It has begun in anger


#1

(Jack Bennett) #2

Sounds like theatrical virtue signaling to me.

Not “what’s the absolute best nutrition for these children entrusted to our care” but “what makes us look avant-garde and progressive”.

Of course, I’m sure a lot of urban hipster parents would agree with the decision too…


(Polly) #3

This is appalling. If my child/children had been enrolled at that nursery I would be withdrawing them on the basis of fundamental breach of contract.


(squirrel-kissing paper tamer) #4

Yeah, but if she had changed the menu to low carb, a different set of parents would lose their shit. And the argument that nobody should be able to decide what a child eats is silly, it’s literally what happens to every preschool aged child every second of their life.

IMO, this is a business changing its MO and people are feeling judged and preached to. Not to mention, many preschools are feeding bologna sandwiches on white bread and ravioli out of the can. At least these foods are nutrient dense and it’s only lunch and snack. Parents are still in control of breakfast and dinner.


#5

Oh my. This country prefers low sodium for the kids (for everyone but they can’t do near as much about that) and even that upsets me (I don’t even have a kid but if I had, I would pack salt, among other things as there are worse things here too).

I was “lucky” I ate normal food as a kid. Nursery school and school menu was just bad but not shockingly different. I don’t even know what a kid on a special diet (not because they are sensitive) does when faces drastically different options only. But it is potentially very harmful. When I had carbs as a kid and not much else (lentils are way better but cereal with plant milk? where is the FOOD?), I got hungry soon and my focus was destroyed. Now, I would physically feel unwell, I have this since I went low-carb and my body decided it loves only that. I can imagine kids who meet low-carb way earlier have it too.

Is it too much to ask for some options? It can’t be that hard and it’s about the physical and mental, emotional well-being of children! They are growing, developing kids, food is very important regarding those.
But there were always silly ideas about proper food, don’t even mention food pyramids to me, I don’t even quite understand why we seem to know so very little about this highly important thing. We are different but still, why some version of HCLF is the trendy healthy thing since ages when it’s quite bad for so many? (I feel super lucky I never ate like that, I imagine it’s the worst thing ever for a body like mine, especially if it’s vegan too. Even my bland and often horrible school menu was nicely fatty but that was long ago. People call HCHF the worst but I could survive on it, at least and it was very tasty and I could get satiated if I ate enough. Low-fat is my room 101.)

I am quite emotional regarding this topic and my empathy doesn’t help (not like I need that much, I just imagine myself having that food). Poor kids, especially who are highly incompatible with this eating style. At least they eat at home too.

I know many kids starve in the world, even in my country. But it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t want improve things.
I dislike the attitude of the school dining room in my village. It has texts like “we don’t have to love food, we have to eat it” and “eat everything on your plate” with a picture of a staving child. I am a health-conscious hedonist (who really hates wasting food. feeling unwell is even worse though) and quite disagree.


(Bob M) #6

But the parents get to choose, not the school (unless the school is subject to the US Dietary Guidelines, then the government tells them what they can eat).


(Windmill Tilter) #7

It’s not a school, it’s a business. Like a restaurant. Or a bakery. Among other things, the owner of the small business gets to serve whatever food they like. If customers don’t like it, they go elsewhere. If your local Italian restaurant stopped serving veal would you call your councilman?

This article is so ridiculous it hurts my teeth. When did the manufacture of synthetic outrage become journalism?


(Bob M) #8

The nurseries are Chester’s biggest childcare provider and are rated ‘Good’ by Ofsted.

Maybe you can’t go anywhere else? Maybe this is right down the street, and to take your child elsewhere would involve a trip by car or by taxi or by whatever? Maybe the “choice” is on paper, but not in reality?

You don’t know, so don’t give me grief.


(Windmill Tilter) #9

This sort of thing is getting very common in my area. I find it really hard to wrap my head around personally, but as a small business owner myself, I can understand why they do such things.

People will pay a price premium for the ability to virtue signal to their social group. “Bobby goes to the best daycare, they’re learning ecologically sound coding principles, and the snacks are locally sourced & vegan”. Truth is the first causality of marketing.


(Ronald Weaver) #10

I wonder if their being secretly funded by someone ? Paul McCartney, maybe ?


#11

Did anyone check the aged care facility in the same suburb? It could be a vegan pincer movement.


(Tony ) #12

Personally I would attack this from all available angles. The kids aren’t there to be part of some save the planet experiment, they are there to be looked after. I would suggest to attack the school from a religious perspective, that being discriminated by not being able to eat meat, which is part both Christian, Islamic and others lifesyles. That the vegan / vegetarian diet is not complete in dietary needs and would need ( chemical ) supplimentation. That just because a dietition has said so, does not make it right, ask for the proof and studies to show it is complete and without any side effects. That the diet suggested contains way to many carbs and starches, proven to cause problems ( The UK already has a sugar tax on soft drinks - an acknowledgement of ill health causation ). If one of my kids went there I would cause an uproar on social media, and at the first sign of my kid having any health problems, blame it on the school and sue for lack of due care and diligence.