“Children learn to feed themselves.” “They say what they like or dislike and are learning to take care of themselves and be independent.” “Children explore different foods, festivals and traditions.”
Ofsted, 2022
All of our meals are freshly prepared and cooked on site by our Nursery Cook. Children attending for a full day will be offered breakfast, lunch & dessert and then Tea in the afternoon. Children attending for half days will receive either breakfast and lunch or Tea, depending on the session. Our timings for meals are as follows:
Breakfast: Served between 8-8:50am. Children can choose from a selection of non-sweetened cereals such a Weetabix, cornflakes, rice Krispies, porridge and toast, with warm or cool milk or water to drink.
Lunch & Dessert: 11:00am for under 2’s/11:30am for 2 years and over. Children are offered freshly prepared, nutritionally balanced quality meals with pescatarian or vegetarian options. Dessert is also freshly prepared and includes a range of low sugar and healthily balanced options. Dessert is not served to babies and children under two.
Tea: Afternoon tea is served at 3.00pm and is a light meal which includes options such as sandwiches, home-made soup, cheese and onion pasties, and salad.
Snacks: A platter of fresh seasonal fruit or vegetable sticks is served to children mid-morning and again towards the late afternoon. Children are offered milk or water to drink.
Babies: We are able to cater for very young babies and will work closely with parents to devise a suitable weaning programme to gradually introduce a wide range of freshly made purees using a variety of fresh vegetables and fruit, and fish (if appropriate), building up towards lumpier textured meals.
The nursery has achieved a Healthy Early Years London award in 2019, which we are proud of and will continue to implement within various strands of our practices to include an ethos around healthy living, as well as healthy eating. Since moving to a pescatarian menu in 2022, we have incorporated healthy alternatives to meat such as soy, pulses and tofu to ensure that children are offered a healthily balanced diet, including the following food groups and ingredients within our menu:
When devising our menu, we pay consideration to the following factors:
Our menu is offered on a two-week rotation throughout the year, with a broad range of dishes to reflect the needs and cultures of the children we cater for. Meals are regularly reviewed to ensure that they remain enjoyable and appealing to the children as well as catering to various dietary and cultural requirements.
Our mealtimes are developed and supported to be pleasant social occasions, where staff will sit down with the children to help them develop a number of important skills, including table manners and engaging in relaxed social conversation, to take any pressure away from children who may be a little anxious or are ‘picky eaters’. We will support the children to eat according to their needs, whilst also encouraging them to develop their independence and physical skills in learning to feed themselves, cutting their own food, dishing out their own meals and even pouring their own water. This not only supports physical development but also encourages their understanding of portion size and when they are full or need more. Our older children are also encouraged to help to tidy up after mealtimes.
| Lunch | Dessert | Afternoon Tea | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Baked potato, cheese & beans | Greek yoghurt & blueberries | Home-made samosas & mint dip Under 2’s: Chickpea crumble |
| Tuesday | Sardine or vegetable ragu with spaghetti | Cheese & grapes | Egg mayo or cheese & cucumber sandwiches |
| Wednesday | Paneer & sweetcorn curry with chapati | Beetroot brownies | Margherita pizza & salad |
| Thursday | Salmon fishcake or vegetable cutlet, green beans & gravy | Fresh fruit salad | Butternut squash soup & breadsticks |
| Friday | Leek & potato pie with steamed vegetables | Tofu & chocolate home-made mousse | Crackers with choice of toppings Under 2’s: Vegetable cous cous |