Nutritional Meals and Snacks
As part of our all-inclusive approach, we provide a full range of meals, snacks and drinks for your child during their day at our nursery; this will include access to fresh drinking water. A typical day will include breakfast (8.00am to 8.30am), snack (10.30am), lunch (11.45am) and afternoon tea (3.15pm) followed by another snack around 5.00pm, for those children staying later. Our focus is on nutritious and wholesome food when we are creating our menus of home-based, cooked meals.
We believe that eating healthily is extremely important in the development of our youngest children. We also recognise that children should be able to enjoy food and recognise too the healthy benefits that also support their physical growth, as well as learn good behaviours for the future.
We acknowledge that sugary foods and drinks, fatty foods or foods containing additives are almost unavoidable in the modern diet. Nevertheless, we have tried our best to plan our menus to minimise these influences and encourage enjoyment of a wide range of foods, including organic and multi-cultural produce. As well as our main menus, a sample of which can be found on this page, we also have separate weaning menus for babies.
We encourage children where appropriate to get involved in the planning and preparation of snacks, which will include foods such as raw vegetables, raisins, cheese, toast, fruit, milk and water. Crisps and other convenience foods are very rarely used, only then on some special occasions such as our special events, festivals and summer parties.
Mums will be able to breast feed at the nursery during the day if they wish to. Babies will be encouraged to try different foods, which will be prepared in the main kitchen. We also welcome suggestions from parents on any aspect of the children’s meals and snacks.
Weaning Menus – Babies 3 – 9 months
Whilst children are still developing their tolerances and capabilities with food, we can provide a range of weaning options, which cater for children from 3 months upwards. We also provide a range of purees, porridges and will give formula milk (provided from home) whilst your baby is migrating to solid foods. If there is a specific brand of milk or food type that your baby prefers then generally we can accommodate most requests.
Specific dietary requirements with nutritious & wholesome food alternatives
We have qualified and experienced chefs who liaise with the Nursery Manager about children’s dietary needs and over the years, they have evolved a range of recipes that cater for most dietary requirements. During the settling in period when you and your child’s key person are completing a care plan, we can discuss specific dietary needs such as:
- Cultural preferences
- Vegetarianism or veganism
- Dietary and nutritional specifics
- Food allergies or intolerances
As part of our initial and on-going care arrangements, we monitor and manage a wide range of dietary needs and are always keen to ensure we are informed of any concerns that are held with regard to eating and drinking. Our staff keep daily records of children attending the nursery and the food and drink they have consumed, so that they are aware of specific requirements and equally any changes in diet.
We operate a strict no-nut policy in the nursery, details of which can be seen on the parent’s notice board or in our policies file in the reception area. Some products may contain traces of nuts but this might not be overtly listed on the ingredients, or may be part of an ingredient not necessarily broken down further. If in any doubt whatoever, please let us have a definitive list of any products, which you are aware of, that might prove troublesome to or for your child.