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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To expect more from nursery food?

105 replies

mylittlesandwich · 26/09/2020 15:07

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?

OP posts:
jessstan2 · 27/09/2020 01:17

@Merryhobnobs

I should also say they do get baked beans with baked potatoes and sausages and mash sometimes too.
Yummy!
jessstan2 · 27/09/2020 01:21

I'm still trying to work out what is wrong with corned beef hash, baked beans and spaghetti hoops.

Didkdt · 27/09/2020 01:26

@uglyface

I am clearly a terrible parent, because I don’t even check what our 22 month old has eaten at her one day a week at nursery - I just check that she has actually eaten something. She gets some fruit and veg, has the odd nap and seems to be happy there so that’s enough for me.
Do not come on AIBU for perspective You sound like you’re finding things tough I think other boards on the site would have been more helpful.
Greeneyes78 · 27/09/2020 03:35

like a previous poster i’m also wondering what’s wrong with spaghetti hoops and corned beef hash Confused

the worst thing you could do is make food a big deal based on your own issues with food.

my mother watched her weight all her life and my sister ended up being a size 22.

FagashJackie · 27/09/2020 03:49

The nursery that my youngest two went to was brilliant. Firstly they were kind and gentle, and then they they had an on premises cook who had my babies eating a very varied and healthy diet. It was expensive like hell, but that's where I'd see my money go to.

Marchitectmummy · 27/09/2020 04:14

It sounds like the biggest issue is thry are not providing enough information to parents. Our nursery always provided menus and mini schedules of what they were doing all day. So it woukd be 10-11 wet play, 12-2 nap time and quiet play etc We were also provided with learning goals weekly so that we were in sink with them, and we could influence them.

Do they have a parents forum? If so join that and voice it there? Perhaps joint with others you can improve their service, negative experience can be helpful in making change when used in the right way.

Is £50 cheap in Scotland, we paid more a few years ago but in London so I cant judge!

eaglejulesk · 27/09/2020 05:27

@uglyface - you aren't a terrible parent at all. You sound normal, rather than OTT as many of the posters on this thread sound.

Original poster
mylittlesandwich · 27/09/2020 06:19

I didn't mind being told that I'm being unreasonable. That's why I posted here. I do wish however that I'd never mentioned how I relate to food as lots of posters have jumped on it. I'm getting help from professionals to try and make sure I don't pass these feelings on.

The issue here I think as a PP poster said is that I don't know what he's eating. It's hard enough for anyone to leave a baby in someone else's care so a bit more information would be appreciated. They're going to give me more info on his food and I'll take it from there.

OP posts:
BigBreastedMumma · 27/09/2020 06:29

@stardance

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?

This sounds just like my DDs nursery.

I'm happy with what they offer. It isn't always what she wants (lamb burger) but they are nice meals. She is looking forward to a Roast Dinner on Monday with A sponge pudding and custard for pudding. Yum

Codexdivinchi · 27/09/2020 07:07

@jessstan2

I'm still trying to work out what is wrong with corned beef hash, baked beans and spaghetti hoops.
Nothing. My eldest (25) was raised on corn beef ash Grin
Codexdivinchi · 27/09/2020 07:16

Monday - Pasta with roasted vegetables, feta and olives
Tuesday - Lamb and chickpea curry
Wednesday - Lemon cod with couscous and vegetables
Thursday - Lentil stew with sweet potatoes
Friday - Salmon and sweet potato bake

These menus are meant to appease adults not the kids.

My dds would have left the table very hungry. The only thing they would have eaten was the pasta and only if it was plain.

Camomila · 27/09/2020 07:42

These menus are meant to appease adults not the kids.
DS1s favourite food at nursery was mackerel pate on toast. I had to go ask the cook what the "yummy brown thing on bread" was and get instructions on how to make it.
(He didn't like the lentil curry day though and would only eat the rice)

I wouldn't be ok with any of those foods (bar maybe occasionally low sugar baked beans) being served in a baby room - but we chose a nursery that didn't give any regular puddings - only fruit and yoghurt at snack time etc...the food was a really big plus point for us.

DS1 was in nursery 3/4 full days a week so we chose one with extra healthy food so he could have the occasional treat at home - At his old nursery where he only did 2 mornings I was less bothered about the food.

Baconking · 27/09/2020 08:00

I'm surprised how many people are agreeing with you when you've only provided 3 examples.

The rest of the food could be perfectly fine.

If they provided fish, mash and veg for lunch but beans and wholemeal toast for tea that would be perfectly reasonable and acceptable.

mynameiscalypso · 27/09/2020 08:10

@Codexdivinchi

Monday - Pasta with roasted vegetables, feta and olives Tuesday - Lamb and chickpea curry Wednesday - Lemon cod with couscous and vegetables Thursday - Lentil stew with sweet potatoes Friday - Salmon and sweet potato bake

These menus are meant to appease adults not the kids.

My dds would have left the table very hungry. The only thing they would have eaten was the pasta and only if it was plain.

Well maybe but their philosophy - like mine - is that children can eat exactly the same as adults and you don't need to patronise them by serving kids food. DS normally eats everything (and often has seconds) as do most of the other kids based on what I've seen. Sure, there will be some things he doesn't like but I like the fact that he's getting exposure to all sorts of different flavours and textures. Thanks to nursery, he loves fish now which he didn't before. But I also deliberately chose a nursery with an emphasis on eating well.
mynameiscalypso · 27/09/2020 08:16

@jessstan2

I'm still trying to work out what is wrong with corned beef hash, baked beans and spaghetti hoops.
I don't think there's anythjng inherently wrong with any of them (other than corned beef hash which I still have nightmares about from primary school) but, to me, they're the 'oh shit, DS is hungry and I need to give him something now and we don't have much food in the fridge' meals. Which is fine obviously we we all have those moments but I don't expect people to have those moments when I'm paying for them to feed him.
WitsEnding · 27/09/2020 08:22

I’d be a little unhappy about the lack of veg and try to make up for it at home. I’m a bit confused about why corned beef hash would be more unhealthy than lasagne, or spaghetti hoops would be more unhealthy than ordinary pasta with sauce; pasta and pesto was popular on MN a couple of years ago but not more nutritious.

SqidgeBum · 27/09/2020 08:35

@Codexdivinchi

Monday - Pasta with roasted vegetables, feta and olives Tuesday - Lamb and chickpea curry Wednesday - Lemon cod with couscous and vegetables Thursday - Lentil stew with sweet potatoes Friday - Salmon and sweet potato bake

These menus are meant to appease adults not the kids.

My dds would have left the table very hungry. The only thing they would have eaten was the pasta and only if it was plain.

My daughter eats everything we eat and always has done, simply because I am too lazy to cook her 'kid food'. I just gave her what we have for dinner from 6 months old. She would turn down a PB sandwich for a red lentil Dahl. I dont see why kids couldn't eat this food or why kid food needs to be brown, plain, or covered in ketchup.
OlympicProcrastinator · 27/09/2020 08:40

After your previous thread I’d change nurseries. Honestly, good nurseries should not have these issues.

OlympicProcrastinator · 27/09/2020 08:44

*These menus are meant to appease adults not the kids.

My dds would have left the table very hungry. The only thing they would have eaten was the pasta and only if it was plain*

No they are not to appease adults they are there to provide a wide variety of healthy food. I can’t imagine many parents would be happy with plain pasta being served.

FortunesFave · 27/09/2020 08:48

they had a treat day when they had fish fingers, mash and spaghetti hoops

God...in what world is that a treat!? Mine would be disgusted with that offered as a treat. Not that they're into sophisticated food but surely a treat is more like fish and chips or even hot dogs/pizza/burgers and chips?

Mash as a treat!

FortunesFave · 27/09/2020 08:49

CodeX but surely you're aware that your child must be a bit fussy? Most kids would eat that menu.

ineedaholidaynow · 27/09/2020 09:14

@FortunesFave in my experience at DS’s old Primary School many parents would have complained if they had been offering a menu like that. DS would have been happy, as he has always eaten most things, but many parents wanted a more basic menu and every time the school caterers tried to add something a bit more ‘exotic’ on the menu, quite a few parents queried why and their child would go for the cheese and beans jacket potato alternative.

Maybe it depends on the area you live in. Personally I would like menus to be more like that one, rather than the bog standard beige offerings.

However, as another PP has said what it says on the menu doesn’t always come out as tasty and healthy on the plate, with the cheapest ingredients making up the bulk of the meal. Many nurseries are struggling due to the free hours parents are offered by the Government, as the money nurseries are given in compensation does not cover their costs, so I can’t imagine many are splashing out on nursery meals.

RefriedBeanz · 27/09/2020 12:59

The dc all went to the same nursery and they have a chef. The only time they would have beans or hoops was every other Friday as it was fried fish day. Even then, it was freshly fried at the nursery not the frozen kind. The rest of the meals were lasagne, pasta bakes, curry with roti, dhal and rice, moussaka, fish pie and things like that. The chef was Indian and would do a lot of starter style party food as well like samosas, spring rolls and lamb kebabs for their snack time. Dc loved the food there.

LunchBoxPolice · 27/09/2020 14:18

I wouldn’t be happy with my 10 month old being fed that. Unless it was part of a healthier menu and they have some veg as part of a snack? Difficult to say until they give you more info.

Marmitecrackers · 27/09/2020 20:17

Monday - Pasta with roasted vegetables, feta and olives
Tuesday - Lamb and chickpea curry
Wednesday - Lemon cod with couscous and vegetables
Thursday - Lentil stew with sweet potatoes
Friday - Salmon and sweet potato bake

These menus are meant to appease adults not the kids.

My dds would have left the table very hungry. The only thing they would have eaten was the pasta and only if it was plain.

My daughter eats everything we eat and always has done, simply because I am too lazy to cook her 'kid food'. I just gave her what we have for dinner from 6 months old. She would turn down a PB sandwich for a red lentil Dahl. I dont see why kids couldn't eat this food or why kid food needs to be brown, plain, or covered in ketchup.**

Hooray to that. I hate hearing, "my child wouldn't eat that." That just implies they are fed beige crap at home.

I can't stand children being fed animal shaped things in bread crumbs with the announcement that they wouldn't touch a lentil or vegetable.

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