[FluffyOscar]

I'm just here for some other opinions.

Our kinder has a strict fruit and veg ONLY policy for snack time. Children can bring any quantity of fruit and veg, but no other foods are allowed. This is for two main reasons, the first being allergy. We have peanut and dairy allergies at the moment, but every year brings the potential for changes to this (including allergies to fruit and veg!). The other reason is healthy eating, and good role modelling. If all children see other children eating fruit and vegetables it normalises eating healthy food.

Anyway, some parents have complained, loudly, to the kinder and want to introduce more food items, namely introducing allowing carbs like rice cakes and bread. Their reasons are that fruit and veg do not "fill" their children for the 3.5 hour kinder sessions and their children are "ravenously hungry and tired" at the end of sessions.

I think a child can survive on fruit and veg for 3.5hours (never over lunchtime), and that allowing more food types introduces a whole new level of management for the teacher (checking compliance with rules, managing competitiveness amongst the children, etc.) that we would be better off without. As well as the clear and obvious risk of allergy.

So, what are your kinder's policies on food and snacks? Do these work? What is your ideal food policy? And do you think it's reasonable or fair to expect a child to survive on fruit and/or veg in any quantity or combination for 3.5 hours?

[ILBB]

Honestly, I think 3.5 hours is pushing it for just fruit. 2 - 3 hours and it shouldn't be an issue - but at DS's kinder in a 4 hour session they have a snack (fruit) then lunch (sandwich, ricecakes etc). Compliance with this hasn't been a problem in the last 3 years and the newsletter is a good avenue for parents to be reminded about what foods can and can't be brought to kinder.

Children will of course survive on just fruit but I think the reasons for not having other things is a bit thin. Most kinders can and do manage a range of serious food allergies with no issues and the kinder committee/teachers are just being a tad lazy.

[Bel Rowley]

I don't know what my opinion is, but thank goodness my DD is not in kinder yet, seeing she won't eat any fruit or vegetables at the moment unless I sneak it into something else!

[custardtart]

Ours is almost as draconian - the children are allowed fruit, vegetables and cheese. That's it.
Their reasoning is that many packaged foods such as biscuits are processed in the same area as nuts, so there is a risk of contamination.

I think it's over the top, there are many 'safe' biscuits/crispbreads/breads that could be allowed, but I figure it's only for one year and as long as I fill him up before he goes he can survive a few hours with only a snack.

[ikeaqueen]

Honestly, I think 3.5 hours is pushing it for just fruit. 2 - 3 hours and it shouldn't be an issue

Feed you child before they go and have a snack ready for them after.

My kids go from breakfast at 7.30am to lunch at 11.30am with 'just fruit' as a snack between the two. They also go from lunch at 11.30am to dinner at 6pm with 'just fruit' as snacks.

I don't see an issue at all with the kindy policy. I think parents just feel the need to complain about anything!

[kdzf]

Our kinder was the same as yours OP. It worked well. Some non-fruit and veg eaters began to eat things that they had never tried. The power of social eating! They could also chose water or milk to drink. Big breaky before-hand, lunch ready for after, no trouble at all.

[ILBB]

Ikeaqueen - if you bothered with the rest of the post I said that they would survive - I just think the reasons provided were a bit "thin".

Just as an aside - with the introduction of 15 hours of kinder by 2013 then the policy will have to change unless the kinder is going to offer 3 hours over 5 days. Most kinders will adopt a policy of least one longer day and will need to have more substantial food for children to eat to sustain them over a longer period.

Edited for shocking spelling!

This post has been edited by Tinofpineapple: 16/07/2010, 12:59 PM

[jfl]

I detest these Stalinist food-dictators.

In the first place, there are many good reasons why children's individual circumstances might not fit in with their politically correct regulations (which are not even consistent, eg the PP who mentioned that cheese was OK at her kindy). In the second place, they have no right to impose their food fads, however well intentioned, on children. They are not their parents - they are only 'in loco parentis' - in the place of the parents. That does not give them the right to override the wishes of the real parents.

It amazes me that so many parents meekly go along with this stuff. Why can't a child have ry-vita with vegemite for morning tea, for example? Who do they think they are?

Vent over - for now.

[MakeLoveNotBacon]

My kids go from breakfast at 7.30am to lunch at 11.30am with 'just fruit' as a snack between the two. They also go from lunch at 11.30am to dinner at 6pm with 'just fruit' as snacks.

But that is YOUR children. You do realize all children, just like adults, are different? Personally I can't go 3.5 hours (and include travelling time, more likely 4 hrs) without something heavier than fruit to eat. I am not anywhere near overweight, I just have to eat regularly or feel exhausted. My son is pretty much the same.

Having said that, I would be happy for a fruit and veg only option as I think if you start to introduce other foods, it becomes a slippery slope i.e Introduce plain rice crakers.. parent complains little Johnny only eats flavoured ones and so on.

[lsolaBella]

We have mormimg tea at kindy which is fruit only. DS1 does not eat fruit but I will pack an appropriate item each day for kindy and have it 'boomerang' back each day.

From my perspective if my child chooses not to eat what is provided (ie fruit) that is his choice.I hope that peer pressure will work but after 18n it doesn't look likely). Lunch and afternoon tea he has things he will eat (healthy).

Nuts/traces of nuts items are banned.