Nutrition
Here in KinderCrescent we know how important your child’s diet is to you in relation to healthy eating & nutrition. Keeping this in mind we have devised our own healthy eating policy and menu plans catering for all age groups attending our nursery. Our policy and menu plans are devised in conjunction with the HSE food & nutrition guidelines for pre-school services. Here in KinderCrescent we provide meals, which are healthy and nutritious and help to provide children with the energy and nutrients they need. The early years are a great time to encourage children to develop a positive attitude towards food and physical activity and for children to develop good eating habits.
Meals
- Breakfast is served each morning between 7.30am & 8.45am. A selection of healthy cereals, toast and milk are available.
- At 10.15 am a mid-morning snack is served provided by the Nursery, consisting of milk & a selection of healthy snacks.
- At 11.45 – 12.00 noon, a hot nutritious home-cooked meal is served.
- 3.00pm is tea-time, which is provided by parents. As part of our Healthy eating programme, we ask parents not to send in sweets, chocolate, crisps/popcorn, cake/buns etc. – we promote healthy eating!
- An evening snack is provided : a selection of small healthy snacks and water/milk
- Drinks and small snacks are available throughout the day.
Our Menus
We offer a variety of menus catering for all age groups that attend our nursery.
Toddlers to pre-schoolers
Well-balanced and nutritious meals are provided for our busy toddlers up to our energetic pre-school children. We offer a five-week menu plan which weekly features a fish dish and our famous chicken curry a firm favourite with all the children. A variety of foods is selected from each of the four main food groups every day.
- Bread, cereals, rice, pasta and potatoes
- Fruit and vegetables
- Milk and dairy foods
- Meat, fish and alternatives
After schoolers
Our busy After-schoolers are provided with a hot lunch daily on arrival from primary school. Our chef has devised an age-appropriate menu plan to cater for their varying likes. This includes a five-week menu plan, including dishes requested by our After-schoolers such as chicken & pasta, lasagne & chicken curry to name but a few.
All meals are freshly prepared daily by our in-house chefs, Hazel & Lorraine. Our kitchens are HACCP compliant. We use fresh produce, and all meats are fresh each day from our local butchers.
Activities
- Healthy eating is promoted through an arrangement of activities for the children including play, stories, music, outings, cookery etc.
- Baking and cooking are weekly activities carried out in the nursery weekly, here we encourage healthy eating through a fun activity, you may even get a taster sent home for you.
- Mealtimes are a social activity our staff sit with the children and encourage good eating habits, table manners, conversation, and discussion we share our news, talk about where food comes from and chat among the group. The children help to set the table with tablecloths, place mats and they often love to decorate the table with a flower or two! Our aim is to develop a positive approach to mealtimes.
- Our staff encourage the children to self-feed, a messy but exciting time for all children.
Our Specific Dietary Requirements
- Here in KinderCrescent we are very aware that some children may suffer from allergies and/ or food intolerances. Parents of children on special diets will be asked to provide as much information as possible about suitable foods. Clearly named lists will be posted in the kitchen. Cultural diversity will be respected. Parents are requested to give staff details of foods allowed and not allowed.
