We use seasonal and local produce to ensure that our menu provides
more than half a child’s daily nutrition requirements.
more than half a child’s daily nutrition requirements.
At Grow Early Education it is our priority to work with families to support and encourage healthy eating for children in our care. Our centre menus, prepared by professionally qualified Chefs are age and development appropriate and include a wide variety of nutritious food of different tastes and textures consistent with the Australian Dietary Guidelines. We use seasonal and local produce and ensure that our menus provide more than half a child’s daily nutrition requirements.
What if my child has Special Dietary Needs?
Some children may have very specific food requirements due to allergies/food intolerances, their cultural background or other family preferences. We work in consultation with all families to make sure individual children’s needs are met as part of our menu planning process.
Mealtimes provide an important opportunity for children to develop good eating habits and learn about nutrition and food variety. They are also an important time for social interaction with other children and adults.
Mealtimes provide an important opportunity for children to develop good eating habits and learn about nutrition and food variety. They are also an important time for social interaction with other children and adults.
Our Educators adopt meal time strategies to teach children about good nutrition. These include;
Involving children in creating a healthy menu.
Encouraging younger children and toddlers to talk about healthy food choices.
Providing children with opportunities to eat food and engage in the mealtime routines of different cultures.
Talking with children about nutritious food during mealtimes. Our Educators also model healthy eating practices for children.
Making sure mealtimes are pleasant occasions, where children and staff can socialise with each other.
Good nutrition is necessary for the active growth and development that takes place in early childhood. Good eating habits and a well-balanced diet support children’s health and wellbeing, and minimise the risk of illness. Eating habits developed in the early years are likely to have a lifelong influence.’
(Get up and Grow: Healthy Eating and Physical activity for Early childhood 20. 2013 Dept. of Health. Aust. Government)
A healthy diet is essential for good physical health
It is important that we encourage and support children to develop a positive attitude towards making healthy food choices from a young age. A healthy diet is essential for good physical health, protection against a number of diseases, maintaining and increasing our energy levels, and assisting our mental health and brain function, including staying alert and thinking more clearly.
Promoting excellent health and nutrition
At Grow Early Education, we recognise the important role we have in promoting healthy eating and good food choices to the children in our care.
We do this by using the following strategies:
We do this by using the following strategies:
Engaging children in activities based around creating healthy menus and cooking experiences with our Chefs.
Promoting mealtime routines and foods from different cultures, to expand children’s experience with different foods.
Engaging in conversations about nutritious food and making healthy food choices with children during mealtimes.
Modelling healthy eating practices and leading by example during mealtimes.
Making mealtimes happy, social and pleasant occasions, where conversations around healthy food choices and nutrition are encouraged.
Promoting ‘Paddock to Plate’ by growing a range of delicious vegetables, herbs and fruits in our gardens, which the children help to grow and harvest to use in our centre meals.
What if my child has special dietary requirements?
During your enrolment process, our enrolment team will ensure any specific food requirements due to allergies, food intolerances, cultural background, or other family preferences are noted and communicated to the centre. We work in consultation with you during the meal planning process to ensure your child’s individual dietary requirements are met at all times.
Nutritious meals included in your daily childcare fee
As part of our dedication to providing the very best childcare and early education, we provide nutritious meals as part of our daily fee. Our chefs carefully design our menus to ensure they include more than half a child’s daily nutrition requirements, are developmentally appropriate, and are rich in a variety of textures and tastes. This promotes positive attitudes towards good food choices. These meals are prepared by our professionally qualified chefs in our centre kitchens daily. We ensure our menus are seasonable, and we use only the freshest of produce at all times.
