Meals

 I am happy to provide meals for the children in my care.  Alternatively, parents may choose to supply a packed lunch for their child.

I will work with parents in order to supply meals that provide a well balanced and healthy diet, incorporating foods that the child likes.

I am familiar with catering for different dietary requirements.

Most of the meals I offer are prepared from scratch, using fresh ingredients to avoid added salt, sugar, food additives and colourings.  

As far as is possible, we all sit down together at the table to eat.  All children are encouraged to eat and drink independently from an early age.  Booster seats/highchair and appropriate cutlery are supplied for younger children

 I strive to provide the children in my care with a healthy diet as i believe that it makes a significant difference to a child’s physical and mental health, both in the short and long term. Indeed, a well-balanced diet helps to prevent health problems frequently seen in children, such as obesity, constipation, anaemia and tooth decay. Growing evidence also shows that some food can also help cuts and bruises heal quickly, boost children’s immune systems or ease symptoms of allergies like asthma or eczema. 

I  realise that working in partnership with you about what and when your child/children eat can lead to optimal nutritional growth and development for them. and . We take into account the children’s individual needs such as age, diet preferences or requirements when planning my menus. You can view the menu for the forthcoming week on the information board. It is also our policy to write what your child/children have eaten and the time that they ate in their diaries. We realise that some parents prefer to discuss this verbally; therefore each family will be informed according to their individual preference.

As the foundations for good health and eating patterns are laid in the early years, i make it my duty to encourage good habits. We eat together at the table and make meals a social time. My food is home made, using fresh products that are in season, usually organic and fair-trade. We only drink water during and between meals, except for our afternoon snack when we have either a hot chocolate or a fruit juice, depending on the time of the year. I offer healthy snacks such as oat cakes, rice cakes, or breadsticks with fruit. The biscuits provided for the afternoon snack often come from France, which makes them extra special and introduces a cultural element. I give good quality chocolate to children as occasional treats and i would like to discourage parents/ carers from giving children unhealthy food such as crisps, sweets, gums, lollypops fizzy or soft drinks to bring to our setting.

As part of our investment in their future, I aim at developing children’s interest in food and cooking for themselves. Not only do they help with food preparation on a daily basis, they also take part in a weekly cooking activity when they prepare, from scratch, something to take home. They have a huge variety of starters, main courses and desserts from cuisines from around the world to choose from and show you that there is more to children’s cooking than baking fairy cakes… Now, there is something for gourmets to look forward to!