Lentils Etc

[Val_Pickering]

Can anyone answer this?

 

At times we have offered red lentils etc as an alternative to sand for pouring and spooning.

When we went to open the packet this week we noticed that it says "do not eat uncooked", the same wording is on split peas and other alternatives.

Whilst we do not allow our children to eat them, as a special needs nursery, we cannot be sure that someone won't attempt to put them into their mouth.

 

Does anyone else use lentils? Is there a way round this? What is the problem, is there a health and safety requirement that I have overlooked.

 

We do of course offer textures of a more edible nature like pasta but we do like to vary our options.

 

Having said that we offer lentils and an alternative to sand, there is always someone who will try to eat the sand!

[JacquieL]

Lentils are a legume, and I think that most seeds of legumes are toxic if eaten raw. Having said that I have often used lentils and have not seen any ill effects, but I don't think the children have eaten any. Someone else may be able to shed some light on this issue.

[Guest]

If you stick lentils and toxic into Google you do get sites telling you they are toxic when raw. It also says you can be allergic to them but I have never heard of anyone that was.

It can't be all that dangerous, we have definitely had children who ate them and didn't show any effects!!

J x

[Guest]

"If you stick lentils and toxic into Google you do get sites telling you they are toxic when raw. It also says you can be allergic to them but I have never heard of anyone that was.

It can't be all that dangerous, we have definitely had children who ate them and didn't show any effects!!"

J x

 

Hi, (sorry I don't know how to highlight the above)

Just wanted to say that we have several children in school who are very allergic to lentils, so much so that they require an epi-pen.

 

Yas x

[Guest]

In my previous job my foundation stage manager wasn't keen for me to use lentils or kidney beans in nursery but I love all those different things like soup mix, split beans, dried peas etc. I have used them to make musical instruments because of the colours in bottles. When I use them we have a good chat about putting things in our mouths and the dangers.

[apple]

Same as Yas. We have a child who has an epipen and is allergic to peas and beans as well as the usual nuts and eggs. We therefor cannot allow lentils as they are part of the legume family.

Is it worth running the risk? Could dried rice be an alternative for your pouring activities?

[Sue R]

but I have never heard of anyone that was.

 

 

We have a highly allergic child - as I see others do, as well!!

[JacquieL]

Kidney beans are the worst of all the legumes and should never be used uncooked!

[catma]

Hmmmm. That would explain why the mice who once climbed up my wall display ate all the sunflower seeds from the collages and NOT the red kidney beans. Not only more agile than an olympic gymnast but damn clever too!!!!!!

[JacquieL]

Clever mice...animals are amazing.

[Beau]

Hmmmm. That would explain why the mice who once climbed up my wall display ate all the sunflower seeds from the collages and NOT the red kidney beans. Not only more agile than an olympic gymnast but damn clever too!!!!!!

 

Do you think they read the packets or just googled it on the internet??

[HappyMaz]

Do you think they read the packets or just googled it on the internet??

Nope. This sort of knowledge has been incorporated into rodent DNA, following years and years of disseminating health and safety information by word of mouse...

[JacquieL]

[Val_Pickering]

Thanks for the replies. I knew about red kidney beans but never connected the same issue to lentils.

We do not have any children with allergies at present but it is not worth taking the risk. It looks like being rice again, pity I do like the natural colours of the various lentils and peas - coloured rice just isn't the same!

[Guest]

Do you think they read the packets or just googled it on the internet??

 

using the keypad or the mouse..........?

 

Nona

[catma]

Well they weren't clever enough to avoid the mouse poison!!

[Guest]

I think keep things in perspective, yes legumes has toxins which are reduced with cooking, however, I thought How many lentilws would you have to eat for it to be dangerous to health?

 

I found this discussion HERE (the tomato avatars (sorry forgot name) comments)

 

In another discussion I read that yes toxins are there ut the human body is able to cope with it, and in fact did you know tap water has Arsenic in it, a toxin too.

 

Allergies are concern but a severe allergy to any substance is possible by any child, not known until they come into contact with it. If known then safety measures are in place, if unknown then hopefully 1st aid training has addressed how to cope with allergic reactions, or at least this should be in settings operational plans.

 

Are there any statistics to help measure the risk, how many children, (apart from ones with a known allergy) have experienced harm from 'playing' with lentils, beans - ie: legumes in a preschool setting?

 

Peggy

[SueFinanceManager]

Hi

 

Some possible alternatives;

 

cous cous

semolina

pasta - can get small varieties

small gravel - the sort you put in the bottom of fish tanks

 

all of the above are non toxic but not all that nice to eat either!

 

Sue

[Cait]

So if i'm having to use just rice instead of lentils, it'd be nice to have different colours of rice. Do i do this by soaking the rice in food colouring or do i have to boil the rice in the colouring and then let it cool? Anyone done this?

[Guest]

Hi

I just pour some rice into a bowl then tip a little food colouring into it. Then give it a good stir around and leave it to dry off. Works really well and doesn't stain little fingers (unless it gets wet!) We have had red and yellow rice for the last 3 weeks! I work with pre school special needs children and they have loved it. Especially when we put the water/sand wheel in the tray too. Very theraputic for the children and also for the staff!!!

 

Gem

[Guest]

Which is more (or less) risky, allergies to the added food colourings in the rice or the toxins in the lentils?

 

Peggy

[Guest]

oh my goodness - i have been using lentils in my tuff tray last week - didnt know any of this, back to rice and gravel for me then!!

[Cait]

Well we used lentils and split peas, barley and rice and made some fantastic rangoli patterns. We just made sure to be a bt more circumspect in our monitoring and observations

[lynned55]

Be careful, we have a child with a severe nut allergy and now cannot use most pasta as such a lot of them say - 'cannot guarantee to be nut free'