our Nursery & School Club Menu's

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No matter our age what we eat plays a role on our health. What we are given in the first few years of our life continues to influence our food choices throughout childhood and into adulthood.

It is our job as childcare professionals to offer a healthy menu, providing children with regular nutritious meals and snacks to maintain a balance diet.

It is essential to have good nutritious meals across our menus as it helps children's growth and development.

If a child is not provided with a balance nutritional diet, health problems can become an increased risk such as diabetes, obesity, hypertension and coronary heart disease.

When it comes to making menus and meals practitioners should take these points into consideration;

• Appetites
• Portion sizes
• Quantity of meals per day (3 meals per day plus snacks)
• Adequate amount of fluids
• Sugar free snacks (Helps prevent tooth decay)
• Puddings should contain milk and/or fruit
• Low fat or diet products should be avoided
• High fibre food should be limited and can be increased as they grow
• DO NOT add salts to any meals
• Avoid Nuts
• Fruits should be cut correctly to prevent choking. (See image below)

Food to avoid giving to babies;

• Salt
• Sugar
• Honey
• Nuts

Baby weaning should not be started until 6 months as recommended by health professionals this is because breastmilk and formula offers your baby everything they need until that times and a babies digestive systems and kidneys are still developing plus there is an increased chances of allergies and infections.

At first 6-8 months, should have pureed food and some solids, should be offered 2-3 times a day and this should be increased gradually until 9-11 months where it should be 3-4 times a day on solid foods only. It is recommended that foods are introduced individually to check for allergies.

For more info on weaning, recipes and safety head on over to www.nhs.uk/start4life/weaning/

Information above referenced from https://www.publichealth.hscni.net/