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Eating a healthy diet plays a crucial part in long- and short-term health. Children need to eat a variety of foods to obtain all the essential nutrients and energy they require to grow.

View our sample menus (PDF file)

These are a few of the guidelines we have been working towards:

• as a general rule serve meat/chicken dishes as well as a vegetarian alternative
• try to serve fresh fruit each day as a snack or dessert
• a good source of calcium - for example, yogurt, fromage frais, milk-based dessert - should also be included if possible
• providing foods containing calcium (such a cheese) as snacks (rather than sugar containing or acidic foods) can help to protect teeth from dental caries
• usually if the main dish is vegetarian, a meat dish should be provided for tea
• quorn and soya are good sources of protein, particularly for vegetarians but not a good source of iron (as is red meat). Iron absorption can be increased from non-meat sources of iron by including a source of vitamin C - for example, fruit, vegetables and juice
• foods high in sugar can be served with a meal but should not be offered as snacks (because of the link between frequency of sugar consumption and dental caries)
• try to include an oily fish once a week as part of a main meal or snack - for example, sardines in tomato sauce on toast, sardine/salmon paste on toast etc

Additional considerations when setting menus:

• Cutlery and crockery must be appropriate to the stage of development for each child regardless of their home room/Key Carer group.
• Level of assistance - Little Learners are not much beyond being a baby and still require high level support. They need very specific equipment - for example, suction plates - while taking the first steps towards eating independence along with the close proximity of staff.
• Texture - chewing must be encouraged and developed therefore texture must be varied. Equally children need to have the opportunity to practice cutting food themselves while managing a knife and a fork for a number of functions. This includes pushing food and lifting food to the mouth without it continually falling from the fork.
• Experiencing individual flavours - sometimes casseroles mask flavours and textures. It's important that some meals are more individually-based and not sauce-based - for example, a piece of fish or chicken, boiled potatoes and another vegetable.
• Clothing should be protected - there must be no expectation that children will remain clean and clothing unsoiled during meal times. Meal times are naturally messy and the level of co-ordination and concentration required for eating, sitting still, sitting in a group, being in the midst of a great deal of activity (food being served, drinks being poured, children requiring assistance) requires enormous "multi-tasking" by the children.