Healthy Eating

It is our policy at Learning Land Nursery to promote healthy eating to the children attending.

We will achieve this by:

· Providing a freshly cooked, healthy and low in salt balanced nutritious meal at lunch time and tea time.

· Vegetables are always a part of the balanced meal.

· Fresh fruit is always available for the children and is incorporated into most of our desserts.

· Wholemeal toast is offered to the children at morning snack.

· Children have access to fresh drinking water at all times throughout the day.

· We try to provide at least 3 out of 5 portions of fruit or vegetables per day.

· Fresh milk or milk shake is offered as a choice to the children at snack  times.

· We do not use salt when cooking for the children.

· We always oven bake rather that fry our food.

· Health requirements and special dietary needs are always catered for.

· Children are offered an alternative if they dislike the meal offered.

· All our meals are homemade and do not contain any processed foods.

· Diluted fresh fruit juices are offered as a choice at lunch and tea times.

· We always encourage parents who are breastfeeding to continue if they wish by expressing and freezing breast milk.

· We have healthy snack lists which are used to ensure the children are offered a wide variety of multi-cultural snacks.

Naturally we need help from the parents and carers to maintain a healthy diet for children. As a setting we do what we can but without the help of parents and carers we will not be successful.

The children enjoy eating their healthy lunches. We place an emphasis on providing children with the skills and knowledge they require to lead happy and healthy lives, but to be also independent and self-assured in this learning experience of meal times! The children are encouraged to wash their own hands, pour their own drinks, choose whether they'd like milk or water and wash their hands and faces after they have eaten. Meal times are an excellent, valuable learning experience for socialisation and independence.