Question for childminders about food for mindees

[stramash]

My childminder provides food for 3 children in her care ( dds will both be going full time when I go back to work). She's a brilliant childminder in every respect but have just realised that most of the food she provides is in adult "ready meals" form ( shepherd's pie, fish pie etc) with microwave ( if any) veg . Don't expect her to do organic Annabel Karmel from scratch , but on the other hand, not particularly happy about nutritional side of things ( feel about not realising this sooner).
What do other childminders cook ? I could cook and send food myself ( but would need to explain why I'm suddenly changing ) but to be realistic not sure I'm going to manage this and working full time as well. What would you say? Am I being a tad over-anxious ( I was ,after all, a Seventies child raised on Smash Potato and Instant Whip myself)?

No - just give him a weeks notice as he needs to buy in the special skins - they are delish

Stramash - instead of sending homemade food to reheat we are encouraged to ask parents to supply tins/jars of baby food.
I charge £1 - £1.50 for evening meals and if mindees are with me all day do not charge for lunch or snacks.
For £4 a day I would expect my child to receive good quality homemade food with fresh veg and choice of fruit.

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I fear i shall never be able to live up to some of the standards of childminders/nannies on this board

Though i try and do as much as possible "home cooked" food for ds (and eventually mindees)I will admit to having chicken nuggets,fish fingers and oven chips in my frezzer as well as tinned spaghetti and soups in my cupboards. I dont make my own ketchup and give dairylea,pink panther biscuits and cherrios as snacks willingly.BUT... i always make sure Ds has at least 5 helpings of fruit and veg a day he has at least one serving of meat/fish....I dont serve ANY puddings etc...only fruit as afters...thoughchocolate buttons are given as a treat if dinner is eaten well

I said I was a bit anal

But it's because of my tummy - not because I'm crusading for the children......

nzshar - don't worry, I don't do meals for my mindees (unless they've forgotten to bring theirs!) It's something I never started when I first registered, and I definitely don't want to start now because I wouldn't live up to the standards of everyone else!!

Alibubbles - sorry don't think I explained it properly.
What I mean is that when you do your food hygiene course they advise you to ask parents of babies not to give you homemade food to reheat. If they are going to supply food for their baby it is safer for them to supply baby tins or jars.
Of course if childminder is cooking and can give baby fresh pureed food this is fine but unfortunately not always convenient.
Hope this explains it a bit better, it's purely a safety thing.

This could end up with me having yet another "permission to do ..." form for parents to sign - my minding parents supply their own home-made babyfood for me to reheat!! I don't remember any advice on food hygiene course about babyfood. The parents of my minded babies don't use tins/jars, so not sure how to sort this one out. Is this something OFSTED are not going to be happy about?

Now I'm in trouble ...

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Hi everyone!

Food in my house is:

breakfast - cereals (branflakes, weetabix, cheerios....readybrek..) and/or toast and/or fruit
lunch - always sandwiches but different fillings, and lots of fruit. sometimes a cake or biscuit or crisps but not often.
snacks - humzinger, apple, homemade biscuit...

dinners I've done recently:
spinach and tomato lasagne (homemade)
spaghetti bolognese (homemade or lloyd grossman)
cottage pie (homemade)
jacket potatoes and tinned spaghetti
fishfingers, steamed broccoli, chips, and quiche
homemade burgers, homemade chips and salad
chicken kiev and mashed potato (fresh kiev)
chicken curry (homemade)
pizza (homemade - inc bases - or shop bought)

It changes a lot. I always feel guilty at using processed or jars of food as I like cooking homemade, but it's not always possible due to time restraints or if I don't feel well or if we have a busy day.
Once, I had a family round for an interview and they stayed too long. I gave the kids sausages and chips from the chippy as we had NO time to cook and felt immensely guilty. When I said so to mum, she looked at me like I was insane and said sausages and chips aren't junk! But to me they are.

Alibubbles - just wanted to know who said you have to do the Food Hygiene course every three years? This is news to the minders in my area!

If it is from the reconmended body they recommend that training is redone every 3 years but i have yet to see it written down anyway stating that it has to be done.