Meals, Diet & Nutrition | Purple Panda Nursery

MEALS, DIET & NUTRITION

All of our nutritious meals are prepared from scratch by our dedicated chef.

We provide healthy and nutritionally, well-balanced meals, using only fresh ingredients and seasonal vegetables. There are at least two servings of organic fresh fruit every day. We also have bowls of fruit in the childcare rooms, so the children can help themselves to fruit.

The Pre-school has a ‘self-serve’ snack area. They can also help themselves to water from the water coolers throughout the Nursery and all of the children have name-labelled water bottles.

We provide meals that meet each individual child’s dietary needs and we cater for allergies and cultural needs. Vegetarian meals and non-dairy products are always available. We follow the guidelines of the Children’s Food Trust when devising our menus.

The following is an example menu:

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
Breakfast	Breakfast	Breakfast	Breakfast	Breakfast
A choice of cereal, porridge, toast, milk and other fresh fruit drinks. We supply cows milk, lactose-free milk, soya milk and almond milk. 08.30 - 09.30	A choice of cereal, porridge, toast, milk and other fresh fruit drinks. We supply cows milk, lactose-free milk, soya milk and almond milk. 08.30 - 09.30	A choice of cereal, porridge, toast, milk and other fresh fruit drinks. We supply cows milk, lactose-free milk, soya milk and almond milk. 08.30 - 09.30	A choice of cereal, porridge, toast, milk and other fresh fruit drinks. We supply cows milk, lactose-free milk, soya milk and almond milk. 08.30 - 09.30	A choice of cereal, porridge, toast, milk and other fresh fruit drinks. We supply cows milk, lactose-free milk, soya milk and almond milk. 08.30 - 09.30
Mid-Morning Snack	Mid-Morning Snack	Mid-Morning Snack	Mid-Morning Snack	Mid-Morning Snack
Various snacks, such as crackers, fruit, rice cakes, mini-cheeses, vegetable dips. 10.30 - 11.00	Various snacks, such as crackers, fruit, rice cakes, mini-cheeses, vegetable dips. 10.30 - 11.00	Various snacks, such as crackers, fruit, rice cakes, mini-cheeses, vegetable dips. 10.30 - 11.00	Various snacks, such as crackers, fruit, rice cakes, mini-cheeses, vegetable dips. 10.30 - 11.00	Various snacks, such as crackers, fruit, rice cakes, mini-cheeses, vegetable dips. 10.30 - 11.00
Lunch	Lunch	Lunch	Lunch	Lunch
Penny pasta with chicken cherry tomatoes and custard topped with fruit. 12.00 - 12.30	Lamb kofta with rice and brocolli and Greek yoghurt panna cotta with blueberries. 12.00 - 12.30	Spaghetti bolognaise and chocolate cake ganache. 12.00 - 12.30	Chicken wings with rice and mixed vegetables and raspberry cheesecake. 12.00 - 12.30	Beef stroganoff with mashed potato and roast apple with vanilla sauce. 12.00 - 12.30
Tea	Tea	Tea	Tea	Tea
Leek and potato soup with croutons, yoghurt and fresh fruit. 16.00 - 16.30	Chicken bites with potato wedges, yoghurt and fresh fruit. 16.00 - 16.30	Parsnip and sweet potato soup with bread, yoghurt and fresh fruit. 16.00 - 16.30	Fish fingers with peas and new potatoes, yoghurt and fresh fruit. 16.00 - 16.30	Rigatoni pasta with turkey and potato sauce, yoghurt and fresh fruit. 16.00 - 16.30

Example Menu

For children that are starting the weaning process, we work closely with parents and carers to ensure that the food we offer babies is at the same feeding frequency as they are getting used to at home. We are acutely aware that babies should follow their own familiar home routines that have already been established for them and we will ensure that we facilitate this.

Breakfast

Cereal, porridge, toast, milk and other fresh fruit drinks. We supply cows milk, lactose-free milk, soya milk and almond milk.

Mid-Morning Snack

Various snacks, such as crackers, fruit, rice cakes, mini-cheeses, vegetable dips.

Lunch

Freshly-cooked meals and desserts, such as shepherd's pie, chilli and rice, roast turkey, pasta bake, rice pudding, bananas and custard.

Tea

Lighter meals, such as soups, beans on toast, sausage rolls, mini quiches, sandwiches and fruit, bagels and yoghurt.