August Policy of the month

Food and Drink Policy

Here at Canterbury Road Day Nursery we believe that nutritious and well-balanced meals will help the children in our care to grow and develop. At meal and snack times we aim to provide nutritious food which meets the children’s individual dietary needs. We also recognise the importance of positive experiences surrounding food, therefore food is used as part of play and exploration. 

On the child’s settling in sessions, the Room Leader or practitioner will discuss with the child’s parent or carer the child’s dietary needs, including any allergies they may have. This information will be logged and signed by the parent or carer and the practitioner. 

All dietary needs are recorded and kept in the child’s individual developmental record, located in the office. 

Health Care Review’s will be completed on a regular basis and monitored by the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Co-Ordinators and Nursery Manager. 

All parents must inform us in writing, if their child’s dietary needs change. 

Menu numbers are also completed on a weekly basis, practitioners note any allergies in a dietary section, and this is presented to the kitchen. 

When the kitchen practitioners deliver food to children with dietary requirements, it must be served on a red tray and the allergy record sheet must be signed by both the kitchen and room practitioner. 

All information regarding any special diet will be passed on to Nursery Management and the kitchen staff, and discuss how we can cater for the individual child’s needs. 

A risk assessment will be completed by the Nursery Manager, Deputy Manager, Room Leader, Chef and parent if deemed necessary. These risk assessments will be updated regularly or as the child’s allergies of dietary requirements alter. 

We plan the menus on a seasonally, involving the children and parents in this process. 

Each week’s menus are displayed in the reception area and base rooms. This ensures that parents and carers are able to check the planned meals each day. 

A record of each child’s meals, including snack and fluid intake is logged on individual Daily Dairies. The Key Person will feedback to the parent or carer at the end of each day, this discussion includes how each child has eaten.  

We provide nutritious, delicious and healthy meals here at the nursery, avoiding large quantities of fat, sugar and salt and colourings or preservatives.

We strive to include foods from the diets of each of the children’s cultural backgrounds, to enable us to provide familiar foods and introduce new foods to the children. We complete a cultural monitoring form every six months to ensure that we are celebrating all cultures. Each month the nursery celebrates International Day, providing the children with an opportunity to try foods from a different country. 

Mealtimes and snack times are relaxed, social events, where possible practitioners will sit with their own group of key children. Practitioners act as role models during mealtimes and are encouraged to sit and eat with the children. 

The children are aided to develop their independence through making choices, serving food and drink themselves.

The nursery provides the children with utensils which are appropriate for their age and stage of development and take into account the eating practises in their culture.

Food is never used as a punishment or reward within the nursery.

The practitioners here at the nursery always encourage the children to try a wide variety of foods.

Fresh water is available at all times at nursery.

Parents and carers of babies attending the nursery must bring in their child’s own sealed tins of formula, to be made up as necessary by the nursery staff, as outlined by the Department of Health. Parents and carers will need to sign a consent form on induction to the nursery where necessary.

Practitioners will work together with parents at the weaning stage from milk to solid foods. A weaning information pack is available to support parents and carers.

During our regular staff meeting, any child with any dietary requirements or allergies will be discussed to ensure all practitioners are aware of changes to their dietary needs. Memos will also be used to inform practitioners of changes to child’s individual needs. 

Questionnaires are provided to parents and carers to ensure that we include their views and the views of each child. 

Meals for children receiving Government Funding

From September 2017, in line with the Government Funding policies the option of funded children bringing a packed lunch to nursery will be introduced.

To ensure that we maintain the promotion of healthy lifestyles for children within nursery, packed lunches must include the following:

• At least one portion of fruit and one portion of vegetables each day
• Meat, fish or other source of non-dairy protein (e.g. lentils, kidney beans, chickpeas or hummus) every day.
• A starchy food such as any type of bread, pasta, rice, couscous, noodle, potatoes or other type of cereal every day. 
• Dairy food such as milk, cheese, yoghurt, fromage frais or custard every day.

Please note that water will provided at nursery, please do not provide drinks for your child. 

Packed lunches should not include:

• Snacks such as crisps. Instead include seeds, vegetables and fruits (with no added salt, sugar or fat). Savoury crackers or breadsticks served with fruit, vegetables or dairy food are also a good choice.
• Confectionary such as chocolate bars, chocolate coated biscuits and sweets. Cakes and biscuits are allowed, but encourage your child to eat these only as part of a balanced meal. 
• Meat products such as sausage rolls, individual pies, corned meat and sausages.

We understand that some children have special diets and will therefore help to support parents to create a packed lunch which is nutritionally balanced, taking into account the individual child’s needs. 

For pack lunch recipe ideas please visit

http://www.childrensfoodtrust.org.uk/childrens-food-trust/parents/

This policy was adopted on	Signed on behalf of the nursery	Date disseminated to staff	Review Date
2009	Natalie Bignell	2009	19.07.13
2009	Melanie Bolger	02.09.2013	02.09.2013
2009	Melanie Bolger	24.11.2014	24.11.2014
2009	Natalie Bignell	06.10.2015	05.10.2015
2009	Natalie Bignell	21.04.2016	21.04.2016
2009	Natalie Bignell	18.07.2016	17.07.2016
2009	Natalie Bignell	15.12.2016	15.12.2016
2009	Natalie Bignell	09.03.2017	09.03.2017