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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to be concerned about the food at nursery?

70 replies

HensMum · 17/12/2008 09:52

DS is 14 months and has been at nursery 3 days a week for 2 months. Generally, I'm really happy with it. The staff are lovely and look after him really well and he seems to be settling in fine.
However, I'm getting more and more concerned about the food he gets there but I honestly don't know if I'm being a bit PFB about it.
He gets a snack mid morning, lunch (a cooked meal and pudding) and a kind of afternoon tea mid-afternoon (sandwich or something on toast kind of affair). I'm generally happy with snack and lunch but afternoon tea bothers me. The other day he had jam sandwich and raisins. Not only that but he had 6 squares of sandwich, i.e. a round and a half! The thing that really bothered me that day was that the other kids had tuna sandwiches - jam was the vegetarian option.
Yesterday was the Christmas party. DS has had a nasty cold and been off his food so they had trouble getting him to eat anything all day. He did eat some party food, and they also gave him some chocolate. Am I being unreasonable to be a bit pissed off that they gave him sweets without asking us first?
I'm considering having a word with them asking them to limit the amount of "junk" he has there but I don't know whether I'm over-reacting. It's only 3 days a week and we make sure he eats really well at home.

OP posts:

LIZS · 17/12/2008 09:56

yabu - he gets a cooked meal and snacks , none of which are "junk". He may well have been offered a choice of tuna or jam and if he had eaten well at lunctime he would n't need more protein. Presumably chocolate was a one off at a party and I don't think you can expect them to come up with an option more satisfactory to you in that context. At least he ate.

Lauriefairyonthetreeeatscake · 17/12/2008 09:57

better he ate chocolate and party food than nothing all day

and you are balancing it out on the other days

Anna8888 · 17/12/2008 09:58

A jam sandwich and raisins would fall very short of my nutritional standards for tea at a nursery. YANBU.

FiveGoMadInDorset · 17/12/2008 09:59

YABU - sounds like the food at my DD's nuresry and we are really happy with it.

Bauble99 · 17/12/2008 09:59

Unless you had specified no chocolate when you filled in his dietary info form then YABU about some chocolate at a christmas party, imo.

YANBU about the jam sandwich, though. Unless you are vegan, what's wrong with cheese?

cmotdibbler · 17/12/2008 10:00

YABU - I don't suppose he is getting jam sandwiches every day, and it's good they are letting him eat to his appetite. Unless you have specifically said that he isn't to have chocolate, then they wouldn't ask, esp as part of the party.

cmotdibbler · 17/12/2008 10:00

Original poster

HensMum · 17/12/2008 10:03

LIZS, he wouldn't have had a choice as he doesn't eat fish. Jam was the only option offered to him.

We haven't filled in any forms about nutritional information. We've just told them that he's vegetarian and not to give him nuts (though I don't think that they serve anything with nuts in).

I know that chocolate was a one-off but I just think that they could have checked with us before giving it - I'd expect anyone else to do the same.

OP posts:

Bauble99 · 17/12/2008 10:04

If I'm reading the OP properly, I think the jam sandwich was on a regular rather than Christmas party day?

No probs with jam sandwiches at a party but I wouldn't be happy if this was the nursery's regular veggie sandwich option.

ruddynorah · 17/12/2008 10:05

at a party i'd expect chocolate.

jam sandwich is fairly crap, did they not have cheese?

do you see the menu in advance? ours is on rotation every 4 weeks. the teas are usually cheese on toast or a scone or teacakes, nothing major. the lunches ae more substantial, curries, shepherd's pie etc.

you do need to look at the diet he has over a week, not just a meal in isolation.

maybe ask to see the menu?

Bauble99 · 17/12/2008 10:06

I'm surprised that you didn't get a dietary form, tbh. This should be standard.

thisisyesterday · 17/12/2008 10:11

i wouldn't be annoyed with the occasional jam sandwich, but might be if it was becoming a regular thing.

everything in moderation I say. so if now and then it's jam then hey, that's fine.

Original poster

HensMum · 17/12/2008 10:12

He's had jam sandwiches before, maybe 3 times in the 2 months he's been there.

They have menus displayed but they don't seem to match up with what he actually gets. They tell me at the end of the day what he's eaten and how much.

We didn't fill in any forms when he started, they just said that we can tell them his requirements and they write it in his profile. I might just ask that if the other children are having a savoury sandwich then he has one too.

OP posts:

rubyslippersisappearinginpanto · 17/12/2008 10:14

sounds very similar to DS's nursery where tea is a light meal

cooked meal and pudding at lunch is fine

ALSO, check that the "junk" is junk

the cakes at DS's nursery are sugar free sponge with fruit puree and no icing

the nursery shoudl supply a weekly menu plan for all parents to see

YABU, i'm afraid

babylovessanta · 17/12/2008 10:16

YANBU about the jam sarnie - that is junk. But the choclate was at a party and any food when a child is off it is better than none. I would have a word about the food - make it clear what you are not happy with.

leoleomakingalist · 17/12/2008 10:16

ynbu - not sure I would be happy with a jam sandwich. As someone else said what is wrong with cheese?

leoleomakingalist · 17/12/2008 10:16

ynbu - not sure I would be happy with a jam sandwich. As someone else said what is wrong with cheese?

babylovessanta · 17/12/2008 10:17

Oh the portion thing - I would defintley be unhappy about that - far too much.

Coldtits · 17/12/2008 10:17

My son's preschool spend all weel moaning that he was hyperactive, and when I asked them for a breakdown of his lunch on Friday, they informed me he had had white bread jam sandwiches and cheerios (dry).

Sugar, sugar, and some sugar spread on it, in other words.

Inform them he is not to have jam. Because now they have bought a jar, this is going to be "The vegetarian option" all to often, trust me.

Sweet sandwich fillings just aren't appropriate for meals!

MerryMadMarg · 17/12/2008 10:18

3 times in 2 months isn't exactly frequent!

I'm really happy with my nursery's food - they use an external caterer. I'm finding it difficult to introduce my DS to different foods because he will just refuse to try them without a fight at home, but at nursery he sees the other children eating and mimics them. I am SOOOO happy that he is finally trying different things!

rubyslippersisappearinginpanto · 17/12/2008 10:18

you should have filled in forms

about every 4 months at DS's nursery we have to submit updated forms with his dietary requirements and allergies (he is also veggie)

Tigurr · 17/12/2008 10:19

So if he's had a jam sandwich on 3 occasions in the 2 months that's 3 times out of roughly 24 sessions he's had there. That's hardly excessive.

As for the chocolate - it's not a proper Xmas party without chocolate & "junk" food

thisisyesterday · 17/12/2008 10:19

3 times in 2 months, when he is there 3 timesd a week is not a lot.

it's only jam! do you lot really never give your kids jam sandwiches? or toast and jam for breaskfast???

PinceMies · 17/12/2008 10:21

Lots of nurseries do this. A filling, hot meal for lunch and a snack for tea. As long as my child was getting a balanced diet throughout the day it wouldn't bother me at all.

Coldtits · 17/12/2008 10:22

I really never give my kids jam sandwiches. Or toast and jam for breakfast.

Not because they are begging me and I am a killjoy, but because it has never occurred to me or them.

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