Here at Halesowen Day Nursery we provide a healthy balanced diet for all of our children. We have a standard menu and then there are separate menus for babies under the age of one and children with any allergy or cultural dietary requirements.
Our nursery chef prepares and cooks all meals and snacks freshly, on-site, on a daily basis, and as a team, we maintain our Gold Healthy Eating Award and 5* Food Hygiene Rating. We work with the Safer Food, Better Business Initiative and are subject to regular checks from The Environmental Health Agency. Fresh fruit is served with toast and cereal for breakfast and a hot meal and a dessert is provided for each child at lunchtime. Morning snack consists of fruit and/or vegetables and in the afternoon a more substantial snack/tea is offered.
Water is accessible all day for all children and milk is given at snack time. All meals and snacks are indicated on our three-week rotational menu which is available for you to download below – this is also accessible on the kitchen door at nursery.
Mealtimes are social occasions and a time where friendships are nourished. We also view them as a learning opportunity (as we do every part of the day). Children are supported to explore food with their senses, feed themselves, use appropriate cutlery, chat to friends and carers, encourage one another and discuss the flavours and textures in their food and its journey from farm to fork. We use a very successful self-serve system with our older children which encourages independence and autonomy and gives the children an awareness of potion control sharing quantities and also lots of opportunities to practice their fine motor skills with scooping and pouring. Children are motivated to adopt a healthy eating attitude through all of the above and additional planned activities about the food that they eat.
Routine feeding times for the younger babies are adhered to and parental requests are always taken into account.