Leap Ahead
Nurseries
Food & Nutrition
At Leap Ahead we take great pride in providing nutritious, varied and
wholesome food for all our children.
Food our children eat affects every aspect of their lives: their
mood, behaviour, growth, even their ability to concentrate. Good
nutrition is vital to a child's health from building strong bones and
teeth to the healthy development of internal organs and general
growth. Right from breakfast which is served before 8.30am (not at Rutland Street), we ensure that children are provided with meals based on their
dietary needs & their preferences.
Our self serving Snack Bars mid morning & mid afternoon give children both
a healthy choice of snacks & drinks including water & milk. Older children are
encouraged to self serve themselves & clean up afterwards too.
Examples of snack bar choices include selections of fresh fruit
choice, cereals, carrot & cucumber batons with dip.
The food we prepare needs to look good and taste even better
however if the meal is not liked by a child there is always an alternative available.
We offer the children a hot lunchtime meal
and a lighter hot or cold tea (depending on the season).
Our menu’s are always available for parents to browse over on our
Parents Notice Board. Examples of main meals include:-
Pasta dishes such as Pasta Bolognaise ,
Cottage Pie,
Noodles with Sweet & Sour Chicken
Warming casseroles & roast dinners
Vegetable based dishes etc
All menu's are set individually to the nurseries depending on
children's likes & dislikes.
Babies in our care can be fed with the breast milk or formula milk
provided by their parents. Their mealtimes are dictated by their
routine at home, and they are cuddled while they are fed, just as
they would be at home. Weaning onto solid foods is always done
in consultation with the parents. We feed freshly pureed food, and
only introduce new ingredients once you have tried them safely
at home or you have agreed there use. We tell you what your
child has eaten, and how much, again, keeping to the routine they
have at home.
Food allergies cause the immune system to react to a particular
food as if it isn't safe. If the allergy is severe, this can cause a life-
threatening reaction. Food intolerance does not involve the
immune system, and is generally not life-threatening. If someone
eats a food to which they are intolerant, this can make them feel ill
or affect their long-term health. If your child has a food allergy it
may be necessary to seek medical advice from your child's GP to
provide a Treatment Plan for the nursery to follow in the event of
an emergency. Following an informal Risk Assessment, a Health Care Plan is
then developed and agreed with the parents. All staff then receive accurate
information on the child's allergy, and this is displayed in each relevant room
and a copy displayed in the kitchen.
The Nursery Cooks, Senior Staff & all staff who prepare food and
are trained and qualified to Level 2 in Food Safety, all of our staff
are regularly trained to maintain the highest standards of food
safety and hygiene, and this is reflected in excellent Environmental Health
‘Scores on the Doors’.
We are more than happy for our parents contributions to our
menu ideas. We look at changing our menus to fit the summer &
winter seasons, so please contact the staff at your setting or add
your suggestions the the Parents Comment Box.