Jam sandwiches at wraparound care

[JBeanGarden]

My reception age DD goes to a really well arranged breakfast club and after school club 4 days a week. It works very well with 2 commuting parents. I only have one gripe and that is with the food they offer. Technically the food should align with the school’s healthy eating policy, as it’s run by the school not an external provider. The school has asked parents not to provide sweet treats in lunch boxes and it’s quite strict about sandwiches.

HOWEVER the school is not transparent about the wraparound food offer and I had to email three times to get them to tell me what they provide. Once they did, they disclosed that the after school options include a range of sandwiches, including jam, plus a pudding of cake and fruit. Of course, my four-year-old always goes for a jam sandwich and ends up with a very sweet tea 4 days a week. The school says they offer carrot sticks etc, however, not one single parent has ever mentioned this in conversation and so I just think it’s something they say but don’t provide.

We do talk at home about the importance of a balanced diet, but she’s still only four and temptation is there! She’s offered something a bit more nutritionally balanced she gets home, but she’s usually just full of jam sandwich!

I emailed the school to ask them if they are able to comment on this or if they ever review the food that they provide at wraparound care, but I haven’t received a reply. AIBU to push this further?

I wonder if OP is a parent that puts the child to bed quite early and that’s why she’s never hungry?
My DD didn’t grow up in the UK as a toddler, but my coworkers always put their kids to bed really early (6pm - 7pm) so they never seem to have a proper dinner (or what I see as a dinner, I should say).

Apologies if @JBeanGarden has already mentioned what meals DD has, I may have not seen it.

And what nutritional value is in marmite?

Yes marmite, that food renowned for being loved by everyone.

I’d be more likely to complain about the Dairylea than the jam.

It’s all about balance though isn’t it. I have fond memories of being given the choice between a ketchup or sugar sandwich at nursery …. I ate healthy, home cooked meals at home and all was well.

After school clubs generally don’t have cooking facilities and are very pushed for time and resources.

send a sandwich with your child if you don’t want her to eat jam?

if it a real issue then as others have suggested I would send your own snack box for your child to eat at the after school club, and tell them you don’t want her to have the food provided. To be perfectly honest, if it’s cheap bread and cheap ham that is pretty rank and low in nutritional value anyway so the jam probably isn’t a huge deal in the grand scheme of things, send a healthy snack pack and ask them not to give her any other their food seems like the best way around it. Unfortunately due to costs and the absolute dire lack of budget, schools are not able to afford decent produce for their meals, I’ve been a teacher for 15 years and the food is pretty shocking.

I'm pretty laid back around food etc and even I wouldn't have been happy with my kids having cake and jam sandwiches every day......one or the other would be fine. But not both !

Toast and fruit or crackers and cheese is just as easy and cheap to prepare as plates of sandwiches. I think you're right to question this tbh, especially as it's so hypocritical of the school.

B vitamins from the yeast maybe?

Everyone suggesting cheese. But most childcare settings have at least a handful of children with dairy allergies so it's much simpler not to offer these things if it's just a quick snack. It's also expensive. Fresh fruit is also expensive, higher risk of choking and probably leaves a lot more food wasted.

I don’t think a tiny smear of marmite on white bread is going to contain any noticeable amount of anything.

My DH is diabetic and his HCP has warned against using diabetic products. Diabetic jams are around 2.5% sugar from fruit and 60% polyols - calorific sweeteners which raise blood sugars less than normal sugar. These can cause various issues, digestive problems and diarrhoea even in small amounts. They advise strictly controlled use of the standard product instead.

I’m not diabetic and DH’s nurse told me that diabetic products like this are not advisable for non-diabetics, and that generally the use of fruit spreads like St Dalfour are preferable as they are 100% fruit and don’t contain any artificial sweeteners.

Except maybe salt.

This is the case with most school food to be honest. None of it good quality or nutritious.

Ok OP. Think about it. How much money do you pay for this afterschool service? It's pretty cheap, right? Think about how much staff work there, wages etc. Jam sandwiches are cheap and easy to prepare. You're paying for the most basic childcare there is. You get what you pay for. If you are worried about nutrition then you're going to need to up the childcare bill and pay for a nanny or childminder.

Really? My DC loved Dairylea .and would have a thin spread of MM. I Would be worried about their teeth tTBH. There is very little nutrition in jam.esp the cheaper kind.

A cheese sandwich would fill her as much as a jam sandwich, she is full from the bread not the jam.

I would move dinner a little later so she eats it.

Yanbu to make suggestion, but they dont have to take up your suggestion either. If you really cant deal with it look for alternative after school care. But if happy with everything else i would let this go.

How much are you paying for ASC? These places are usually run on a shoestring. You might be better paying for a childminder so you can ensure you DD eats in line with your preferences.

I doubt there's any more nutrition in a dairylea triangle, those things are extremely processed.

It will be white sliced bread and margarine, processed ham or plastic cheese.
If you don't want your child to eat these things and don't want to send your own food then you will have to teach your child to make choices you approve of.

I really want a jam sandwich now.

Surely their teeth though Keating five.A little under 5 filling up on jam sarnies can't be good.MM is full of B vitamins and a little scrape .not loads as salty would be better

But they told you what they provide? You sound like hard work tbh

Pretty sure Marmite isn’t allowed because of salt content anyway.

these are the ingredients in dairylea.

skimmed MILK (water, skimmed MILK powder), CHEESE, inulin, MILK fat, whey powder (from MILK), skimmed MILK powder, emulsifying salts (triphosphate, polyphosphates), MILKprotein, calcium phosphate, acidity regulator (citric acid).

school guidelines are around variety of foods offered and balance across the day. Sugar is to be ‘avoided’ and there is specific guidelines on breakfast cereal, but jam is definitely not forbidden, especially if it’s offered alongside cheese and ham.

It's probably low sugar jam though, to be fair

And I expect Marmite would be far in excess of any school guidelines around salt.

Simply loads! Packed with B vitamins and B12.rich in minerals Iron. Selenium. Potassium and magnesium.spread thinly to avoid too much salt it is excellent. Yummy 😋