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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Am I being precious re nursery or?

61 replies

NurseryT · 03/05/2022 19:46

My son goes to a local nursery, it's not the cheapest but it had really good reviews online and also from a couple of parents I know personally. One of the main things they focus on is how they have a really good in house chef who cooks healthy nutritious food for the children.

We have an online portal where we can see what our DC have had to eat that day, when their nappies were changed, when they napped and what they've been doing during the day.

Probably about 2-3 of the 5 days my son will have something like 'sandwiches and crisps' for tea or something equivalent.

I don't know if I'm being precious and ridiculous or not and quite willing to be told I am but AIBU for thinking this isn't really a great tea and to not really have expected this from a nursery who 1. I pay a lot of money to and 2. Goes on about the quality of the food they serve.

OP posts:
Original poster
NurseryT · 03/05/2022 19:46

To add, I really like it in every other way so I'm not going to change nurseries or anything. Just wasn't sure if my expectations were too high!

OP posts:
forrestgreen · 03/05/2022 19:47

What's the lunch like? In a lot of places, it's more like a 'high tea'
Is it a balanced diet over the day?

Original poster
NurseryT · 03/05/2022 19:48

forrestgreen · 03/05/2022 19:47

What's the lunch like? In a lot of places, it's more like a 'high tea'
Is it a balanced diet over the day?

It varies, sometimes if can be something quite lunchy like jacket potato / sandwich and others it can be things like hot pot / stew / pasta that sort of thing.

OP posts:
Nodancingshoes · 03/05/2022 19:48

Depends what lunch is. We have a home cooked lunch but only a 'high tea' like sandwiches, crumpets, beans on toast etc...We don't serve crisps or any thing like that though

thebabynanny · 03/05/2022 19:48

Pretty typical for nursery cooks to work something like 9-2, so they do lunch. Then tea is something light or cold ans easy for the childcare staff to prepare and serve. Sandwiches, soup, jacket potatoes, sausage rolls etc.

Original poster
NurseryT · 03/05/2022 19:49

Nodancingshoes · 03/05/2022 19:48

Depends what lunch is. We have a home cooked lunch but only a 'high tea' like sandwiches, crumpets, beans on toast etc...We don't serve crisps or any thing like that though

Okay that's good to know thank you. It seems they do quite often give him snacks like crisps / biscuits.

OP posts:
Original poster
NurseryT · 03/05/2022 19:50

thebabynanny · 03/05/2022 19:48

Pretty typical for nursery cooks to work something like 9-2, so they do lunch. Then tea is something light or cold ans easy for the childcare staff to prepare and serve. Sandwiches, soup, jacket potatoes, sausage rolls etc.

Thanks that makes sense

OP posts:
purpleme12 · 03/05/2022 19:50

I would expect tea to be something like sandwich ie something light.

As long as dinner isn't like this as well then it sounds ok to me

Beautifulmonster87 · 03/05/2022 19:50

Ours does a dinner type lunch like pie and mash, sausages and mash and veg then sometimes wedges and dips for dinner time. As long as he’s not having sandwiches for lunch and then dinner, I would say it was fine.

Springhassprung86 · 03/05/2022 19:51

I would expect at least one bit, home cooked nutritious meal per day, so sandiwches and crisps are fine as long as it’s not snacky foods twice, if that makes sense.

Original poster
NurseryT · 03/05/2022 19:51

Springhassprung86 · 03/05/2022 19:51

I would expect at least one bit, home cooked nutritious meal per day, so sandiwches and crisps are fine as long as it’s not snacky foods twice, if that makes sense.

Yes it does thanks. I'll keep an eye on what the whole day of meals looks like a bit more then!

OP posts:
Bettyboop3 · 03/05/2022 19:54

NurseryT · 03/05/2022 19:46

My son goes to a local nursery, it's not the cheapest but it had really good reviews online and also from a couple of parents I know personally. One of the main things they focus on is how they have a really good in house chef who cooks healthy nutritious food for the children.

We have an online portal where we can see what our DC have had to eat that day, when their nappies were changed, when they napped and what they've been doing during the day.

Probably about 2-3 of the 5 days my son will have something like 'sandwiches and crisps' for tea or something equivalent.

I don't know if I'm being precious and ridiculous or not and quite willing to be told I am but AIBU for thinking this isn't really a great tea and to not really have expected this from a nursery who 1. I pay a lot of money to and 2. Goes on about the quality of the food they serve.

One of my selling points for my nursery is also that we follow a healthy eating policy. My cook goes home at 2pm. I would not dream of giving the children biscuits or crisps at any meal. That is not what a healthy eating policy is!

ChanceNorman · 03/05/2022 19:54

If it's literally just a sandwich and packet of crisps I'd not be thrilled tbh. Not that I don't feed him sarnies myself - but it's usually got a side of salad sticks at least.

Ds3 is 4 and evening tea at nursery is usually beans or cheese on toast, crumpets, hummus with salad sticks, crackers, bread sticks, boiled eggs or sandwiches but with carrot sticks or something on the side. Always followed by fruit and yoghurt.

ZenNudist · 03/05/2022 19:55

Our nursery always did a cooked lunch and tea would be sandwiches or crumpets or a bit of beans on toast. My dc would eat a proper tea at home too. I don't think you can expect more.

IME nursery food is cheap and not as good as it pretends to be when you view a nursery. They show you a sample menu which is best case scenario and then its corned beef hash vegetable soup or tuna pasta every week.

Floydthebarber · 03/05/2022 19:56

Yep, ours was the same. Large lunch of something hot and a pudding like cake, a cookie, strawberry mousse, then tea was wraps, sandwiches, perhaps a tomato pasta, sardines on toast and pudding after that was fruit. It is a sort of stop-gap meal between leaving nursery and getting home - mine would always have another small meal at dinner, even if it was just beans.

Snacks were fruit or breadsticks though. I am not at all anti-crisps but I would wonder how much salt they were consuming.

Original poster
NurseryT · 03/05/2022 19:58

That's the other thing actually. There is always something like cake after lunch. Personally if at home I'd never give him cake (or another sweet pudding) every day!

Don't know if I should just let it go though, he's healthy and a good weight so 🤷‍♀️

Just makes me go 👀👀 when I see what he's eaten throughout the day!

OP posts:
fairylightsandwaxmelts · 03/05/2022 20:00

Nursery cake won't be the kind of cake you're thinking of, it'll be low salt, low sugar, low fat, low-flavour cake Grin

Original poster
NurseryT · 03/05/2022 20:01

fairylightsandwaxmelts · 03/05/2022 20:00

Nursery cake won't be the kind of cake you're thinking of, it'll be low salt, low sugar, low fat, low-flavour cake Grin

Haha okay that's good (not for him lol).

Maybe I should ask just to keep my mind at ease, or will I come across like THAT parent?🤣

OP posts:
purpleme12 · 03/05/2022 20:01

I think it's normal for nurseries to give sweet things for pudding to be honest

Original poster
NurseryT · 03/05/2022 20:03

purpleme12 · 03/05/2022 20:01

I think it's normal for nurseries to give sweet things for pudding to be honest

Okay, fair enough.

My older (didn't go to nursery) isn't allowed anything like that in his packed lunch for school so just surprised me as I assumed nursery would be similar.

OP posts:
NancyJoan · 03/05/2022 20:04

Children are picked up from nursery any time between 4 and 6pm, so they keep it cold and snacky, and probably feed them early. I’d expect to give him something else at home.

Original poster
NurseryT · 03/05/2022 20:05

NancyJoan · 03/05/2022 20:04

Children are picked up from nursery any time between 4 and 6pm, so they keep it cold and snacky, and probably feed them early. I’d expect to give him something else at home.

That makes sense Smile

OP posts:
Jules912 · 03/05/2022 20:07

Both my children's nurseries ( we moved so they went to different ones) did hot food at lunch and sandwiches or similar for tea. They were normally swerved with vegetable sticks rather than crisps though.

ChilledScandi · 03/05/2022 20:07

NurseryT · 03/05/2022 19:49

Okay that's good to know thank you. It seems they do quite often give him snacks like crisps / biscuits.

Show quote history

I’m not in the UK, it’s extremely weird to me to serve crisps or biscuits in a nursery or school. It just would not happen here. Hell would probably freeze over. No judging, but do parents generally think this is ok?

thebabynanny · 03/05/2022 20:07

School dinners usually have something sweet for pudding too - cake and custard type things. Cheap and filling basically!