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Nurseries - Menu Planning & Recipe Advice

Current Regulation

In January 2012 the School Food Trust introduced a set of Food and Drink guidelines for early years settings in England. The guidelines, whilst currently voluntary, detail how often, how much, and which types of food should be provided for children aged one to five years. It also lists foods and ingredients that need to be limited or avoided for the menu as a whole and for individual meals & snacks

By adopting these guidelines you will help to ensure that the nutritional requirements if children in your care are met.

Since September 2008 it has been mandatory for primary schools to adhere to government regulations for food-based and nutrient-based standards for school meals. These standards became mandatory for secondary schools in September 2009 and there have been calls for nursery food to be regulated in the same way.
Studies have shown that the majority of nurseries are failing to provide menus that meet guidelines, and that there is mounting pressure for the regulation of food served in these establishment
There are many benefits to children eating nutritionally balanced menus:
  • a guarantee that while attending nursery they receive a diet that fulfils their nutritional requirements
  • the encouragement of healthy food choices as they grow
  • better behaviourial aspects-there is significant current interest in whether diet can influence children’s behaviour and ability to learn and concentrate. Overall, research in this area suggests that a good, varied diet is the best way to ensure optimal mental and behavioural performance in children.
  • the promotion of more effective learning - the “Children of the 90’s longitudinal study carried out by the Institute of Education at the University of Bristol, which is following more than 14,000 families with babies born between April 1991 and December 1992, showed that children who ate a diet of “junk” food(high in fat and sugar eg crisps,sweets and fizzy drinks,highly processed food, and takeaways) at the age of three made poorer progress than average at school between the ages of six and ten.

read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/you/article-1225227/Health-notes-The-ABC-healthier-children.html#ixzz1gbmqhcuz

There are manifold benefits to nursery owners in providing nutritionally balanced menus:
  • the ability to reassure parents that, whilst in your care,their child’s nutritional needs are met
  • the promotion of your business as a healthy-eating establishment.
  • the distinct possibility of reduced catering costs
Menu Matters can help
MenuMatters can help by tailoring a package to suit your needs, whether that is a basic menu health check, or a complete menu design service.
Menu Matters can:

 

1. Undertake to check your menus against the guidelines

2. Advise you of any changes that you may need to make

3. Endorse menus with a Certificate of Conformity, and provide literature supporting your menus, to pass on to parents, and to help you respond to queries or comments that you may receive from parents.

 

Furthermore, at your request, we can undertake a  full menu analysis to provide detailed costs, as well as a weekly shopping list thus giving the opportunity to explore ingredient cost savings while improving quality.
onto parents and help you to respond to queries or comments that you get from parents.

 

Are your current nursery menus meeting government guidelines for under-5s? 

 

Menu Matters can enable your nursery to become compliant

How
A full menu analysis can provide detailed costs, as well as a weekly shopping list thus giving the opportunity to explore ingredient cost savings while improving quality.
We can provide literature, supporting your menus to pass onto parents and help you to respond to queries or comments that you get from parents.
Are your current nursery menus meeting government guidelines for under-5s? Menu matters can enable your nursery to become compliant with UK nutritional guidelines:
Menu Matters

STEP 1 - Find out how your food compares to guidelines

Send us your Menus and recipes, we will provide a nutritional analysis and compare it to the guidelines. You will receive a report highlighting where any non conformancies lie and recommendations for changes to recipes or their replacement.
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Graph is a representation of how the results may look

STEP 2 - Work towards achieving guidelines:

Following the implementation of changes from step 1, the menu will be re-assessed. We will work together with you until the perfectly balanced menu has been achieved.
graph1

STEP 3 - Receive a certificate of compliance to assist with Marketing.

A record to prove that menus are fully balanced.
Additional Services
  1. Identify ingredient cost savings whilst maintaining Compliance to nutritional guidelines
  2. Staff training
Menu Matters
Menu Matters
The report details how there are no clear nutritional standards in place in nurseries, and calls for the implementation of Caroline Walker Trust nutrient-based standards in all nurseries.
Exposing the truth about nursery food http://www.nurseryfood.org/
See Media Coverage
National Press:
  1. 20th October 2008 - Daily Mail Nurseries are serving toddlers 25p ‘junk food’ meals that are banned from school menus. By Sean Poulter Read the full article
  2. 17th January 2009 - The Times Why Healthy eating starts at nursery Read the full article
National TV:
  1. 21st October 2008 - ITN news Report Slams Nursery Food Read the full article
  2. 21st October 2008 - BBC News channel Nursery food indefensibly poor Read the full article