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?

Do keep calm here. Its a jam sandwich not a 24/7 diet of jam sandwiches! Reason for alarm had it been pea6nut butter!

Our wrap around care has awful food - it's usually snacky type food (hot dogs, wraps, bagels) but more often than not my 2 have crackers with butter on every day! They usually have biscuits and other things later on too.
In reception mine were never that hungry after wrap around so never ate a proper meal at home after, but always wanted a little something. So I tended to just do a "picky tea" with lots of healthy things they liked. Crudités of peppers, carrots, cucumber, and some fruit along with bread sticks or similar for some carbs. Often I'd do some ham or chicken slices, or cheese cubes in with it.
The other thing I considered was sending them with a packed lunch to have for tea, but tbh it's far too much effort and faf. They do get good healthy lunches at school each day, so snacks / sandwiches later on doesn't seem too bad.
I wouldn't be happy with jam sandwiches every day though so I would either send a packup, offer healthy snacks after pick up, or I guess you could ask them to give your DD something other than jam - but I imagine it will be difficult to manage in a large group of children.

If healthy eating is a key value to you, then absolutely- and people say it’s not the end of the world - but actually it can be REALLY disheartening, when all you do is try your best to provide healthy food and your child won’t eat it because someone has carelessly rammed a jam sandwich down their necks 4 times a week.
You are absolutely right to push on this, as it would be unfair to send your DD in with a packed lunch style option - they just need to stop being so lazy and cut up some fruit. Stand by it!!

They do offer fruit.

I suppose but surely OP and I are not the only parents with children whose meal would be spoilt but a huge unhealthy snack just a couple of hours before dinner. I’d be quite happy for her to fill up on healthy snacks and not have a big dinner but as I said in my previous post, to me a jam sandwich is akin to a pudding, as it really has very little nutritional value at all. I think schools should be offering healthy option on the whole.

totally agree with you.

Yes! I do my best to offer healthy balanced meals on the whole, obviously with occasion or appropriately portioned treats as part of the balance. But it is so frustrating when a healthy meal I’ve cooked is ruined by other people feeding my child large portions of rubbish. I would certainly expect a school provided meal to be of a minimal standard, and a jam sandwich 4x/week just isn’t it.

OP in your situation I’d probably look for a childminder who does after school pick ups.

It sounds like you’re struggling with the move from nursery to school. At school, children are expected to make choices for themselves. You could have held her back and started her at school later and she could have had nursery food for longer. Children only need to be in school the term after they turn 5 in the UK.

The jam sandwiches will be there for older kids who want a sweet snack before their main meal at home later. If your 4 year old is binging on jam sandwiches then maybe she just isn’t ready for after school club yet.

It's laughable. Why do so many parents get their knickers in a twist about such ridiculous things? It's a jam sandwich.

I ate tinned beef burgers and hot dogs from a jar as a kid.

Is there actually anything that is deemed socially acceptable to feed a child nowadays?

not many 4 year olds will shun a jam sarnie for a manky old banana

That isn't going to happen unless parents are willing to pay more for ASC.

In which case, cutting up fruit clearly isn't the answer!

Looking at what the OP says, it's a sandwich with choice of fillings followed by a dessert of fruit and cake. She said it's a very sweet tea for DD who is full, so it sounds like she could be having some of both?

I'm actually quite surprised OPs focus is on the jam rather than the cake. Since the setting could opt out of cake entirely, whereas it's possible there isn't any sandwich that'll be as logistically easy as the jam whilst also being a viable vegan option. Perhaps if DD weren't having cake, she might choose a ham sandwich also and OP would for some reason be happy.

Have you tried perhaps feeding your own child if youre that arsed?

I’m loving the idea of 30 infant school children eating couscous 🙈. Or soup for that matter. It would look like a crime scene.

Seriously??

No one needs sugar, just the 1 teaspoon a day which should be naturally occurring in fruit, veg and fermentation etc

The body needs glucose , found when breaking down the normal proteins, fats, carbs etc. No now should be consuming sugar - its a pure poison to the body - says a normal eating human who kms she's consumes way too much even though she doesn't consume what are classed by the man in the street sugary foods

Jam is loaded with sugar and vey bad for childrens teeth. Thought jam butties were from way back in the day.

Do they also use cheap white bread?

Sounds great to me- probably could do with the sugar to give them the energy to get through the extra time they are in school/wrap around.

If a 10 year old was making a conscious choice of a jam sarnie too often then maybe fair enough, but a tired 4 year old? Let it go.

How is ordinary block cheese (Cheddar, Double Gloucester, Red Leicester etc) an ultra-processed food? How is porridge made from rolled oats with milk and/or water a UPF? Obviously the ludicrously expensive and overpackaged instant pots are not good, from any point of view.

You are possibly confused between processed food and ultra-processed food. It's only the ultra-processed foods that are believed to pose a health threat. Processing food is normal and an established part of the human diet for millennia.

No shit Sherlock.

🙇🏻‍♀️🙇🏻‍♀️🙇🏻‍♀️🙇🏻‍♀️

but they should be providing something with some nutritional value. NOT any of those 3 options.

at least if it was a dippy bowl with carrots/cucumber & hummus, not eating dinner at home would be less if an issue.

but as I said veggies you gave to pick your battles, if she's happy at ASC & it's doting you need 'just ride it out' she'll soon be wanting dinner if a snack at home later on & that can be healthy and it's 4/21 meals plus more snacks at home at the weekend. Just make sure the rest is nutritious.

Why in gods name would either of you think a buttered crumpet is any better than a jam sandwich?

Buttered crumpets aren't loaded with sugar I guess.

Try again. What nutritional element is in sugar that children need.

Ill give you a clue NONE

No one needs added sugar or fructose.

Sadly this is one reason why life expectancy for children born in very deprived areas is 8-10 years less than that of those born in more privileged postcodes. Cheap, high sugar, processed food is normal for so my people, that even on this forum loads of parents don’t see anything wrong with it.
Op, you are absolutely right to complain. Your daughter is lucky to have you, at least it is only 4 times a week they feed her that. It’s a shame that so many other parents lack insight. Maybe try sending her with her own snacks. My son is the same age and takes things like cucumber, hummus, breadsticks, cheese, fruit etc to his after school club.

I totally agree with you. This would infuriate me. But then people think im nuts because I pulled my kid out of nursery when I found out they were getting to watch cartoons on the iPad. I dont send my child to nursery/school to watch tv or eat junk and its a sorry indictment on society that people tolerate this crap for our young people.

Because you're the one criticising their choice. There will be children there who are limited in what they eat and ASC are limited in what they can provide due to budgets/prep time/access to kitchens/etc.