Meals served in the Centre meet children‘s nutritional needs in a healthy, attractive way and are appropriate to the child’s religion, culture and any special dietary needs.
Nutrition, Healthy Eating and Food Experiences
At our nursery, we believe that healthy eating plays a vital role in children’s growth, wellbeing, and development. We provide nutritious, balanced meals throughout the day that meet recognised guidelines for salt and sugar content, calorific intake, and overall nutritional value, ensuring children receive the nourishment they need to thrive. We carefully monitor the use of salt and sugar in all meals and aim to use no more than half of the recommended amount. We also aim not to use genetically modified foods.
All meals provided are pescatarian, which means they include fish, eggs, dairy products and plant-based ingredients, but no meat products. Children are offered a variety of fish such as cod, tuna and salmon, alongside meat alternatives including Quorn products and vegetarian mince, ensuring a balanced and varied diet.
As part of our provision, we offer:
- Breakfast snack at approximately 8:30am, including a choice of toast or cereal. This is intended as a light snack and not a replacement for a full breakfast at home.
- Lunch at approximately 11:30am, consisting of a main course and dessert.
- Light tea at approximately 2:45pm, including a savoury option and fresh fruit.
- Healthy afternoon snack at approximately 5:00pm.
- Fresh fruit, milk and water, with drinks available throughout the day.
Children have continuous access to fresh drinking water. Older children use individually labelled drinking bottles, while our youngest children have individually labelled non-spill cups that can be accessed throughout the day.
Our menus are carefully planned in partnership with our cook, staff, children and families. We value the views and contributions of our nursery community and welcome suggestions when reviewing and developing our menus. Menus are planned in advance on a four-week cycle and are adapted throughout the year using Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter menu rotations to reflect seasonal produce and variety.
Copies of our menus and allergen information are displayed in each play area, in our vestibule and on FAMLY, ensuring families are fully informed about the meals being provided.
We work closely with families to ensure that all medically required dietary needs, food allergies and intolerances are safely accommodated. Children requiring dietary adaptations will be fully supported. As a pescatarian nursery, children without medical dietary requirements are expected to follow the menu provided.
For babies under 12 months, meals are carefully adapted to their individual stage of weaning and developmental needs, which are always discussed and agreed with parents. We are also committed to supporting breastfeeding families. If you wish to continue breastfeeding whilst your child attends nursery, you are warmly welcome to use our comfortable Parent Pod.
Celebrating Culture Through Food and Learning
We recognise and celebrate the rich diversity of our nursery community and thoughtfully incorporate foods, traditions and experiences from a wide range of cultures into both our menus and curriculum. Through tasting experiences, cooking activities, celebrations, stories and discussions, children are introduced to foods from around the world, helping them develop an appreciation of different cultures, customs and family traditions.
Children are encouraged to explore a variety of tastes, textures and ingredients, supporting adventurous eating habits and positive attitudes towards trying new foods. These experiences help children develop respect for different lifestyles and an understanding that every family is unique and valued.
Our learning environments reflect this commitment to inclusion. Home corner resources, role-play experiences, books, utensils, dressing-up clothes and cultural artefacts are carefully selected to represent diverse cultures, backgrounds and family experiences. Through these everyday opportunities, children develop a strong sense of belonging whilst learning about the wider world around them.
Learning Where Food Comes From
We believe that children should understand and value the journey food takes from seed to plate. Through meaningful, hands-on experiences, children actively participate in planting, growing, caring for and harvesting fruits, vegetables, herbs and flowers within our nursery environment.
By observing plants grow, learning about the changing seasons, watering crops and harvesting produce, children begin to understand the time, care and resources required to produce food. They learn that food should be valued and respected, helping to reduce waste and fostering an appreciation for the natural world.
Children regularly engage in cooking and baking activities where they prepare and enjoy healthy foods together. These experiences help them develop practical life skills, confidence, independence and an understanding of how ingredients are transformed into meals.
Through these experiences, children build healthy lifestyle habits while developing their knowledge of nutrition, sustainability, nature and the environment. We strive to create positive food experiences that nurture children’s physical development, curiosity and wellbeing, while helping them become respectful, responsible and informed members of their community.
Seasonal menus are developed as follows
Menus will cover four weeks; these will be rotated to cover each three-month period.
The provision of meals is appropriate to the number of hours that a child attends the Centre. We offer a snack breakfast around 8:30am. This is not a complete replacement for a full breakfast. Children will be offered milk or water to drink. We have lunch at 11:30am, where a main course and a pudding will be offered.
Children have a ‘light’ tea at 2:45pm which comprises of a savoury item and a range of fresh fruit. A healthy snack is provided at 5:00pm. Drinks are provided throughout the day. Children in Bumblebees, Ladybirds, Grasshoppers and Dragonflies have access to fresh water all day, using individually labelled drinking bottles. The children in Caterpillars and Butterflies have individually labelled non-spill drinking cups, which they can access for fresh drinking water when required.
Copy menus are displayed in the individual play areas and on the nutrition display board in our reception area as well as on FAMLY.
We would like to remind all parents that we are a pescatarian nursery. We will work closely will all families to ensure all medical dietary needs will be catered for this includes food allergies and intolerances. If your child does not need any medically required exceptions, then they will be expected to follow the menu that we provide.
Children under 12 months will be offered foods at their level of weaning which will be discussed with parents.
