Healthy Eating - Happy Children
We will follow healthy eating guidelines as closely as possible. Children are encouraged to try all food. A balance of foods from each food group is offered every day, usually at every meal.

Children will be encouraged to feed themselves as appropriate e.g. babies with finger food from around six months onwards; using a spoon from around twelve months onwards. We will always be there to help though.

Parents' preferred pattern for feeding babies will be adopted, following discussion, wherever possible, taking account of other routines e.g. school runs.

Breakfast: We know life can be hectic in the morning trying to get everyone ready for school, work etc so we will provide children with breakfast if arriving before 8.15a.m.

Lunch: This will be our main meal of the day, please see sample three week menu.

A light snack, such as a sandwich, yoghurt and fruit, will be provided in the afternoon, as we realise parents will want to have their evening meal with their children.

We will try to encourage children to enjoy food and be adventurous, but children’s needs and preferences are taken into account, especially when children are new to our home.

Drinks
Drinks will be offered throughout the day, and are important for your child’s health and ability to concentrate. We will encourage children to ask for a drink but will always make sure that they do drink enough especially if the weather is warm or if they have been running around. We will offer water, milk or watered down fruit juice.

Typical Three Week Lunch-time Menu
Week 1
Monday Corned beef hash
Tuesday Pasta with turkey, cheese sauce and peas
Wednesday Chicken casserole and boiled rice
Thursday Cottage pie with mixed vegetables
Friday Fish pie with broccoli and cauliflower

Week 2
Monday Home-made chicken nuggets, pasta, tomato sauce, peas
Tuesday Turkey casserole with mashed potato
Wednesday Sausage, mash and mixed vegetables
Thursday Vegetable hash (vegetables, potato, tomato-based sauce)
Friday Fish fingers, home-made chips, baked beans

Week 3
Monday Pasta with ham and cheese sauce
Tuesday Beef casserole with mashed potato
Wednesday Home-made pizza fingers with mixed vegetables
Thursday Pasta bolognaise with added vegetables
Friday Tuna fish bake (tuna, potato, parsley sauce, vegetables)

This menu will be adapted for different children, depending on their chewing ability, i.e. food can be pureed or mashed. We think it is important for children to try a variety of different foods but if there is anything on this menu that your child really does not like or cannot eat, please inform us a week in advance if possible so that we can prepare an alternative meal.

We will celebrate different cultural festivals and, on these days, we will provide a meal to reflect the foods eaten by people from those cultures, e.g. to celebrate Chinese New Year we might let the children try Spring Rolls or Chinese-style chicken, but obviously we will take into account the age of your child and their ability to chew food. An alternative meal will be available just in case the food is not liked. If your child has any special favourites, then please let us know and when we change the three week menu, as we will do periodically, we can include your child’s choice.