Nutrition
We are fully aware of the link between nutrition, health and learning. We take great pride in providing the children with nutritious and wholesome food. Our menus are healthy and balanced. We follow the advice of a registered dietician who has been advising nurseries for many years. Every day, we serve breakfast, lunch and tea, with additional healthy snacks, mid-morning and late-afternoon to ensure that our children are well-nourished at all times.
We cater for all dietary needs, intolerances, and allergies. Our nursery is a completely nut-free environment. All dietary needs will be discussed and agreed in detail before a child starts at our nursery. Staff are fully trained to clearly understand every child’s dietary requirements. We try to ensure that a similar-looking alternative dish is always provided for any child with a specific dietary need or allergy so that they match the dishes enjoyed by the other children. We use a colour-coded system so that all staff are fully aware of every child’s dietary needs.
We teach children about the different foods available at different times of the year and incorporate this learning into our exciting curriculum. We celebrate the major faiths and festivals through our meals ensuring that our children appreciate the different communities that form part of our nursery.
In our baby room, our staff ensure that the weaning process is followed according to parents’ preferences. We work closely together to ensure that the type, portion-size and consistency of food introduced at nursery is in accordance with parents’ wishes and matches each baby’s needs and developmental stage.
Our menus are specifically designed to encourage children to try new textures and flavours. Even the fussiest of eaters, with time, soon join in the fun enjoying foods together with their friends!
We value the learning opportunities which take place at mealtimes. Our staff plan for these well and children thoroughly enjoy helping to set the table, serve their foods and cut up their snacks. As we follow these routines consistently each day, our children quickly become increasingly confident in managing independently. Our staff are always on hand to help, and they sit at the table with the children and eat together. This enables mealtimes to be a very enjoyable and sociable time of the day. Children chat happily to staff and their friends in a relaxed, homely environment.