Nutrition
At Monkey Puzzle Day Nurseries we understand the importance of a healthy, balanced diet for young children. Not only do we promise to meet your child’s nutritional requirements we also strive to encourage good food habits.
We are passionate about nursery meal times at our settings so we enlisted the help of a nutritionist to devise weekly menus. Our aim is to provide fresh, balanced meals to all children at each meal or snack time. Meal times are also a learning experience, from the fine motor development of using knives and forks, to awareness of good manners and politeness. Nursery meal times are fun for all and a great opportunity for nursery practitioners to bond with your child. They are sociable learning opportunities, where we teach children about good manners, different foods and how to feed themselves independently. Where possible, fruit and vegetables used are organic, the meat is free range and fresh water is available to the children at all times. Milk is provided throughout the day. All children are offered at least five portions of fruit and vegetables every day. All allergies and dietary requirements are catered for. If you are in search of any advice regarding pediatric nutrition, we recommend the website Nutritionist Resource, where you can access some great information, resources and expert knowledge on a range of topics and events. All of our kitchens are inspected by Environmental Health Officers employed by local councils who decide a score based on a star rating from 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest. Inspections take place between every six months to two years depending on the nature of the business. See below for some of our sample weekly menus.
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | Selection of cereal, toast or fruit with milk or water | Selection of cereal, toast or fruit with milk or water | Selection of cereal, toast or fruit with milk or water | Selection of cereal, toast or fruit with milk or water | Selection of cereal, toast or fruit with milk or water |
| Snack | Fresh fruit platter | Cheese straws, cucumber, rice cakes and red peppers | Mixed fresh and dried fruits | Carrots, breadsticks, cheese, grapes and houmous | Fresh fruit platter |
| Lunch | Chicken and vegetable curry with naan bread and boiled rice. Strawberry yogurt | Vegetable chilli con carne (Quorn) with potato wedges and carrots. Fresh fruit salad | Roast turkey with roast potatoes and cauliflower cheese. Chocolate sponge | Beef lasagne with mixed salad and fresh bread. Apples and pears | Cod fishcakes with sweet corn and mixed salad. Peach yogurt |
| Hot Tea | Grilled honey and lemon salmon with noodles and broccoli Gingerbread people | Beef and vegetable stew with dumplings and sweet potato mash Rice pudding And mango | Sliced ham with boiled egg, pasta salad and peas Blueberry yogurt | Veggie burger with baked beans and rice salad Courgette and raisin muffin | Spanish chicken with couscous and broccoli Shortbread biscuits |
We tailor our menus weekly to reflect children’s choice (we find this out during conversations at meal times) and introduce at least one new food or dish for the children to try every week. We also ensure that children are introduced to a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables.
