Diet and Nutrition at Dee’s Childcare

Did you know?

Children start learning about food at a very early age. The messages they receive during this time lay the foundation for the choices they make about food as they move up to school and beyond.

With more than one in five children overweight or obese as they start their school reception year, it’s never been more important to help them get a healthy start in life.

We have registered for The Mayor's Healthy Early Years London (HEYL) programme, an awards scheme that supports and recognises achievements in child health, wellbeing and development in early years settings.

This guide was developed to assist early years providers, practitioners and parents to meet the Early Years Foundation Stage requirement for the provision of healthy, balanced and nutritious food and drink.

Encouraging children to eat well and learn about food in their early years not only protects their health as they grow but also lays the foundation for their future health and well-being.

Our Food Provision

We serve healthy, balanced and nutritious foods to encourage energetic, healthy and happy children in our daycare. All meals are prepared in-house from our weekly plant-based menus and served as follows:

● 7.30 am - 8.45 am Breakfast
● 10.30 am - 11.00 am Morning Snack
● 12.30 pm - 1.30 pm Lunch
● 4.00 pm - 4.45 pm Afternoon Snacks

Meal Charges (Government Funded Hours)

For children attending on Government Funded hours, Meals will also be charged at the following rate:

● Breakfast - £2.00
● Morning Snack - £2.00
● Lunch - £3.00
● Afternoon Snack - £2.60
● Dinner - £3.00

Our Menus & Nutrition Approach

Our varied plant-based menus provide your child with a range of nutritious foods that support a healthy, balanced diet and the energy they need for a busy day of play, learning and development.

We are proud to offer a morning snack, a balanced lunch, and a nutritious, fun afternoon snack, too.

Our menus are carefully planned to be inclusive, offering dairy-free, gluten-free, and nut-free options to ensure all children are well-catered for.

Forest Childcare & Food Growing

Furthermore, through our Forest Childcare provision, children have the unique opportunity to grow their own food in our allotment and backyard vegetable garden.

This provides them with hands-on knowledge of sustainable eating and a deeper connection to the source of their food.

Cultural Diversity & Food

At Dee’s Childcare, we prioritise healthy eating and cultural diversity within our setting. We are committed to exposing our children to healthy, organically grown options while celebrating a wide range of cultural traditions through food.

During significant cultural events such as Nubian History Month, Chinese New Year, Diwali, and Eid, we update our menus to include authentic dishes from these regions.

This provides the children with a wonderful opportunity to experience and appreciate global flavours as part of their early development.

International Evening

In addition to our seasonal menus, we host an annual International Evening.

We warmly invite parents to participate by bringing food and drinks to share and wearing traditional clothing from their home countries to share with our community.

It is always a highlight of our year and a fantastic way to celebrate the diverse backgrounds of our families.

Mealtime Experience

Not only are we exposing the children to healthy options and organic foods, but we are also exposing them to cultural food diversity.

Meals are served family-style, allowing children to develop key skills and food etiquette, such as setting the table, serving themselves, sharing conversation, and clearing away afterwards.

We make every effort to ensure mealtimes are both fun and educational.