It is especially significant when we consider that the majority of a child’s daily nutritional intake is had in a childcare setting and that many parents and children (especially from low-income households) rely on nursery meals as one of the main daily sources of nutrition and sustenance throughout the week.
Hitting the nutritional mark is crucial for obvious reasons, but also to ensure that a child’s energy and concentration levels are maximised throughout the day – to stave off those dreaded meltdowns!
Beyond the nutritional significance of the nursery menu, I’ve always considered school lunches and meals to be an opportunity to get fussy eaters to try something new as they are much more likely to eat something if their friends are tucking in! Introducing a variety of foods at nursery offers the opportunity for food exploration, and adventurous, independent eating away from the gaze of their parents.
It’s for that reason that I have tirelessly sought to create different, exciting ways to get children engaged, exploring, and eating at mealtimes.
Here are what I believe to be the top ten key factors to consider when catering in a childcare setting:
MENU PLANNING
Understandably so, a chief concern of nursery’s is how to devise affordable, nutritious, and delicious menus that have that magical (and often elusive) ingredient of ‘child appeal.’ To achieve this, we advise developing a three-week rotating menu to ensure variety. These menus must of course be allergen safe and ideally include plant-based options and other special dietary requirements. Recipes should be clearly labelled with relevant dietary specifications i.e. vegetarian, dairy-free, egg-free etc.
VEGAN/VEGETARIAN MENUS
With vegan and vegetarian diets on the rise it’s important to cater to all types of dietary requirements. While first foods are usually made up of fruit and vegetables, it’s important to introduce foods that are rich in protein and iron from around six months (which would usually be meat, chicken and fish especially oily fish like salmon).
Nurseries should ensure that foods such as tofu or beans and pulses, dairy products, eggs, green leafy vegetables (i.e. broccoli, spinach) and fortified breakfast cereals are incorporated into vegetarian menus.
In order for children to absorb iron, non-meat sources of iron such as lentils need to be combined with vitamin C. So, provide vitamin C rich fruits such as strawberries in the same meal offered to children on a vegetarian diet. If a child is on a meat-free diet, they’ll need two or three portions of vegetable protein to ensure that they are getting enough protein and iron. Looking for meal substitutes is always a good option to introduce variety to a child’s diet while doing your bit for the environment. However, you have to be mindful, especially in a nursery setting, as often alternatives are laden with excess salt and additives.
FLEXITARIAN
It’s not just vegetarian diets that are on the rise, more and more families are taking the flexitarian route and opting for plant-based options where they can.
In a childcare setting it’s important not to make children who have special dietary requirements feel different from their peers. It’s for exactly this reason that we developed a range of finger foods made with pea protein and vegetables that we make specifically for young children. Rich in protein and iron and low in salt and fat, these delicious treats are allergen-free and inclusive to all children regardless of their dietary needs. In fact, we developed them so that you wouldn’t even be able to detect that they are plant based at all! They look and taste just like chicken nuggets or meatballs …The way we eat is changing as more and more families are becoming flexitarian, so I think it’s important to reflect this in a nursery setting. However, it is also important to be aware that many plant-based options on the market are high in salt and saturated fat, so it’s important to always read the label and choose wisely!
INVOLVING CHILDREN IN PREPARATION
Between the ages of three and five, children will start to display enhanced common sense and the ability to follow and execute clear instructions. This is the perfect time to introduce them to the wonders of cooking and let them help prepare meals by weighing and measuring ingredients (all the while honing their maths skills in the process!)
Encouraging them to take an active interest in what they’re eating is essential for their general health and wellbeing. Particularly if you have a fussy eater, as they’re far more likely to eat something that they have prepared themselves than something that is put in front of them.
So, why not get children to make wraps or choose their own veggie toppings for pizzas at nursery? You’ll be surprised by how the smallest gesture can make the biggest difference to their attitude to food and eating!
VARIETY & CONSISTENCY OF MENU QUALITY
By developing strong and versatile menus, you will set children up with a healthy appetite and attitude to food in both the present and future. A strong menu will incorporate a range of produce, tastes, and cultural variety. By introducing variety young it will help little one’s expand their palates and reduce the likelihood of them developing fussy eating later on in life. It’s key to note that it’s really important to ensure consistency in menus and quality across nursery chains, as parents want to be reassured that the food on offer remains at a high standard and that they know what to expect.
HITTING NUTRITIONAL GUIDELINES
Considering that children receive a high proportion of their nutritional intake in a nursery setting, it makes it all the more important to not only hit those targets but understand what a child’s needs actually are. There are many necessary vitamins and nutrients to aid little ones’ growth and development. For example, knowing that Vitamin C is crucial for helping children absorb iron will help you develop an effective and balanced menu.
Iron deficiency is the most common nutritional deficiency in young children and without the aid of Vitamin C, it is difficult to absorb from plant-based foods. It also helps strengthen their immunity during the formative years, and since a child’s growing body can’t produce Vitamin C on its own, it’s crucial that as a nursery you ensure that a child gets enough Vitamin C by eating a wide variety of fruits and vegetables every day. As well as the obvious like oranges and berries, other sources include tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, and kiwi.
Omega 3s are also very important for everyone but especially for growing children. Omega-3s found in oily fish help children’s brain and eye development and have been shown to improve bone and joint health, especially in growing children.
National guidelines advise that children should eat at least two portions of fish per week, one of which should be oily fish. So it is important to incorporate this nutrient powerhouse into weekly menus at nurseries!
WINNNG OVER FUSSY EATERS IN NURSERIES
Most children go through a phase of fussy eating. In fact, 90 per cent of children go through at least one lengthy stage of fussy eating. While it can be frustrating when a child rejects the food we give them, it’s actually the way that we deal with the situation that impacts on their eating habits. Only giving them the foods they enjoy will only escalate their fussiness, and deprive them of the essential nutrients they need to grow and develop.
To manage fussy eaters in a childcare setting, I would advise making healthy versions of fast-food favourites. Also, without going to unnecessary lengths, try making the food not only taste good but look good too – as it is true that children eat with their eyes!
SOURCING INGREDIENTS, CUTTING WASTAGE AND WORKING TO A BUDGET
We are what we eat so it’s important that nurseries provide quality ingredients such as meat from animal welfare accredited suppliers. Many parents and children (especially from low-income households) rely on their school lunch as one of the main daily sources of nutrition and sustenance throughout the week so it’s important that quality ingredients are used in a childcare setting.
But quality ingredients don’t have to cost an arm and a leg. Incorporating cheaper, healthy products such as seasonal and local fruit and veg and pulses and lentils is a good way to up the nutritional factor while keeping in mind finances. Beans and pulses are fantastic as they are so versatile, affordable and they are packed with nutrients including iron, protein, and zinc to name a few, and they also count towards your five-a-day. Frozen food is a must when it comes to reducing wastage, working to a budget, and making food last longer. Plus, frozen fruit and veg are often cheaper and more nutritious as they’re picked and harvested at their peak with all that goodness locked in.
UNDERSTANDING HOW TO CATER FOR FOOD ALLERGIES
Childhood food allergies seem to be on the increase, so nurseries need to cater to this concern that is affecting more and more children. It’s important to note that food allergies are more common among babies and children from families with a history of food allergy, as well as with children who suffer from eczema.
So, having information on a child’s family medical history could be really crucial to preventing severe allergic reactions. All menus should be clearly designed with allergen information, and available online to allow parents and staff to view them. Staff should be trained in first aid procedures, and there should always be a functioning EpiPen to hand.
ENSURING FOOD IS SAFE AND FREE FROM CHOKING HAZARDS
Chopping is instrumental when it comes to choking! The way you cut food makes all the difference when it comes to avoiding choking hazards. For example, carrots cut into rounds can be a serious choking hazard, whereas batons of steamed carrots make for a much safer option. Likewise, large, whole strawberries are easy for young children to manage but smaller strawberries would need to be cut into halves or quarters to avoid choking.
It should also be acknowledged that children should at no point be left alone while eating.
I always encourage all caregivers to become familiar with first aid procedures for babies and children. Check out the Red Cross or NHS websites which have step-by-step training videos or ask your GP or health visitor about first aid courses nearby.
More information
Find out more about Annabel Karmel’s consultancy and catering operation designed for nurseries and primary schools, by emailing Annabel at:
Try these Annabel Karmel recipesCottage Pie (suitable for freezing)
Cottage Pie
Everyone loves a good cottage pie and mine has six different vegetables blended into the sauce and a creamy sweet potato and potato topping. You can boost the protein and lower the cost by adding in some red lentils ….
15g sunflower oil
350g onions, chopped
175g carrots, diced
50g red pepper, diced
75g brown mushroom, diced
75g butternut squash, diced
5g garlic, crushed
500g minced beef
75g red lentils
600mls beef stock
100g chopped tomatoes
50g tomato puree
20g Worcestershire sauce
15g soy sauce
2 heaped teaspoons dried thyme
2 bay leaves
5g cornflour
1kg peeled potatoes, diced
200g peeled sweet potatoes, diced
20g butter
100mls milk
Heat the oil in a saucepan. Add the onions, carrot, pepper, mushrooms, squash and fry for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and fry for 30 seconds
Add the beef and brown with the vegetables. Add the remaining ingredients except the cornflour.
Bring up to the boil and simmer for 40 minutes covered with a lid.
Mix the cornflour with 2 tbsp of water. Add to the sauce and stir to thicken. Pour into serving dishes and remove the bay leaves.
Boil the potatoes in boiling water in separate pans for about 15 minutes. Drain and mash and mix with the milk and butter. Spread over the cottage pie and bake in the oven.
Makes 14
Chicken and Veggie Bites (suitable for freezing)
A nutritious alternative to chicken nuggets . We make a whole range of finger foods especially for little children. Chicken thigh contains twice the amount of iron as the breast .
250g minced chicken thigh
60g red pepper, finely diced
60g carrot, grated
60g onion, finely chopped
50g dessert apple, grated
30g parmesan cheese, grated
60g panko breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon dried sage
5g garlic puree
Pre heat the oven to 200 Fan. Measure the ingredients into a food processor. Whiz together until well blended. Shape into 30g round bites. Place on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 15 minutes.
Makes 20
