To expect more from nursery food?

[mylittlesandwich]

DS is my first child so I have no experience in this area. I have previously posted about the nursery but I'm satisfied with their care for the moment and this isn't about the pros and cons of young children in nursery.

DS is 10 months and is in 2 full days. I'm just not sure if I'm expecting too much of the food. So far he's been fed things like corned beef hash, spaghetti hoops and beans. I contacted them to ask for more info on salt content etc and they have said that they'll get back to me with it. He feeds himself too at home and I know he is often spoon fed at nursery because of the kinds of foods they give him. I offered to provide food myself that I feel would better for him but they won't allow it as other children may have allergies.

Basically what is your experience of nursery food for babies and AIBU in expecting it to be better?

Wow that's really low quality! I worked in a nursery and they were all proper cooked meals not out a tin! Lasagne/cottage pie etc etc. The menu was on rotation and the parents all had a copy of it.

You are right to question it!

Same as praying, all meals cooked from scratch. We see the delivery guy carrying in crates of fresh veg etc. They have a homemade cake /pudding every day too (low sugar!)

Yes I agree that’s not good enough! My son has things like curry, rice, cottage pie, Sunday roast.

Yes that sounds really poor (and is the kind of thing I do at home as I know they get decent food at nursery 😄)

Sounds like a cost cutting exercise to boost profits. Tbh I remember your other thread and I wouldn't be impressed.

YANBU. Mine have things like vegetable curries, roast dinners, cottage pie. All with plenty of veg in and made from scratch on site.

A portion of food for a 10 month old is absolutely tiny.

As for baked beans, spaghetti hoops what is the issue? They were a staple from weaning here and I’ve got 3 dc, you can buy low salt and sugar versions very easily.

Corned beef can be salty but the hash will of had potatoes and veg too so very little corned beef all in all for a 10 month old child portion.

Your child goes just 2 days a week, I’m not sure what the issue with nursery food would be.

My youngest child is 11 months and goes to nursery 1 full day per week I just looked up the menu and in the last 2 weeks Breakfast is always toast and then lunch was Fish pie with veg then pineapple upside cake week one & lasagne with veg then yogurt with fruit purée week two and dinner was tomato soup & white bread Followed by yogurt week one and pineapple pita pizza followed by apple muffins week two.

That's just one meal though. I'm sure most of them have the odd 'lazy meal'

Even if both meals are like that, 2/21 meals like that isn't going to hurt.

But if it's in conjunction with other issues then maybe you really need to look at other available options.

If yours was the DS ignored for over half an hour with no toys etc, Id be moving him.

I wouldn't be happy with that op, portions are tiny for a 10 month old a and so not expensive to buy decent quality food.

I wouldn't be impressed at a nursery dishing up Spaghetti hoops. There's nothing wrong with them but it's not the sort of food I'd ever expect to see on a nursery menu. I also wouldn't be happy that they are continually spoon feeding him.

My nursery has things like vegetable curry and creamy chicken with rice. They have a cook who makes a lovely menu with lots of variety.

I'd be annoyed at hoops and hash, far too salty and not nursery appropriate. Sounds like a cheap cost cutting measure.

I doubt they will change the whole menu on the back of your query I'd be looking to move.

Same as others, the food was home cooked, things like lasagne, chicken roast dinner, spaghetti Bol, with an ‘afters’ of some kind whether fruit or home made scones / cake.

I work in a nursery. We have a chef who makes proper home cooked meals- roast dinners, vegetable pasta bake, fish pie, curry, baked potato. We do a 'high tea' which tends to be sandwiches, home made pizza, wraps, savoury muffins. They do have things like beans on toast too.

If you look across the whole menu rather than just a day or two, is it well balanced?

Sorry meant to say that everything is low salt, low sugar etc.

I didn't feed my children that stuff at home; not appropriate. And high in salt, too.

@MJMG2015 yes that was me. They really seem to have listened to me on that one though. We had a discussion when I picked him up that evening and I pointed out he was the only immobile child in the room. I've checked in now and again since then and there has been no further issues. We're away this week and me and DH have some rare time together to talk about things so the food has come up.

They say they follow the traffic light system and only provide things that are green or amber. If they're buying things in then I'm pretty sure that the traffic light system isn't based on a 10 month old.

I am also however aware that food is a big one for me. I have weight issues and it's a constant battle so I'm doing my upmost to start healthy habits with DS and not let history repeat itself. At home we offer a range of healthy foods and let him feed himself. He'll have things like lasagne or yesterday we had meatballs but DH is helping me make things from scratch so we can avoid added sugar and salt and it's improving my diet too.

It doesn't sound varied but not every nursery has meals cooked on site - some are provided by an external company? Weren't you provided a sample menu before you signed up?

Should also add that I've had no access to menus or sample menus. That's one of the things that I asked for when I spoke to them.

I wouldnt be happy with that.

Our nursery has a chef, the lunch menu varies. This week we've had baked gammon, green beans and creamed potatoes, beef and spinach lasagne with salad, fish curry with rice.

Their evening meal is then usually an easier meal such as beans or hot dogs but using quality sausages, sometimes a cheese toastie.

Other lunches are pork stir with egg noodles and prawn crackers, roast meat and vegetables, moroccan chicken stew and cous cous.

All the children eat the same meals from babies to pre school.

@mylittlesandwich

Should also add that I've had no access to menus or sample menus. That's one of the things that I asked for when I spoke to them.

That in itself even without all the other issues would ring alarm bells. If I wanted to I could go onto the websites for the 3 most local nurserys and view their menus even without having a child who attends. In my experience, nurseries are normally very keen to show their diverse and healthy menus.

My kids eat better at nursery than they do at home! It's quite a big place so has a proper cook and kitchen staff, it's all home made for the lunches and lots of really nice balanced food. Loads of fruit and veg etc.

They get cereal as part of the breakfast choices and that's about as processed as it gets.

Most nurseries I know are the same really. Do you get a copy of the menu in advance? We do, so I assumed it was necessary.

All our nursery food is cooked and made from scratch with fresh ingredients. Includes things like curry, chill con carne, fish pie and also vegetarian/vegan meals for those who require it (usually at least one vegetarian meal on the general menu too). Same with desserts, all made from scratch with fresh ingredients.

Our nursery’s full menu was looked over by a nutritionist. This is a council-wide thing where I am I think.

I live in an area with lots of posh expensive nurseries. Ours isn’t posh or expensive in comparison and the menu is still all home-cooked on-site and properly balanced. Some of the meals do have things like fish fingers and baked beans (one meal every 2 weeks) but it’s mostly curries, chili, meat or fish pies, spag bol, etc.

I know when my oldest was in nursery, she's 12 now they had a treat day when they had fish fingers, mash and spaghetti hoops. Every other day it was curry, casserole, pasta etc. I had no problem with the hoops as would have given dd them at home for a quick lunch the odd time.

How much are you paying per day, vs other nurseries in the area? (Obviously varies a lot around the country - assuming you are in the UK?)

Ours is £42/full day (rural West) and they have a full 'menu' which is on a par with other local nurseries. Menu occasionally includes some convenience food but mostly is proper cooked meals and lots of fruit and veg, not just tinned stuff. Also good mix of finger food and spoon-feeding (apparently sometimes he has soup which I find hard to believe as he comes home clean )