Wotsits/Quavers at nursery for under ones?

[JeniN]

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.

Mine are 18 mths and 4 yrs old and have Scrunchy Munchie not crisps or sweets - they love it - Scrunchy Munchie can be anything including breakfast cereals, raisin and other died fruits, seasonal fruit. I can certainly prove that certain E numbers cause my kids havoc at bed time, so are steered clear of and we have very well behaved kids and know if someone has let them have a TREAT- ie nanny!!

I agree with you chicpea - breadsticks, rice cakes etc - couldn't do without them in our house (DS1 likes those!)

Ds did like rice cakes but went off them and i have tried him with raisins but he spat them out.

What else can i try ???

You lot have got me feeling guilty now

i went to look round a nursery when ds was 16 mnths and the woman made a big deal about their healthy snacks, gave me a menu sheet etc. anyway we went back for a trial session and for the snack (this is 6mnths up to 18 mnths) they were given dairylea sandwiches on white bread and cheap 'quavers' needless to say he didn't go there.

nutcracker: what about strawberries, grapes, satsumas, apple,banana, cherries, cucumber, bread, yoghurt (Ok, it's not finger food!), melon, mango, sweet potato, carrots, green beans? He might refuse them at first but if that's all there is...

Nutcracker, what about humous or taramosalata on rice cakes?

He does eat lots of bannana and grapes, pretty much any fruit really.

I keep meaning to buy some humos, which section of the supermarket is it in ???

In Waitrose it's near the cooked meats and pates. I'm trying to think of other things. I have seen other MNers recommending apricots and dried apples. Although these are laden with sugar and you may wish to stick to non-sugary things. Will have a think.
(BTW, we spoke on another thread about Look 10 years younger/laser eye surgery and I posted something there).

As others I am surprised by this. Have never used nurseries as need the flexibility of a childminder but am often shocked by stories I hear. Of course when they go to a party all they eat (esp my DD) is the quavers and choc crispie cakes, but it's not as tho they go to a party every week! (well, sometimes it feels like it with DS1). But no, why would you timetable a snack like this? My DS2 is 14 mo and has maybe had a few crisps at the occasional party but no, not as a regular thing. What's wrong with fruit or salad bits (red pepper, tomatoes, cucumber) or just bread and butter or maybe banana chips or yogurt raisins? All mor expensive and time-consuming I guess. Which might make you wonder about the nursery, as you say, jenin.

sorry, the start of that post sounds snotty. I don't mean that childminders are in some way superior to nurseries, just that I occasionally hear worrying things about particular nurseries...of course many are excellent.

I am amazed that a nursery gives such salty snacks to babies too, Sounds ridiculous.

I never had crisps at home until dd1 went to school. I still don't give her a whole packet in her lunch box. I just put about a third in a tub. She occasionally moans that everyone else has a whole packet but I ignore her.

Of course at parties they eat what they want. I try to keep trips to MacDonalds to about four times a year!

nutcracker - don't worry, my DD is now 26 months and has had the odd crisp snack since about18/2 months. I don't like crisps so they aren't in the house - so they are a huge treat for her when she sees them. Luckily Dd loves all food and eats such a wide range of healthy, and not so healthy, food that I just don't have to worry about it at all.

DD went to MacD for first time in UK on a MN meet. Like Maisystar's DS she had the wrong idea entirely to start with, and was singing Old MacDonald had afarm on walk there. Mind you, she loved sitting with the others tooking in - she even ate all her chips, and she normally won't touch them. Power of peers!!!

We have however taken her in France as it was only place open we could find, but she refused to eat anything that time - 18 months.

Also nutty - my DD also won't touch rice cakes. I can hardly blame her, they taste like cork boards. Yuk!!!

try spreading nutella on ricecakes then

popcorn is a fave snack with dd.
What about homemade cheese straws?

My eldest is 10 nad he has nevr been given anything like that at school or nursery, I hate the bloody things, my dd is now 20 mths and has had the odd taste of a crisp when her brother has had one, thats it.
We don't have them in the house and for them to be on a menu as such is astounding esp one for such a young baby, jaysus at 9 mths my dd was still puking back pureed apple...
And it is entirely possible to stop your kids from eating processed foods.. but it turns you into a food policeperson...
like me - the label reader from hell!

we have marmite flavour ricecakes. even i like them

Wotsits are incredibly high in salt and more importantly... colouring!! About the same as a glass of IrnBru I've been told. I personally don't have a problem with giving ds quavers. He's had them since before he was a year old. But then it was just a few out of a packet I was eating. ( I LOVE QUAVERS ).

I just refuse to be neurotic about 'processed foods'. Some are healthy you know! I'm not an 'earth mother' type.... but I do give DS lots of fresh veggies, homemade soup. But I don't have the time or the inclination to be doing that evryday. So my freezer has fish fingers and waffles and potato croquets etc etc in it. AND he gets baked beans.

I wish there really wasn't so much hysteria about food. As long as they are getting a balanced diet with all the right nutrients, vits and minerals I dont' see the point in getting uptight about processed food.

I am fairly relaxed about the snacks Ds has- but I think it is very sad that a nursery schedules these in - and wouldn't like to give a one year old a 'taste' for them so early. It's SO easy to give them unsalted walkers crips, or another snack entirely.

Oh god relax you lot

you sound as if the nirsery is force feeding him arsenic!

all I will say ia that oyu start off with these good intenstions asn as you wither have more kids or they get older it all goes downt he pan!

That it terrible I would complain to the supervisor or the nusery manger.surely they know about healthy eating

Lol Coddy - Straight to the point. It's true though.... I'll be much more relaxed with this one.

I agree with toothache about some processed food. IMO there is processed and "processed".

Wotsists however are a complete no no due to the amount of salt and colourings. I have to be careful what I eat with regards to some colours and dd has a tendancy to take after me.

Myself and my mum can not drink sugar free drinks without getting awful cramps so I am partuculalry careful which drinks I give dd.

" and there came a time when coddy gaveth her third born a quaver" and the thunder rolled and the lightneing cracked and the Lord sayeth
"Thou art a bad mUmmy ""

ROFL!

ta m2t