Meals and nutrition at Cygnets Day Nursery

Everything we want for children – chances to grow, learn, discover, inspire, laugh and love – relies on plenty of good fuel.

We believe that getting children to enjoy healthy food from an early age is the way to help them eat well for the rest of their lives.

Eating healthy food will give your child more energy to do the things they love for longer and helps with their concentration, vital for when they progress to school. We try to teach children from an early age of how to take care of their own physical well being, with what they eat and by physical exercise, playing outside in the fresh air as much as possible.

As you may be aware, it is recommended that we all eat 5 portions of fruit and veg per day. This is the key to a healthy lifestyle which we do our best to promote. One way to get your child to eat certain veg that he may not be keen on, is to let him help prepare the veg as this then encourages an interest in the vegetable, where it came from etc. this makes the veg more interesting. It is also a good idea to let them help choose suitable healthy food when doing the supermarket shop as this encourages an interest in the right sort of food.

Fresh water is available throughout the session for the children to help themselves whenever they are thirsty.

Meals

We believe that it is essential that children understand the importance of eating healthily and looking after themselves. We do this through everyday practice. Children wash their hands before eating and children’s teeth are cleaned after meals with parents’ agreement; older children are encouraged to clean their own teeth under supervision.

Our Policies and Procedures ensure that the health and safety of the children are paramount at all times.

Menu

Meals are cooked daily on the nursery premises using fresh fruit and vegetables by our chef and provide a healthy and nutritious diet for the children. We have a policy of no added salt and minimal sugar. Our menus are nutritionally balanced and are based on a three week rotating menu.

Special diets can be catered for as well as weaning foods. A sample menu can be viewed by clicking on this link. Breakfast, lunch and tea can all be provided and catered for.

Snack times

Milk, fruit juice or water plus fresh fruit, dried fruit or fromage frais are a sample of what is offered to the children at snack time.

Water is available at all times and the children are encouraged to drink regularly, each child having their own recognisable beaker with their name on.

Babies bring in their own bottle feeds, then weaning foods are made up at the nursery by our on-site chef according to each child’s requirements.