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Paid childcare

Discuss everything related to paid childcare here, including childminders, nannies, nurseries and au pairs.

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Original poster

Is this food suitable?

79 replies

butterybean · 19/09/2018 22:10

Baby, 10 months old in childminders from 9.30am to 2.45pm ate sausage, mash and beans.

No fruit, no veg no other snacks. I'd have thought that this meal would be too high in salt, fat and sugar and not enough nutrients (I didn't think you could give sausages to babies?)

Would you be concerned? He's a great eater and will eat anything put in front of him and is very much on solid food, just cut up into chunks.

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Wildboar · 19/09/2018 22:12

It depends on what he’s having the rest of the week. Was there any milk whilst they were there?

EricTheGuineaPig · 19/09/2018 22:15

I don't know. What's the context? Is he still having a bottle or 2 in the day? What is a typical weekly menu like? Decent quality sausages need not be too salty...If this is a typical meal day in, day out then yes that's not great but if it's a one off and he has a variety of other things on different days then I don't think it's a big deal.

jannier · 19/09/2018 22:18

Does she do a menu plan? If so take a look at it if your not happy and everything else is good say you would rather provide the food as you prefer less processed foods more veg etc. or discuss your worries on salt etc.

Original poster

butterybean · 19/09/2018 22:18

He has a mid morning bottle and mid afternoon bottle, I give him breakfast before he goes.

I have no idea on the quality of the sausages.

He only attends for one day a week.

OP posts:

dementedpixie · 19/09/2018 22:21

Maybe send some fruit/veg if you are bothered by lack of snacks. I don't see much wrong with sausage/ mash/ beans especially if it's only once a week

woolduvet · 19/09/2018 22:21

When I childminded, parents of under ones brought their own food so they were in charge of it.
I'd have expected a small morning snack too, but maybe not if they'd just downed a big bottle.
Not the best meal, but out of all the meals they eat in a week it's ok. Obviously if they'll be going more you'd expect the rest of the week to be higher quality.

Rebecca36 · 19/09/2018 22:21

Well if it is only one day a week, why worry? It's not going to hurt him and he probably enjoyed eating it.

EricTheGuineaPig · 19/09/2018 22:25

I'm guessing he's only just started so see what he's offered next week before worrying too much about the meal itself. Or ask for a sample menu - I'd have been happy to supply that. In terms of snacks, maybe just ask her if he was offered anything and reiterate your normal routine if he'd usually be offered a snack at a particular time.

HSMMaCM · 20/09/2018 03:43

Apart from the processed food ... baked beans are vegetables aren't they?

ConsiderHerWaysAndOthers · 20/09/2018 04:07

The lack of snack wouldn’t bother me, after all he’s having bottles of milk and shouldn’t really need anything else. Food sounds terrible though, I would not want my 10 month old to eat sausages or baked beans. If it wasn’t a one off and she only feeds processed crap then I’d ask about sending a healthy packed lunch instead.

Mindchilder · 20/09/2018 13:26

Sounds fine. He had a bottle of milk instead of a morning snack and wasn't there long enough to have another snack.

Presumably you will be feeding him breakfast and dinner and another snack if you think he needs it?

I provide meals once children are on normal solid food. If parents want 'baby food' they provide.

Tanith · 21/09/2018 07:28

This is a meal I might occasionally give at teatime. Very occasionally.
I wouldn't give it to a baby.
However, my parents pay more than the usual rate, partly due to the food I provide.

It depends on the rest of the week's menu, how comfortable you are with what was given, and how much you are paying for your child's care.

MondayImInLove · 21/09/2018 07:35

Processed food, no fresh fruit/veg. No, I wouldn’t be happy.

Spam88 · 21/09/2018 07:53

At that age I would only have given one meal during that time so I wouldn't be concerned in that respect. Happy enough with sausage and mash but I wouldn't give beans regularly.

Original poster

butterybean · 21/09/2018 14:47

He has breakfast at 8.30am with me and his tea at 4pm also with me. He doesn't have baby food like pouches or puree just normal food cut into finger pieces or on a spoon. He also has 5oz milk at 10am and 5oz milk at 2pm.

On this occasion he didn't drink any of his morning milk but wasn't offered anything else.

He is 11kg and on 95% percentile. I gave him a portion of fruit at breakfast so therefore I just have one remaining meal to get 4 portions of fruit/veg in.

I chose a childminder due to home cooked food, homely environment etc. I would have thought the combination of sausage, mash and beans is too high in salt, sugar and fat to be given all at one meal to a baby.

I'm cool with mash and beans. Veggie sausage also fine, but probably all on separate days so to not exceed salt intake.

OP posts:

jannier · 21/09/2018 15:54

Beans are actually a veg portion maybe not the best choice but it is a portion (hopefully they were low salt and sugar) not the worst processed food lo could be given if its vegie sausage that's 2 portions in a meal you gave fruit in the morning (a portion is what fits in baby's palm) and at this age its more about variety than portions of veg fruit etc. The issue is mainly salt and amazingly many people are not aware of it. A full can of normal beans is 21% of an adults daily allowance. But then how many give Fromage Frais and Frubes with about 6 teaspoons of sugar in per portion?

SoyDora · 21/09/2018 15:58

As a one off I wouldn’t be too fussed. They don’t really need snacks at that age do they, the milk replaces the snack?
As long as he wasn’t eating like that every week I wouldn’t get worked up about it.

penguinseatfish · 21/09/2018 16:46

Mash is potato which is a vegetable - what am I missing?!

Original poster

butterybean · 21/09/2018 16:58

Potato is classed as carbs....doesn't have the vitamins and nutrients that veggies do. The sausage given was meat not veggie (like I say I'm cool with veggie) and beans whilst a veg portion I don't think they are suitable for babies because of the salt/sugar...there are better vegetables.

The milk wasn't drunk but nothing offered instead.

I've decided to withdraw him from this childminder as I'd expect better knowledge about infant nutrition.

OP posts:

BitchPeas · 21/09/2018 17:01

Before withdrawing, could you not discuss with the childminder?

dementedpixie · 21/09/2018 17:02

Can you not talk to them first and express your concerns and whether they can change the food offered. Could have been low sugar/ salt beans and good quality sausages

Starlight345 · 21/09/2018 17:07

I give low sugar , salt beans, although I have never given sausage , mash and beans to a 10 month old .

Have you spoke to child minder . If you don’t speak to her you cannot resolve the issue . She may of understood eats a normal diet as something different.

When you say you picked her based on home cooked diet . Did you ask for examples of meals

PlugUgly1980 · 21/09/2018 17:11

Did you ask if they were low salt/sugar beans? Lack of snacks wouldn't bother me, he was offered milk and didn't want it. Does the childminder have other children? I'd expect for under 1's to be asked if I was happy for my child to have a suitable portion of what everyone else is having (mine went to Nursery from 8 months but mainly ate off the main menu). I'd be quite happy with sausage, mash and beans....but then mine go to a Nursery where jam sandwiches are on the menu occasionally, biscuits are given as a snack, etc. The important thing though is that over the course of a 3 week menu rotation this is balanced out with healthy options and snacks too so they'll also have carrot sticks, apple, cucumber, etc. I wouldn't judge based on 1 meal but I would like to see a sample menu.

vandrew4 · 21/09/2018 17:49

you're withdrawing him cos he had one meal of sausage, mash and beans?? Jesus you must be hard work
why don't you try educating yourself first?

Important to a healthy diet, one medium-sized (5.3oz) skin-on potato has:
Just 110 calories.
No fat, sodium or cholesterol.
Nearly half your daily value of vitamin C.
More potassium than a banana.
A good source of vitamin B6.
Fiber, magnesium and antioxidants.
Resistant starch

vandrew4 · 21/09/2018 17:50

Beans can are the least expensive source of protein, especially when compared to fresh meat. Aside from protein, complex carbs and fiber, beans contain a powerhouse of nutrients including antioxidants, and vitamins and minerals, such as copper, folate, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorous, potassium and zinc

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