Food and Drink Policy

Rationale

We understand that it is important to help children develop patterns of healthy eating and drinking from an early age. Children need to eat a variety of foods including fruits, vegetables and fluids to make sure they get all the dietary components they need to grow and develop healthily.

Procedure

Parents/carers will be asked to provide written information about which meals and snacks are to be provided (this may incur an additional charge); any dietary requirements due to allergy, culture or lifestyle choice and these will be acted upon. If a child is on a special diet, the parents/carers may be asked to provide their child’s food if it is not possible for the food to be provided or prepared by my setting. All food and drink are prepared to provide a healthy balanced diet in accordance with the recommendations by the Food Standards Agency. We involve the children in the preparation of some foods in order to create an interest in trying new foods while helping them to learn which foods help to keep our bodies strong and healthy and which foods need to be eaten less frequently.

Food is prepared, stored and cooked in line with our Health and Safety Policy. We have clean and age-appropriate crockery and eating utensils however We will respect the parent/carer’s diverse needs culturally or lifestyle choices about eating practices e.g. eating with fingers. We will carry out good hand-washing procedures when handling food and ensure the children are aware of how and when to wash their hands.

A menu for the week’s meals will be available and recipes are available to parents on request. Parents will be informed about the foods their child has been offered and eaten. Children will never be made to eat foods they dislike or do not want but children do not always welcome a new food the first time it is offered. New additions to the menu will be offered a few times to give children a chance to try them and increase the variety of foods they will eat. If children refuse to eat their main course, desert will still be offered as the desert will be a nutritious part of the meal.

Children are offered a choice of water, milk or diluted fruit juices with meals and snacks and fresh drinking water is available at all times.

If there is an outbreak of food poisoning affecting two or more children looked after on our premises, we will report this to Ofsted as soon as is reasonably practicable, but in any event within 14 days of the incident. I will also inform the local Environment Heath Department. We will follow any advice given and we will keep all food receipts in case they are needed to trace the outlet where the food was purchased.