Page 2 | Vegetarian at nursery

OrangeSprout · 2023-10-15T21:08:37+00:00

Hi! just reviewing the nursery’s menu…my kids aren’t on any diet restriction and the entire menu is vegetarian (quorn 8 times in the month and vegetables for the rest of it)…not really happy with this to be honest….it costs £1400 per month just for the baby and £900 for the three year old. I’d just expect some actual meat? am I being unreasonable?

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Jk987 · 15/10/2023 22:28

I'm not a vegetarian but would be really pleased with a meat free menu. It can be hard getting enough vegetables in a child. If meat were served, it would probably be the cheapest stuff with no animal welfare.

You can give them loads of meat at home if you want but vegetarian is usually healthier.

KnittedCardi · 15/10/2023 22:29

As pp's I would be perfectly happy with vegetarian, prepared with natural ingredients. Quorn is a highly processed food, and unacceptable.

Pussygaloregalapagos · 15/10/2023 22:30

I think if you are feeding multiple people it is simpler to keep it vegetarian. Plus in a nursery they are doing the nappies. Meat fed babies and children smells so much worse than vegetarian ones. They could be doing it for that reason alone.

I would say it is fine and save the steaks for the weekend or evenings.

YourNameGoesHere · 15/10/2023 22:31

OrangeSprout · 15/10/2023 22:28

probably worth adding to all the snooty vegetarians that I was a vegetarian myself for 6 years (wasn’t snooty though…it doesn’t have to go hand in hand) and I never ate quorn…because it’s horrible.

and those who are saying I haven’t done due diligence…the menu had meat in it last month.

Have you asked them why it's now got no meat at all in it? Surely you should have been made aware of the change if they were going to be vegetarian only? Although I don't see why people think you should have checked I can't think many nurseries would have solely vegetarian menus.

Also I'd be keen to hear their reasoning on the excessive amount of quorn given as I and others have said it's very common for it to cause upset stomachs, which the cynic in me is then guessing will be a great excuse to send your kid home for 2 days...

SurreyMumOfOne · 15/10/2023 22:32

If it was a truly broad ranging balanced veggie diet then whilst it wouldn't be my first choice, it would be ok. And I'd make a point of giving plenty of meat at the weekend.

But a shit load of Quorn is not a good idea, IMHO.

Ask them why! Is it moral/price/ why? I fell out with the east London hipster chain which took over my DC's nursery because their sleb endorsed veggie menu had some form of sugar five times a day, apparently because it was needed to help with the nutrient absorption, particularly iron. Just give them some meat then! I also didn't want my kids having whatever the UPF vegan spread was when I have no issue with butter.

ODFOx · 15/10/2023 22:32

I wouldn't mind at all about the meat free menu but quorn is very processed.

I'd rather they got used to a wide variety of vegetables, grains and pulses with an equally wide variety of proteins than so much quorn.
On an omnivorous menu I wouldn't want a child of mine to eat chicken mince twice a week either.

NuffSaidSam · 15/10/2023 22:33

I'd be happy with a vegetarian menu (actually quite pleased because it means you can do meat on the weekend, knowing that they're getting a good range of veg stuff during the week).

I wouldn't want them eating that much Quorn though. Or any quorn really.

Is the menu well balanced in terms of a range of veg, lots of protein etc?

Veg nuggets and chips is veggie but I wouldn't want them eating that everyday.

caban · 15/10/2023 22:33

Personally I would prefer a veggie menu as the meat served in nurseries is the cheapest, lowest quality, processed stuff they can get. Big bags of frozen value chicken and mince etc, sausages are mostly rusk.

I wouldn't be keen on so much quorn though.

Spacecowboys · 15/10/2023 22:33

I wouldn’t be happy with this and I say that as a vegetarian of many years. Nurseries should be offering a variety of foods, including meat. Being a vegetarian / vegan is a lifestyle choice , not something that should be imposed on anyone- children or adults.

StarlightLime · 15/10/2023 22:34

I wouldn't eat or feed anyone quorn. It's shite.

NuffSaidSam · 15/10/2023 22:35

YourNameGoesHere · 15/10/2023 22:31

Have you asked them why it's now got no meat at all in it? Surely you should have been made aware of the change if they were going to be vegetarian only? Although I don't see why people think you should have checked I can't think many nurseries would have solely vegetarian menus.

Also I'd be keen to hear their reasoning on the excessive amount of quorn given as I and others have said it's very common for it to cause upset stomachs, which the cynic in me is then guessing will be a great excuse to send your kid home for 2 days...

Edited

Show quote history

It's just common sense to check the menu at a nursery you're looking at.

Also, to ask how and where the food is prepared etc.

BananaPalm · 15/10/2023 22:35

Quorn is UPF so definitely not super healthy.

You're definitely NOT being unreasonable. For that sort of money...

SleepingStandingUp · 15/10/2023 22:37

I think it depends on what the actual meals are.
Vege lasagne, vege risotto etc are all perfectly good food.

AvengedQuince · 15/10/2023 22:37

Jk987 · 15/10/2023 22:28

I'm not a vegetarian but would be really pleased with a meat free menu. It can be hard getting enough vegetables in a child. If meat were served, it would probably be the cheapest stuff with no animal welfare.

You can give them loads of meat at home if you want but vegetarian is usually healthier.

If they've just replaced meat with ultra processed soil mould, then the meals will have the same amount of vegetables as before.

RaininSummer · 15/10/2023 22:37

Nothing wrong with balanced healthy vegetarian meals and I think better than cheap unethically produced meat. But.. no to quorn and other ultra processed substitutes. I expect meat eater will feed their children meat at home so it will be good for them to try other things.

YourNameGoesHere · 15/10/2023 22:37

NuffSaidSam · 15/10/2023 22:35

It's just common sense to check the menu at a nursery you're looking at.

Also, to ask how and where the food is prepared etc.

Show quote history

Well yes check a sample of the menu but not to check specifically if the menu was going to entirely vegetarian.

Although it's a moot point for an argument against the OP anyway as even if she did check the menu wouldn't be reflective as last month they had meat and this month they don't.

OllieCollieWoo · 15/10/2023 22:38

I was always happy with our nursery not serving meat because I doubt it would have been the higher end quality. I wouldn't like all.that Quorn though, it's not necessary.

sprigatito · 15/10/2023 22:40

I would be worried about the children getting a decently nutritious balanced diet. It's possible to feed children a healthy vegetarian diet, but it requires a lot of thought and effort, which I wouldn't trust a nursery to do when their priority will be to do it as cheaply as they can.

underneaththeash · 15/10/2023 22:40

We had the choice of a veggie nursery and turned it down. We don’t eat processed food and leaving out meat/fish is not healthy for a child. (They’re not getting all the essential amino acid groups) Just move nurseries.

fedupandstuck · 15/10/2023 22:45

So Quorn twice a week, and presumably the rest of the time other protein sources like cheese, egg, pulses? I presume they're avoiding nuts? Is this just for lunches or are they there for dinner too?

I'd be fine with that menu, personally. But I am vegetarian and my children were both vegetarian at nursery age.

If the lack of meat/too much Quorn is a deal breaker for you then maybe you could ask the nursery why the switch to a full vegetarian menu and why the use of Quorn specifically. See what they say. If you don't like the answers then you could point out that you're likely to move your children to a nursery that provides a menu more to your liking.

Goldwakeme · 15/10/2023 22:46

My DC are vegetarian and I don't let them have school lunches as the veggie option is quorn every day. I don't mind the odd veggie nugget but it's junk food, not for every day. Like a pp, we also have gastro issues with quorn mince.

YourNameGoesHere · 15/10/2023 22:51

Goldwakeme · 15/10/2023 22:46

My DC are vegetarian and I don't let them have school lunches as the veggie option is quorn every day. I don't mind the odd veggie nugget but it's junk food, not for every day. Like a pp, we also have gastro issues with quorn mince.

I think this is likely to be what the nursery menu resembles especially given the reliance on quorn.

I love how some posters automatically jump to it naturally being healthier just because it's vegetarian but I strongly suspect like your child's school lunches it's anything but.

SpareHeirOverThere · 15/10/2023 22:54

Veggie - no problem.

Quorn is a dreadful choice, though. UPF and makes some people feel poorly.

Yabu to expect meat. Yanbu to expect healthy, well-balanced meals.

AvengedQuince · 15/10/2023 22:55

YourNameGoesHere · 15/10/2023 22:51

I think this is likely to be what the nursery menu resembles especially given the reliance on quorn.

I love how some posters automatically jump to it naturally being healthier just because it's vegetarian but I strongly suspect like your child's school lunches it's anything but.

Show quote history

Exactly, why is soil mould grown in a factory healthier than meat that humans have eaten for thousands of years?

KarmasOnYourScent · 15/10/2023 23:30

You need to speak to the nursery. There was meat in the menu last month so ask them why they've changed. It might just be some sort of supply issue or something else temporarily.

I'm vegan and wouldn't want to eat meat substitutes twice a week, The veg meals are a good thing though.