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.