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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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:
Original poster
HensMum · 17/12/2008 10:23

Hey, my first AIBU and it turns out that I am!
Just seems like 5 minutes ago that I was weaning him and I've been so careful about what he eats, cooking all his food myself etc and now some one else feeds my PFB and it makes me twitchy!

OP posts:
Coldtits · 17/12/2008 10:28

I'd let the chocolate go, really I would, but I'd kick up about the jam butties purely because the staff may see spreading jam on bread as a whole lot easier than thinking, and making himj a proper vegetarian tea

elliott · 17/12/2008 10:31

I think a jam sandwich for a 14 month old isn't great actually.

morningpaper · 17/12/2008 10:32

I don't think Jam is that bad - it's a bit of fruit after all TBH if jan is the vegetarian option only once a month and they are coming up with other things the rest of the time, they are doing bloody well!

YABU

georgimama · 17/12/2008 10:33

Jam sandwich 3 times in 2 months is not really excessive, but I would make some suggestions in a helpful rather than critical way, such as, "I don't know if you have tried this but DS really seems to like xyz on a sandwich at the moment. Could he possibly have that sometimes?"

It must be hard for them to think of options suitable for all, taking into account other special dietary needs (your DS might not be a vegan but if someone else is I wouldn't be surprised if the veggie and the vegan get the same, less faffing!) and they would probably welcome some suggestions.

rubyslippersisappearinginpanto · 17/12/2008 10:34

there is nothing wrong with Jam occasionally

and that is it all it is - occasionally

morningpaper · 17/12/2008 10:34

my children have jam every day

I like a bit of jam

Bauble99 · 17/12/2008 10:35

IMO. YABU about some Christmas chocolate but YANBU about the jam.

I've heard of nurseries where the menu bears no similarity to what the children are actually given to eat. Usually the big chains, where the ingredients delivered don't match the menu.

rubyslippersisappearinginpanto · 17/12/2008 10:35

i prefer honey acksherly ...

morningpaper · 17/12/2008 10:36

oooh honey is GREAT but my children think it is VILE

funny eh

Bauble99 · 17/12/2008 10:36

MP. Bet you have posh jam on toenail bread, though.

Lemontart · 17/12/2008 10:36

jam is not that bad but if it is a daily veggie option where the child is getting only that, then I would question it. I presume though it is on rotation and he is given plenty of different fillings on different days?

Re chocolate at a party. I presume you filled in a dietry sheet thingie when he started that would have asked about any allergies, food preferences and any other info. If you did not specifically state or mention you do not wish chocolate or sweets at a party, then it is reasonable for the nursery to give the children a little treat as a one off.

If you are unsure about the food policy, why not ask them to show you their overall termly food plan and see what it says. You can explore the subject and enquire without seeming confrontational about it. If they are above board, I am sure they will be more than happy to discuss their food planning and rotation with you.

morningpaper · 17/12/2008 10:37

I do have that maman ermm mammon bonne posh stuff

you can tell it is posh because if you leave it as room temperature for 10 minutes it goes mouldy

VinegarTitsTheSeasonToBeJolly · 17/12/2008 10:37

Oh just let them give him tuna butties

elliott · 17/12/2008 10:38

My children have jam most days, but they are 5 and 7. As a teatime option for a 14 month old, I think there are much better choices. Bread and butter and real fruit, for one. Though it is quite hard to think of veggie savoury alternatives that aren't cheese or nuts.

Bauble99 · 17/12/2008 10:40

At a nursery DS1 went to (briefly) many years ago I found him having packet soup that had been mixed with boiling water in the salad drawer from the bottom of the staff fridge. This was with gacky white bread from the garage across the road.

I was impressed with the ingenuity of the staff but deeply unimpressed with the nursery that had promised a 'nutritious and balanced' menu.

rubyslippersisappearinginpanto · 17/12/2008 10:40

i heart honey - i have started DS on the habit too

houmous is a good tea time sandwich filler or grated carrot, cucumber and tomato etc

Bauble99 · 17/12/2008 10:41

Houmous?

georgimama · 17/12/2008 10:41

Mashed avocado on toasted pitta? Banana sandwich? Baked beans on toast? Scrambled egg (if you eat them of course)?

My DS loves all those things and he isn't a veggie. I don't actually see what's hard about giving the toddlers a tea which is completely veggie, and letting the meat eaters have a meaty lunch.

Bauble99 · 17/12/2008 10:42

Posts X.

LIZS · 17/12/2008 10:45

I still think the jam thing is a bit ott considering how infrequent it has been offered. Young kids need a certain amount of sugar for energy. Is he the only veggie/non fish child there ? Perhaps you could ask that rather than jam they offer .... and give them a few ideas of what you might serve in a sandwich instead ie houmous, marmite, cheese. Do you feed him again later on ?

Original poster
HensMum · 17/12/2008 10:45

To be fair, most of the teas are veggie - they do cheese/beans/egg on toast, marmite crumpets, cream cheese sandwiches etc. They just seem to get a bit freaked out when a special "vegetarian" option is required as the other kids have something meaty.

OP posts:
CrackopentheBaileys · 17/12/2008 10:48

I am pretty much in consensus with the others. You definately don't want to get a bee in your bonnet over the chocolate, this is going to happen frequently over the rest of is childhood so you may as well make peace with it tbh!

As for the jam sandwich, I wouldn't be too worried if it really is infrequent, although it is a good idea to give them some other ideas if they are lacking in imagination.

You know that there are better alternatives for him and maybe they just need a nudge in the right direction?

Original poster
HensMum · 17/12/2008 10:50

No, they have lots of veggie children. The cooked meals are fine, lots are vegeratian anyway and when they use meat they use Quorn as an alternative for the veggie kids (I'm not 100% happy with that but he has it max once a week so it's not a big issue)

Yes, he gets a snack when we get home in the evening. I try and fill in the gaps of what he's had at nursery so if he hasn't had much fruit, he gets that, if no yoghurt, he'll eat some yoghurt or cheese and rice cakes. Over the course of the week, he does eat pretty well...though not at the moment as he's so full of snot!

OP posts:
Coldtits · 17/12/2008 10:58

I'd be concerned at the lack of any nutrition to go with the sugar.

Banana sandwiches are really easy, sweet enough to please children, and a bit healthier.

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