But it's not only parents who give in. I have known nurseries that give out crisps, pink wafer biscuits, orange squash and chocolate fingers as a routine, with fried food at mealtimes. They claim the children won't eat anything else.
However, in my experience, nurseries that have explained to parents in a carefully-worded letter that after a certain date there will be no more sugared or salty snacks, no deep-fried foods and no drinks containing sugar or additives, and have then gradually phased them out, have found this works fine. If parents query this, a nursery can simply and truthfully say it is complying with official healthy eating guidelines.
Of course, it is really the fault of the food industry for inventing rubbish foods, but a nursery has an automatic authority and if it serves junk, parents could assume it must be all right for their children to eat it. Also, it is infuriating and outrageous for a parent who has properly fed children at home to have them then re-educated at nursery.
So let's get our collective act together and join in the battle!
Marian Rowlands
London SE22
