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Original poster

Wotsits/Quavers at nursery for under ones?

158 replies

JeniN · 21/06/2004 21:15

Dd's new nursery have crisps on the menu for one of their snacks once a week, I think the older kids usually get tortilla chips, and they give the babies wotsits or quavers.

OK, once a week isn't a very big deal, but I really can't see the logic in giving babies (she's 9 months) a high salt snack when general advice is to aim for a low salt diet. Is this a normal thing at nurseries? Should it be so?

BTW we've chosen to take alternative snacks in for her on that day - she hasn't had crisps yet and I don't see why she needs to start just yet. Genuinely interested in other people's views, whatever they are, on this.

OP posts:

twiglett · 21/06/2004 21:17

message withdrawn

islandgirl · 21/06/2004 21:17

mine can still not have wotsits or they get incredibly hyperactive for about 2 hours afterwards. Have been having quavers since about 18 months old, not often but normally to pacify when we're out and about!!!
Nothing like this at nursery though.

Hulababy · 21/06/2004 21:18

I don't think they should be giving crisps to babies and toddlers at all. I know DD's nursery never have.

tamum · 21/06/2004 21:21

Whaaaat? I am gobsmacked frankly. I don't let my primary age children have them other than at parties and so on. I wouldn't dream of giving them to babies, and I'm not a kind of organic-y purist mother at all. That's appalling.

mummytojames · 21/06/2004 21:25

i would never dream of giving a baby under 18 months any type of crisp and trust me my ds has eat nearly every thing under the sun

WideWebWitch · 21/06/2004 21:27

I'm disgusted too. Complain. I did about a nursery ds went to when he was 9months: their tea was jam sandwiches on white bread. Considering that I gave him lovingly cooked healthy food I was outraged. Wotsits contain Tartrazine, implicated in hyperactivity and msg.

islandgirl · 21/06/2004 21:29

www-interesting aboout wotsits - I'm glad it wasn't just me being oversensitive about them. But why are they so popular at parties????

Tommy · 21/06/2004 21:30

I keep being amazed on these threads as to what nurseries give babies in their care to eat! Perhaps someone from the government "trying to stop obesity" department should have a word here - talk about weaning them onto the junk early! I'm with tamum - not overly earth mothery but my DS1 at 2.5 doesn't eat these things - because he's not regularly offered them. I know he will in time but surely the longer you can put it off the better? I'm shocked and am going to put a new shocked face here to prove it

WideWebWitch · 21/06/2004 21:31

I dunno! Maybe everyone thinks they're not as bad as other things? They're not terrible, to be fair, but I wouldn't let a 1 year old have them! Umm, good marketing job maybe?

muddaofsuburbia · 21/06/2004 21:32

The big problem with Wotsits and Quavers is the MSG as well as the huge amount of salt and other additives. As babies under one are meant to have little but preferably no salt in their diet, I'm really shocked at the nursery's thinking that this is acceptable.

There is a recent article in the Mirror of all places on the effect of MSG in children's diets here
]

I gave ds Baby Organix crisps after his first birthday. They have virtually no salt and only natural flavourings. Their range is excellent but a bit pricey. Their site is \link{http://www.goodies.uk.com/\here .

Definitely get this cleared up if you can - good luck

muddaofsuburbia · 21/06/2004 21:33

Wow - mega link!

motherinferior · 21/06/2004 21:34

Well, I'll come clean and say I'm pretty sure dd2's had the odd one at her childminder's. She's definitely had crisps. Most of her food is salt-free and home-made, though. I'd prefer her not to have them if I'm honest, but I'm not about to make a fuss about it.

muddaofsuburbia · 21/06/2004 21:34

The Organix link should be Baby Organix snacks

fisil · 21/06/2004 21:35

No no no. I can't believe any nursery is doing that! Did you see my thread on Saturday about my 17 month old going on a high after wotsits and BBQ sauce? It was incredible (and horrendous). Can you complain?

islandgirl · 21/06/2004 21:37

do any of you feel like mean mothers at parties when you don't let your children stuff their faces with c**p. luckily mine at the moment prefer not to eat a lot of processed stuff, but sometimes there is little else to eat. Am I rare in that mine have never been to McDonalds, and eldest is 3.5.

Gingerbear · 21/06/2004 21:42

Maisystar's DS thought that McDonalds was a farm!!

WideWebWitch · 21/06/2004 21:47

The thing is, it's almost impossible to keep crap processed food away from them, always. Unfortunately. In my case, an over-indulgent grandmother (ex dh's mother) meant that my son was given Coke, crisps and other assorted crap a lot earlier than I would have liked. But the rest of the time he eats healthily and so the landscape is, on the whole, pretty good, even if some of the snacks along the way haven't been what I'd have chosen. I do think the big picture is the main thing but I wouldn't be happy with a nursery encouraging crisps while I knew I could get away with not allowing them. And I fully supoort a ban on advertising crap food to children too, while I'm about it.

WideWebWitch · 21/06/2004 21:48

At parties I let him eat what he wanted btw, no point in pretending they're about anything other than cake!

tamum · 21/06/2004 21:48

I guess the thing is, MI, that having the odd crisp because there are older children around seems different from having a once-a-week timetabled slot for babies to be given Wotsits. Even for a laid-back parent like moi that seems dreadful

Hulababy · 21/06/2004 21:49

island girl - although I prefer DD to eat healthily I would never deny her trying what ever is on offer at parties, etc. I fugure it isn't that often that it won't hurt her. Luckily she eats really well and loves everything and anything.

muddaofsuburbia · 21/06/2004 21:51

Parties are definitely a different kettle of fish (fingers) - I agree.

Islandgirl - ds (almost 2) has never been to McDonalds before although I did b/f him there once now I think about it!

nutcracker · 21/06/2004 21:55

Oh i must be a bad mom then as my Ds loves wotsits and quavers and skips.

Don't give him wotsits often though cos of the orange mess.

Maybe thats why he's hyper

Original poster

JeniN · 21/06/2004 21:59

Hmm, in a way I'm really glad people are so suprised, because it means nurseries aren't all feeding rubbish snacks to children...but on the other hand it makes me wonder about MY nursery's provision of food generally

OP posts:

ChicPea · 21/06/2004 22:04

Sounds ridiculous. My ds of 21mths has never been given wotsits or quavers and I am shocked that a nursery offers them. If it must offer something like this what about straight forward crisps? As a dry finger food, why can't they offer rice cakes or bread sticks??

Tommy · 21/06/2004 22:04

My DS1 can eat anything he likes at parties - never does though - rarely eats anything!

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