AITA for keeping my baby off full nursery menu?

[novamama]

Dear Parents,

Nursery keeps pressuring me for moving my 10mo old onto the full nursery menu. Currently baby is still on "weaning" menu meaning 2 vegetables + 1 fruit / meal, two meals a day.

I'm reluctant to do so because they use salty and what I regard as highly processed foods that I'm in no hurry feed my baby to eat on a daily basis yet. Examples from menu are: Mac and cheese (cheddar) ; sandwich with ham and cheddar; bread with soft cheese; tuna and mayo jacket potato.

Baby's not even had cheddar cheese yet at home due to the high sodium levels; neither ham, neither mayonnaise.

We don't eat mac and cheese at home, and honestly I'd much rather my infant to stay on vegetables for the few days a week she's in nursery for.

It really feels like I'm the absolute alien for this choice, and they keep pressuring me.

Thats disappointing to hear but trust your experience. Sounds like a bit of questioning to the nursery would be good.

Pfb ??

I completely understand you, OP. My daughter recently started a pre school where they have cooked lunches with the rest of the school and I’ve agreed with the school that on the days where there are the more processed meals on the menu my daughter will have a jacket potato with cheese and vegetables (these are offered every day anyway, they’re not being cooked separately for her).

It’s really odd to me that people have become so ok with eating processed foods and giving them to their kids. At home we eat fresh, organic, home cooked food every day so I don’t want my kids going to school and having a processed lunch every day. Meals that I would make healthy at home, ie stews, pasta sauces etc are made unhealthy at school by them using pre packaged sauces and cooking food in cheap oils. Even the meat they use is not of a good quality.

Somehow along the way we who don’t want to eat factory made, processed, chemical laden foods became the weird ones but you’re doing the right thing! There is so much evidence showing the long term effects of high sugar, high salt, high processed food diets and what parent would knowingly subject their kids to that 🤷🏻‍♀️

What kind of meals does she eat at home that would be acceptable?

I agree with others that your baby now needs more than fruit and veg. But if the cheese and ham are a problem, then could you request a vegan menu instead.

You think you're doing something really good for your child. You're not. You're starving a growing body and brain of protein and essential fats. I'm pretty sure nursery will start raising concerns, possibly even with your GP/HV if you carry on down this path. Your child needs proper food.

Nursery food can be shocking. They really shouldn't include UPFs like ham. I'd move.

That
Fat is important for the brain

Poor kid.
Let him/her eat!

... because of a slice of ham....?

Wowsers.

I didn't think AITA stood for 'alien', but yes, as you ask, you are being the alien here.

Let your little one eat normal food with their peers.

I think you will struggle when your child goes to parties...

My DD5 in the 8 or so parties since September gets served .. white bread sandwiches with ham, ham or cheese crisps, cake, pizza, mini sausages, sausage rolls, biscuits, sweets, chips, chicken nuggets and occasionally a stick of cucumber...

Exactly. If they think that it is okay to give a baby ham, what else are they doing that is wrong?

So you think it's okay to give ham to a baby?

Everyone knows that you shouldn't eat processed meat.

Exactly I can't believe all the people on here thinking it's okay to give processed meat to a baby.

It's ham.

First response nailed it

No, just a intelligent mother. Who knows that processed meat should not be given to babies.

Yes of course.

People have been eating cured and preserved meats for centuries. It's not wiped out civilisation yet.

Would I be happy with the baby troughing down rolls of ham several times a day. No.

But a few mouthfuls here and there is not horrifying.

What like processed meat?

What ARE you going to do when your child goes to parties and other kids play dates???

Like macaroni cheese.

Or jacket potatoes

By 10 months both of my children were eating what I ate (which was homemade and nutritious). Other than honey, there was nothing off the menu in appropriate amounts.

To be honest, you sound like you might have post natal anxiety which is focused on food (I had it, but my focus was elsewhere).

Exactly. If they think that it is okay to give a baby ham, what else are they doing that is wrong?

Probably inducting them into a life of crime and getting them hooked on crack. It's the only logical next step.

What he's on now simply don't enough for a 10 month old.

There's a good, evidence based, guide for feeding babies during the first year here. You'll probably need to read from page 78