Food Policy and Menu
We want children at Little Acorns to enjoy both healthy food and healthy lifestyles. This is reflected through our healthy meals, snacks and drinks and also through the use of the outdoors for play, active learning and exercise.
Our healthy food and drink provision will be in line with recommendations made by the Food Standard Agency, we also work from Safer Foods, Better Business for Childminders Guidelines, to shape and lead our food safety standards.
Before starting at Little Acorns, we will gather any relevant information about your child with regards to special dietary needs, health needs, food allergies, preferences, likes and dislikes, and religious or faith rules. We will discuss these specific needs and adapt our menu accordingly so that children are included in the menu provision. For example, there may be a vegetarian alternative.
If you do need to provide food, we will store it appropriately and safely. We would ask that you do not include sweets, chocolate or peanuts in any packed lunch or snacks for health, safety, fairness, and allergy reasons.
Age-appropriate cutlery, plates, bowls, and cups are available, and any cultural traditions will be respected and celebrated. Here, is an example of what a weekly food menu could look like.
We serve our meals with a variety of sweetcorn, cucumber, grapes, avocado, melon, tomatoes, cheese, and fruit. Whilst we have a menu, we adapt this depending on what children are enjoying that day.
Before starting at Little Acorns, we will gather any relevant information about your child with regards to special dietary needs, health needs, food allergies, preferences, likes and dislikes, and religious or faith rules. We will discuss these specific needs and adapt our menu accordingly so that children are included in the menu provision. For example, there may be a vegetarian alternative.
If you do need to provide food, we will store it appropriately and safely. We would ask that you do not include sweets, chocolate or peanuts in any packed lunch or snacks for health, safety, fairness, and allergy reasons.
Age-appropriate cutlery, plates, bowls, and cups are available, and any cultural traditions will be respected and celebrated. Here, is an example of what a weekly food menu could look like.
We serve our meals with a variety of sweetcorn, cucumber, grapes, avocado, melon, tomatoes, cheese, and fruit. Whilst we have a menu, we adapt this depending on what children are enjoying that day.
Fresh drinking water will be available all the time, indoors and outdoors and children will be encouraged to take drinks regularly.
We will ensure that mealtimes are a shared and social time, wherever we are eating. Mealtimes are a special time and children are encouraged to talk, listen well, show good manners, (sit to eat), show respect, and kindness towards each other. This is modelled by the adults sitting alongside the children. |
We display a list of allergens in our setting and prepare food in accordance with these recommendations. Our menu is suggested, however it is subject to adaptations where necessary. This advice applies when we are eating outside on trips or at other settings and this will form part of our risk assessment.
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We follow the rules of food preparation and storage:
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Hand washing is a key feature of the day for young children, after going to the toilet, after playing outside, and before any food handling or eating. We have stories to share about hygiene and the importance of keeping clean. We also make sure that toys, play areas and utensils are cleaned. If there is an outbreak of food poisoning affecting two or more children in the setting then Ofsted will be notified as soon as possible within the 14-day requirement period.
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Breakfast
To start the day, we will provide a breakfast for those who are here. Sometimes children may have breakfast at home before arriving at Little Acorns. We will discuss this with you before you start. Breakfast is an important meal of the day and we aim for it to be a calm start. There is a range of breakfast food available and this will be provided on rotation/preference. Such as toast, rice crispies, weetabix or porridge. |
Snack am.
This will be a shared time when we eat some fruit or vegetables together. It will encourage social relationships and a positive attitude to fresh fruit and vegetables. We might even have a go at something new and introduce a different and exciting taste! We will drink fresh water too, or milk. Children can bring their own water bottles (only water please.) There will always be water available in their cups. |
Lunch
This is made up of a balanced selection of child portions, such as chopped vegetables, salad pieces, skin off and chopped, a carbohydrate such as, pasta, some bread, pitta or crackers with cheese or ham in a variety of recipes, and a yoghurt or fruit. If the children have been involved in the making or baking of food, lunchtime will a good time to share our baking skills with each other. |
Tea
This will a balanced dinner using child sized portions. The children might be a little tired by tea time and we aim for it to be a relaxed and calm affair, with easily managed food. It will include a drink, possibly a pudding for older children. Obviously if you pick your child up earlier they won’t be staying to tea. |
Formula Milk/breastmilk
We always wash our hands when working with the milk and we make sure that we put what we need, for individual children, out on the counter on a clean tea towel. This keeps everything clean. We are happy to sterilise bottles in our microwave. Parents just need to provide us with the formula milk container with the manufacturer’s instruction on the back, so we can read and follow them. You may have formula in a pre-prepared container, please measure this accurately, according to instructions without patting powder down. Never add more than the child needs for their feed. The quantities are always clear. We are happy to have breastmilk that we can put in our freezer to give to your child. We warm it up within a jug full of warm water for your child’s feed. We don’t put the bottle of breastmilk in the microwave to warm up because the temperature of the milk can burn the child’s mouth. |
Adaptations
Sometimes the children will cook their own snack / lunch, or prepare for a shared meal together with some cooking for example making pizzas, assembling a stir fry, baking some bread, making cakes or biscuits, perhaps some cheese straws, bread sticks, a variety of wraps, fruit salad or a soup. They may be involved in the shopping for the ingredients too incorporating shopping and money skills. Sometimes the food will be eaten as part of the meal, or the children might bring this home. Baking and cooking is a great way to introduce children to new flavours, textures and cultures. We will let you know if we are having a themed meal to celebrate a culture, tradition or religious festival. |
Sorting cooked food
When we cook food, there is sometimes left over food. We let the food cool down on the kitchen counter, towards the back, so the children can’t touch the hot tray. When it has cooled down, we find a clippie box, so we can put it in the fridge for the next day, to use with the children.
When we cook food, there is sometimes left over food. We let the food cool down on the kitchen counter, towards the back, so the children can’t touch the hot tray. When it has cooled down, we find a clippie box, so we can put it in the fridge for the next day, to use with the children.
Date: October 2023
Signed: AOkane Date: 20.10.23
Signed: MOkane Date: 20.10.23
Signed: AOkane Date: 20.10.23
Signed: MOkane Date: 20.10.23
Allergy Information
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Intolerance Information
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