Dorothy Gallear says staff took away her son Jack’s packed lunch because the treat did not include lettuce or tomato.
Mrs Gallear, from Wigan, Greater Manchester, has now enrolled Jack, pictured left, in a different nursery.
“I think it’s ridiculous. Absolutely pathetic,” she said yesterday. “They’re playing Big Brother with people’s lives.”
The row unfolded at Westfield Children’s Centre near Wigan after it drew up a list of “healthy eating options” for youngsters such as fruit and vegetables.
Mrs Gallear, 32, decided to make Jack his own sandwiches after he developed several stomach bugs.
But when her son was picked up later she discovered staff had taken the sandwich off him.
His mother said: “The excuse they gave me was that other parents had complained that he had a sandwich when their children were just eating fruit.
“They told us that if it had lettuce on it, he would have been able to have it.”
But nursery manager Aukje Clegg said: “This is absolutely untrue. That is all I can say. I know what happened. The mother knows what happened. If she wants to make this out of it, that’s her problem but it’s not the truth.”
Asked if children were allowed to eat cheese sandwiches, she said: “Of course they are.”