Nursery nutrition and mealtimes policy

At The University of Dundee Nursery Limited we believe that mealtimes should be happy, social occasions for children and staff alike. We promote shared, enjoyable positive interactions at these times.

For The University of Dundee Nursery Ltd healthy eating is a huge responsibility and we want to ensure that everything the children eat is of the best quality, the menus are balanced, and the children enjoy their food.

All our meals are designed accordance with “Setting the Table”, “Eatwell” and “Food Matters”. Eating well is essential for children in their early years. All these guidance celebrates the many ways in which early learning and childcare (ELC) settings are supporting children to have positive eating experiences and enjoy well-balanced, nutritious food. It is a resource that highlights examples of good practice from across the ELC sector and is intended to be practical, inspirational and support improvement.

As much food as is practicable is fresh and sourced locally and we are always happy to meet you to discuss specific dietary requirements.

We aim to provide a healthy balanced diet, at snack time the children are offered a selection of fruit, vegetables, breadsticks and crackers and children have access to water throughout the day.

During meals and snacks we discuss the importance of healthy eating and encourage the children to independently select when they would like a snack and to pour their own drinks.

Breakfast is served at 9:30 am and children can choose a variety of cereals, toast, fruit and a choice of fruit juice, milk, or water.  A hot lunch is provided at 11:30. Last meal is served around 2:30 p.m. All meals are made from the beginning at nursery by passionate cook with use a lot of herbs and sugar and salt free.

“Healthy eating is not just what we put on the plate. It is about education the children and giving them the knowledge and independence to make healthy choices that will leave them in good stead for the future.”

We are committed to offering children healthy, nutritious, and balanced meals and snacks which meet individual needs and requirements.

We will ensure that:

• Children attending for full days will receive a healthy and balanced diet consisting of morning and afternoon snack and a freshly home cooked 2 course lunch.
• Menus are planned, rotated regularly, and reflect cultural diversity and variation. These are displayed for children and parents to view
• We provide nutritious food at all snack and mealtimes, avoiding large quantities of fat, sugar, salt and artificial additives, preservatives, and colourings
• Menus include at least 3 servings of fresh fruit and vegetables per day
• Parents and children are involved in menu planning
• Fresh drinking water is always available and accessible. It is frequently offered to children and babies and intake is monitored. In hot weather staff will encourage children to drink more water to keep them hydrated
• Individual dietary requirements are respected. We gather information from parents regarding their children’s dietary needs, including any special dietary requirements, preferences, and food allergies that a child has and any special health requirements, before a child starts or joins the nursery. Where appropriate we will carry out a risk assessment in the case of allergies and work alongside parents to put into place an individual dietary plan for their child
• We give careful consideration to seating to avoid cross contamination of food from child to child. Where appropriate an adult will sit with children during meals to ensure safety and minimise risks. Where appropriate, age/stage discussions will also take place with all children about allergies and potential risks to make them aware of the dangers of sharing certain foods
• Staff show sensitivity in providing for children’s diets and allergies. They do not use a child’s diet or allergy as a label for the child, or make a child feel singled out because of her/his diet or allergy
• Meal and snack times are organised so that they are social occasions in which children and staff participate in small groups. During meals and snack times children are encouraged to use their manners and say 'please' and 'thank you' and conversation is encouraged
• Staff use meal and snack times to help children to develop independence through making choices, serving food and drink, and feeding themselves. Staff support children to make healthy choices and understand the need for healthy eating
• Any child who shows signs of distress at being faced with a meal he/she does not like will have his/her food removed without any fuss. If a child does not finish his/her first course, he/she will be offered toast before offered a helping of dessert
• Children not on special diets are encouraged to eat a small piece of everything
• Children who refuse to eat at the mealtime are offered food later in the day
• Children are given time to eat at their own pace and not rushed
• Quantities offered take account of the ages of the children being catered for in line with recommended portion sizes for babies and young children
• We promote positive attitudes to healthy eating through play opportunities and discussions
• The nursery provides parents with daily written records of feeding routines for all children under two.
• No child is ever left alone when eating/drinking to minimise the risk of choking
• We will sometimes celebrate special occasions such as birthdays with the occasional treat of foods such as cake, sweets or biscuits. These will be given at mealtimes to prevent tooth decay and not spoil the child’s appetite
• We do allow parents to bring in cakes on special occasions (shop bought only). We ensure that all food brought in from parents meets the above and health and safety requirements and ingredients that are listed within the Food Information (Scotland) Regulations 2014 and detailed in the allergens policy and procedure
• All staff who prepare and handle food are competent to do so and receive training in food hygiene which is updated every three years
• In the very unlikely event of any food poisoning affecting two or more children on the premises, whether this may arise from food offered at the nursery, we will inform the Care Inspectorate as soon as reasonably practical and in all cases within 14 days. We will also inform the relevant health agencies and follow any advice given. 

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