to think a childminder should provide fruit and veg every day

[gingernutlover]

my friend has just told me her dd's childminder doesnt provide fresh fruit and veg daily as part of the menu and sahe wasnt sure whether to be annoyed

for example, lunch was sandwich and crisps

dinner was chicken nuggets and smiley faces

I was shocked, but maybe I have been spoled by dd's nursery that has a lovely menu with fresh fruit and veg every day and every meal

are me and my friend being unreasonable>

Is there any guidance anywhere that says she should provide fruit and veg or is it one of those unwritten expectations?

Try www.cwt.org.uk/publications.html#under5. I would expect OFSTED to have something to say about it, tbh.

YANBU

link

yanbu

my childminder fed my son white cheese spread sarnies, crisps and jaffa cakes. Nothing else.

she used to pick him up, take him back to her house and plonk him on the sofa in front of the TV until I picked him up. There were stairgates at either end of the room and he was stuck in a room with a baby and two toddlers whose toys he wasn't allowed to touch

luckily we didn't need her for long, it was an emergency stopgap, but I still feel guilty for leaving him there

Some of them are crap, did she not ask about menu's when she visited the CM ?
I feel you have to have a checklist of questions and ask the bleeding obvious that you shouldn't have to ask otherwise you can get caught out with any childcare, you live and learn.

there is a balance to be had but processed food day in, day out with no fruit and veg is poor

i would be annoyed even if it wasn't part of EYFS or whatever CMs are subjected to

I am a CM and have cared for mindees who won't touch fruit or veg but i would still offer a small amount.

Does she have a 'healthy eating policy or sample menu'?

Yes there is guidance out there. Key word being GUIDANCE. Not compulsory unfortunately

YANBU

YANBU! that Ofsted haven't marked her down at inpsection for this.

When I was minding every meal had at least two vegetables, 'dessert' was fruit or yoghurt, and snacks were always healthy too. I used to leave to see mindees asking fr a second bowl of vegetable soup, or choosing pineapple or blueberries when asked what they would like to eat.

I think your friend should bring this up with her cm.

I am surprised that your friend wasn't sure whether to be annoyed. Her child eats two meals a day there and snacks, that leaves breakfast to get 5 portions of fruit and veg into the child. Hmm I'd be livid, but I might have asked about the menu first, if she signed up to that diet, then I suppose she shouldn't be annoyed.

I would have thought ofsted would have commented on it. One of the nurseries I like had a comment on their ofsted about processed food and it put me off.

In any case no yanbu, not acceptable not to have any fruit or veg

shineone thats the best laugh I have had all night

greensleeves she sound awful

God I really should preview, my post is full of typos! hopefully you can ignore my spelling mistakes and replace wrong words with more apt ones.

shineon that was very random!

YANBU at all. I would be having strong words with CM

she was a lazy cow

but I was desperate and had already tried the on-site day nursery at the children's centre where I work and ds2 hated it

I still feel horrible about it but hopefully he has forgiven me

Shineon - ROFL!! I loved that comment -

My CM first said she would provide meals as part of the price then suddenly asked for an extra £5 a week (5 evening meals which were the same as what her own kids were having) Most nights Ds came home saying he had had a jam sandwich or a sliver of ham on a sandwich. He didn't stay there long. I think CM's should always provide fruit and veg. I never serve an evening meal without a portion of veg - you can by a tin of value carrots or peas for around 15p a tin - how hard can it possibly be to open a tin and put some on a plate with whatever main meal is provided. Amd Greensleeves - - that CM sounds like she needs serious training.

Think I am noticing a bit of a trend

Sounds dreadful!

I am a cm and on average, my mindees are offered at least 2 pieces of fruit a day and dinner ALWAYS has vegetables in it. Today for example I offered banana and strawberries for snacks and dinner was pasta with homemade sauce which had 4 different vegetables blended in.

Your friends cm sounds dreadfully unhealthy and she should definitely say something. We aren't all like that though!

Yanbu, my cm cooks most things from scratch and provides loads of fruit and veg, which means when she occasionally takes ds to a cafe or mcdonalds (very very occasionaly) I really don't give a stuff.
We're both into healthy eating which is a relief, if she wasn't I would provide the meals.

yanbu

i would expect any child carer to previde a healthy menu with fruit, veg and mainly home cooked meals tbh

okay

i get that IANBU

just spoke to friend and she saidthat she has now insisted on fruit and veg everyday and that this evening at drop off the CM said that her dd had sucked some brocolli LOL

oh her dd is 3.5 just incase that sounded like a baby - trouble is the dd isnt keen on fruit, although eats some veg but that isnt really the point is it!