Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Food/recipes

For related content, visit our food content hub.

Original poster

Nursery food- am I right to complain?

53 replies

Coj · 01/06/2004 09:52

Thinking about having a moan to my nursery as I feel that DD (8 1/2 mon) is not getting a balanced nutritional diet (as it says in their handbook) for example one day she was given fish fingers, chips & beans pureed (yuk!) and ice cream! She is rarely given veg or fruit.
I really want what is best for her & try to buy organic stuff, & am still bf, so she does need extra iron & vits.
Would you complain? They will prob say "if you don't like it bring your own"

OP posts:
Original poster
Coj · 01/06/2004 18:57

Thanks Mudda!
I hear about so many nurseries having chefs- having it tailor made, lucky you! I try to do my bit & buy organic etc. (feel like one of these hippy mums that will give her teenager apple & rice cake forever-seen 'About a Boy'?

OP posts:
Hulababy · 01/06/2004 19:54

I think I may be too lax about this stuff. DD sometimes has things like fishfingers, potato shapes, beans, tinned spagetti, etc. at nursery. But not every day. It may be just one meal in the week - others include chicken dinners, homemade cotage pie of casseroles, etc. Puddings range from fruit, yoghurt, 'proper' puddings and custard, rice puddings, etc.

Teas are high tea things like fruit, raw veggies, sandwiches, pancakes, cheese and crackers/rice cakes, crumpets, etc...

I just think that this is fine as it isn't every day. DD (just 2) has had similar menu at nursery - goes 2 days a week - since she started on proper solids. She eats very well, is in no way over weight or too thin, she loves her food and will try almost anything. I just think that so long as things are done in moderation and are balanced throughout the week then it's fine.

If you are concerned of salt content int hings like beans, why not ask the nursery about their policy on salt/fat/nutrional balance?

hercules · 01/06/2004 20:20

But Hulababy - Coj's dd is 8 1/2 months.

Hulababy · 01/06/2004 20:25

So was DD when she was having it though. Even then she was a great eater though and have anything. By then it wasn't pureed for her though, more chopped roughly.

I suspect many nurseries do the same meal for all children, with possible differenecs for special diets - veggie, etc. Financially they'd do this I think.

Only alternative at our nursery was to take your own food I'm afraid

Tommy · 01/06/2004 20:43

Coj - of course you're right to complain! Presumably you pay for this service? Therefore, if they're not doing what they said they would, you should complain.
Go for it girl!

JulieF · 01/06/2004 21:09

I would be perfectly happy for dd to have fishfingers chips and beans once or twice a week even. However she is now 2.5. At 8 months I would have been appalled. Up to the age of 12 months babies should be fed fresh meat and veg purees with no added salt. Pudding except on very special occasions should be fresh fruit and yoghurt.

I would definately complain.

moominmama86 · 02/06/2004 08:15

I would definitely complain too. In fact, I think I would go ballistic (although in a polite and reasoned way, of course!) I don't see how they can possibly regard fish fingers, chips, beans and icecream as suitable food for a child of that age. Loaded with salt and sugar. At the very least she should be given some fresh fruit at each meal.

Can you casually canvass other parents and see what they think? I'm sure you'd get lots of support and sometimes with these things it's much more effective to make your point as a group.

bron42 · 02/06/2004 14:53

Yes, I too would complain. As the majority of her meals are based on their menus, I would be demanding fresh fruit, no packaged, convenience food. Don't assume that having a chef makes a difference though! DD's nursery has a "cook" and a regular pudding is angel delight. My DD is the only child not allowed it and has fresh fruit instead. Felt terrible when she told me this one day but asked her how she felt and said she was happy to eat her fruit. Love her. Another horror is for pm snack, they have paste sandwiches!!! Want to go in there and show her how to cook healthily and cheaply. Only good thing is that it's quite a multi-cultural mix of kids, no red meat allowed so veggie bolonaise, etc served.

Freddiecat · 02/06/2004 22:33

I have the same issues about the nursery food. It annoys me that the care standards inspectorate and ofsted monitor the actual care received very well, and that environmental health monitor the safety of food brilliantly - yet there is actually no organisation that monitors the nutritional content of the food. DS's nursery won an award from environmental health for their food standards (rightly so) - yet a day's menu can easily contain no fresh fruit or veg at all. Sometimes I think it's just a case of the weeks menu not being all that balanced. The other day DS had vegetable rissoles with special rice (veg in it) and sweetcorn with banana custard for pudding. Then the next day it was fish fingers and waffles with angel delight for pudding.

I guess it's the same for schools, hospitals etc. No one actually monitors the nutritional aspect of it do they? Not seriously anyway.

I try and cook v balanced food at home and buy a lot of organic too. However a while back we were investigating the possibility of opening a nursery and I wanted to focus on organics - but I think in many areas you'd have to actually put prices up an awful lot. I know we pay a firtune for DS's nursery but when you do the maths it's not a high profit sector and like many organisations, food is probably the easiest budget to keep down.

Maybe we should campaign to Ofsted and CSIW (wales) for proper nutritional monitoring and controls for day nurseries? A Mumsnet campaign!

Freddiecat · 02/06/2004 22:36

Also when DS was in hospital (one day - just a check) the dinner choice was corned beef pie which sounded grim, or beans and chips with jelly and ice cream for pudding. I know hospitals have to get children to eat as a priority but what's wrong with pasta and tomato sauce which all children seem to love?!

hoxtonchick · 02/06/2004 22:40

I know we're exceptionally lucky, but ds goes to a fantastic local nursery where all their food is from Waitrose & as much as possible is organic. He's 2 and a quarter & we pay £21/day. This is in one of the most deprived areas in the country (though this means there's lots of government funding for the nursery). I think this proves that decent nutritious food is perfectly possible for nurseries to produce & that we should all be making a fuss to ensure this happens.

muddaofsuburbia · 02/06/2004 23:17

This has been posted on another thread, but I thought some of you here might be interested in supporting The Childrens' Food Bill

SoftFroggie · 02/06/2004 23:19

I'm going to put a different point of view forward - maybe I'm terrible mother, though?

I aim to provide DS with v healthy, organic food, lots of fruit and veg etc at home. However, the nursery menu he gets 2 days a week is no way near as healthy as I'd like. Till he was one, I said 'no processed food', but after he was 1 he's pretty much had the nursery menu. I might hate the idea of him having angel delight, but I don't think it's going to do him any harm on a 2 day a week basis. I've asked the nursery gently about their menus, and saw a HUGE improvement in the standard of snacks (used to be buiscuit am and pm, now mostly fruit / veg / dried fruit), but the main meals still pretty poor and teas insubstantial. Occasionally I send in fruit, but when I asked if I could send in a packed tea, they said it would be too much hassle - they may not be right, but there are things I care more about (sleep / play mostly).

I give him fruit before we go in (7am), and a veg / salad based tea when we get home (after 6pm) to improve things. And insist on him still having a full cup of milk mid-afternoon.

It's not great, and it's worth saying something esp before they are 12mo, but possibly not worth being a big pain over?

Good luck!

Aero · 02/06/2004 23:45

From yet another point of view. I used to work in a nursery attached to a sixth form college and worked in the baby room and often felt the food was inappropriate for babies, though ff&chips were not on the menu every day, but even the seemingly healthier choices were imo not that nutritious. Unfortunately what was sent over from the college was out of our control at that time and we did our best with what we had. That was several years ago but it sounds like despite all that's been in the news regarding school canteen food, that nothing much has changed.

Aero · 02/06/2004 23:46

Meant to add, wouldn't dream of feeding it to my baby!!

Original poster
Coj · 03/06/2004 13:58

Aero- it is still the same!
Sorry about long absence!
Right. Spoke to DD's key worker & she agrees. Said there is no menu in advance & they don't think it is healthy enough too, but they just have to give what gets "sent over." She said the 2ndary sch do realise that they are babies because they puree it first. She suggests I write a letter to the manager, head of community & 2ndary sch kitchen.
(Quote from their Ofsted report: Children are provided with regular drinks and food in adequate quantities for their needs. Food and drink is properly prepared, nutritious and complies with dietary and religious requirements.)

Calling on your help again ladies Does anyone know where I can find any guidelines on the recommended nutritional content of baby & toddler food. God I hate writing letters, not v good at putting into words what I mean to say!

OP posts:
secur · 03/06/2004 14:23

Message withdrawn

webmum · 03/06/2004 14:23

Coj

if they are pureeing food that is prepared for school children, is salt afterwards? Or are they giving babies food that is meant to be for teenagers???

I would not have liked dd to have chips at 8.5. No way.

And if your dd is at nursery every day, I would worry too, as it's the once week fish and chips thing, she gets more meals at nursery than at home!!

Good luck with it!!

marialuisa · 03/06/2004 14:24

Would the British Dietetic Association Paediatric group mentioned here be worth a try?

hercules · 03/06/2004 14:25

Sorry coj but they seem to know it's not right. iiwy i'd take in my own food. I know you shouldnt have to but i'd rather forsake my principles and ensure dd wasnt eating processed crap at this age.
In the meantime I woyuld speak to ofsted for advice.

Original poster
Coj · 03/06/2004 14:37

maria- thanks for the link, but seem to be going round in circles!

OP posts:
Original poster
Coj · 03/06/2004 14:45

herc- thanks. Did take in own food today. Have written to Ofsted to ask

OP posts:
marialuisa · 03/06/2004 15:00

I guess thie pdf on here is what OFSTED would use.

Personally think the age band is too broad but...

Original poster
Coj · 03/06/2004 20:29

Thanks maria
Letter is written, to be handed in tom

OP posts:
rydercup · 08/06/2004 13:50

Hi - just seen this thread and felt compelled to respond. My DS1 went to nursery at 6/7months and like you have all said I went through the menu displayed and was rigirous as to what I felt he could and couldn't have (especially as I had not yet completed the weaning process e.g. hadn't had red meat yet etc) - I also banned all nursery puddings and insisted that they gave him fresh fruit (I still do this now - he is 18 months!). I would suggest that you try the nice approach in the first instance - simply express your concerns regarding the menu and ask for alternatives (they are often catering for a variety of children with different food requirements e.g. veggies; dairy free etc etc; so alternatives MUST exist)- in my experience the nursery were very accomodating. Anyway - hope thats helpful for what its worth!