneficial as overnight oats/porridge and a banana for example?

That certainly explains it. However people do need to realise that actually these things are not written because they are absolutely what a child/person needs and there for can't possibly be argued with or better standards achieved.

And people don't deserve to be ripped apart for expecting higher standards or for wanting to provide something they feel is healthier. I personally think the standards are as low as they can that without being terrible. Will a child come to harm eating it? No. Is it better than the chicken nuggets chips and beans and MacDonalds it's assumed parents feed their kids all the time meaning they have to have these guide lines in the first place? Of course it is.

Could it be better? Absolutely.

Does wishing it was better mean you have issues? No.

Obviously people will also made their opinion on their needs of the nursery.

Someone who's child is there all day who starts off with cereal and toast then has Bolognese with pasta and more bread (garlic bread) and then yet more bread with the sandwich for tea is probably going to have more concerns over the diet throughout the day than someone who is doing an afternoon session who's been sent in on scrambled egg and toast just has one meal there and returns home to what the parents have chosen to cook for tea.

Also if your kid is there 2 days a week 9-3 anything you aren't happy with is going to bother you less than someone with a kid there 5 days a week doing 7.30-600.

And also let's remember that these guidelines are written in a way that whilst outwardly appearing good still allow for things to be actually quite poor. That is true regardless of what menu the nursery served.

In other words I don't think there is necessarily anything wrong with whatever opinion people have. But I don't agree that people who have different ideas or standard immediately have food issues.

People all have different diets and foods they prefer to eat more of or limit.

This is hilarious. So you haven't even had the baby, let alone weaned it?! Keep an open mind. I had so many idealistic views and was a right judgey pants before I had my daughter. She was going to eat anything and everything we do, loads of fruit and veg, she wouldn't watch TV etc etc. Please let me introduce you to my Paw Patrol, white bread, pasta and cheese adoring child....things never really work out as you expected. That nursery menu looks great and I would absolutely love it if my 3 year old child ate that range of foods. Good luck op.

Bit feeding a toddler a diet lacking in starchy carbs is unhealthy. Yes a jacket potato is better than chips and coco pops are shit so ideal is to give them the starchy carbs cooked healthy ways and without added crap but the OPs objection was that the menu was carb heavy and when told kids need carbs offered up pulses and seeds which are not a suitable alternative as tiny stomachs are full on them too quickly. Feeding a child heathily is not a sin, I'm not saying ahh but they will eat crap one day so why bother? I'm saying kids need good old fashioned stodge three times a day. Porridge, seeded bread and a jacket potato is a healthier way to achieve this than coco pops, white sliced bread and crisps but they need have those portions of starchy carbs.

I do think though that this underlying assumption that kids Won't eat stuff has lead to what is a rather unimaginative repetitive menu.

I realise some kids do have issues I'm not for second denying that. But it's everywhere the need for some kind of kids menu . Plain boring unimaginative food lots of mince and cheese and almost a deliberate attempt to prove it all needs to be this way by throwing in a more unprocessed recognisable dish in such as white fish and rice and spring onion knowing if it's that cheap plain white fish stuff you get in a bag in Iceland it's not exactly going to be very tasty. We used to serve that to sick cats.

Other countries do have better menus there have been few shared on here.and a few Parents moving from overseas who are genuinely shocked at the difference.

I guess it would be nice if there was some kind of middle ground and less of an assumption that unless you another it in cheese sauce or blend it into a soup no ones going to eat food that looks like what it is.

Smother
Not another

Exactly Giles. You have hit the nail on the head.

If people are ok with accepting and adhering to that advice then that's great, each to their own, but don't assume that others who aren't happy too have issues and are 'performance parenting' (!)

Similarly don't assume it won't be able to be achieved based on your own experience, every child is individual and the way we were each raised (and saw our parents eat) plays a massive part.

I certainly wouldn't stop my child from going to a friend's for tea or to a party etc but the meals I prepare (be that at home, nursery or school) will be nutritionally balanced based on information provided by a nutritional therapist and not based on average guidelines.

User any nutritionist (well any nutritionist worth their (low) salt) will tell you young children need starchy carbs. That not an aimed at the lowest common denominator, "hey its better than main lining lard and e numbers" claim. It is fuel and rapidly growing, not yet sittong at a desk all day bodies need it.

They also need less sugar though.

So regardless of how little sugar is these sponges in nursery and schools. The inclusion of some kind of cakey pudding daily is still setting up a habit. However given that In schools in particular massive muffins and cakes are there to basically fill up the child as the amount of protein and fat in the meal is not enough to.

Posted too soon

Obviously that part needs an overhaul but I'm guessing that given flour and margarine is cheaper than meat amd protein sources it would make too much of a cost difference to do so

I think it would be more helpful if schools prompted children to try new foods. Especially as they'll be around their friends, so if their friends are happily eating veggies or more complex sources of nutrition, they might as well. Of course this is idealistic, but in a setting like school or nursery, I feel it's a good time to try new things. It's a big change for kids and many adjustments are being made, this may be the perfect time to diversify their diets.

Rather than playing it safe, and serving what children most fussy children would eat - get them all to try new things. Baby carrots? Sweet corn on the cob? Spinach and potatoes? Oatmeal with their own choice of fruit toppings?

To me this seems like a great middle ground that isn't empty calories or high sodium, but a sustainable source of complex carbs and new foods.

By no means do I suggest we serve children quinoa salad with pomegranate seeds and squash, with scallops. We know nurseries never would serve that and very few children would enjoy it. But venturing out to corn on the cob and coleslaw doesn't seem THAT ridiculous.

it's that cheap plain white fish stuff you get in a bag in Iceland it's not exactly going to be very tasty. We used to serve that to sick cats.
It's comments like that that make me on threads like this.

1. I use frozen white fish in fish pie with fresh smoked fish. It's perfectly nice. Yes, if I want fish and veg then I'd buy fresh and it's nice I have that option.
2. For some people that is the only fish they can afford so saying well it's so shite we feed it to cats just reinforces the idea of middley income people having a sense of food superiority.

I choose not to eat processed meats etc but I wouldn't come on a thread being all "oh it's so crap but it does for the dog".

It's not very nice regardless though. Thats the point.

You would either use it in a fish pie where it wouldn't matter so much or not buy it at all. Just because some people (myself included quite often) can't afford to buy a nicer piece of fish nore suited to being served up plain doesn't change the fact that it's not nice.

Decent steak is expensive I don't buy a cheap one I just don't buy it at all.

And actually in in restaurant or a nursery where you are handing over a fair bit of money I do think a person would be entitled to he a bit miffed if what your kids got served was cheap rubbish.

Be that unidentifiable fish or the chicken nuggets on the kids menu.

No issue with saying you don't think it's nice. I personally wouldn't have it as the main part of a meal.

Saying it's what gets fed to poorly animals is what sounds a bit snobby. A bit like if I said I don't like processed meat but it's good for the dogs. It sounds condescending.

That not how I meant it to sound I apologise.

We can hardly afford to eat like queens either. I was just trying to illustrate that it was exactly the kind of meal that is done almost to prove that kids won't eat it and not alot of kids eat fish unless it's fish fingers...

I used to work in catering so I know how poor quality some of this stuff can be.

Haven't read whole post but Personally I think the key to kids diets is balance and flexibility. DS was fantastic baby - ate everything healthy- now is v fussy 3 year old. He does get things like coco pops and rice crispier maybe 3 x week because it gets milk him in and he is lactose intolerant and no longer will eat porridge. It's a pragmatic compromise. Best thing about nursery meals imo is that kids are all eating the same and it encourages DS to eat things he won't at home e.g. Broccoli. And Fwiw from looking at school dinners they do seem to be pretty bad - too many chips for my liking

blush the good news for you is that kids are introduced to new foods at half decent schools
/nurseries. In addition to the rolling set menu our school does special menus to tie in with lots of occassion so an Indian themed menu to celebrate tge anniversary of Indias independence or a Greek theme to mark the Duke of Edinburgh's birthday etc. They also try foods linked to their learning so they will get to try "typical" Jewish or Hindu foods when they cover them in RE. The year 1 class made and ate fruit kebabs on Friday. Obviously this depends on the schools/teachers. We are very lucky to have a small "farm" at our school so the kids grow veg, salad and fruit and raise chickens so get to use produce they have helped grow. And yes it is a state funded primary.

Gileswithachainsaw Ah right. That makes sense.

I see what you mean. There are ways to use cheap ingredient that are tasty (like me and my fresh and frozen fish pie).

Doesnt look particularly healthy to me, but i suppose they are catering for lots of children, some of whom are fussy eaters.
Lack of veg in my opinion, and why cant dessert be fruit (on its own) or with natural yogurt?! So much artificially sweet food.
We lived abroad when my dc were at nursery and have to say the meals were very healthy compared to UK ones.
Dont forget kids do burn lots of energy and carbs are good for you, especailly potatoes that are high in vitamin B, something your child will lack if not eating meat (I am a vegetarian so had to learn all this on the way).
I suppose you will have to speak to the nursry - or become and Childminder and cook the food you want your child to eat.

What shocks me is this is a farm nursery. They have two Shetland ponies, chickens and a huge play area with vegetable patches. I'm just wondering where the vegetables are going? They grow courgettes and some other veggies (I can't tell what they are exactly) so I think the "vibe" they give out doesn't match their menu.

Getting children to try new things is great, but you need to guarantee they get enough in them to make sure they feel fed. Hungry children aren't happy and unhappy children can't learn well.

Children are quite receptive to new ideas when presented right. I've made stinging nettle tarts with the children that we all ate. Edible flowers they loved, sushi went OK, exotic fruits are always popular.