Breakfast, Lunch & Tea

---

​At Roots to Wings, we believe that nutrition and a healthy, balanced diet is essential for a child’s development, concentration and energy levels. We provide freshly prepared, nutritious meals, following a 6 day rolling menu programme, that ensures the children have a balanced diet and also introduces them to new tastes from around the world.

At 12.15pm each day, children and adults sit down at a table together, in groups of four or five, to eat either one of our freshly cooked meals or a packed lunch brought from home. The children are encouraged to eat their healthy food first and many discussions are had regarding healthy eating, keeping fit & healthy and the importance of good hygiene. This is also a great time for lots of chatting about what happens outside preschool – where we went on our holidays, what our dog did yesterday or when the monsters came to tea. Our cooked meals are very popular with the children and adults alike and the benefits are clear, with the children showing increased levels of engagement in the afternoons.
​
Our menus have been developed using the School Food Trust guidance – Eat Better, Start Better: Voluntary Food and Drink Guidelines for Early Years Settings in England – A Practical Guide, published in January 2012.
​
Their advice is that:

• main meals – must include at least one of each protein, starch, vegetable and include a dessert, providing as much variety as possible over the course of the week. Pre-packaged food (i.e. packets and tins) should be avoided if possible, as they contain high levels of salt and sugar. Water and milk are the best drinks to provide with meals as juices and squashes again contain high levels of sugar. They also advise that we should provide at least one wholemeal version of the starchy food per week. Including a large variety of foods to encourage children to develop a wide range of tastes is also highly recommended.
• puddings/desserts - one of each in a week:
  • hot, fruit-based dessert, such as rhubarb crumble or baked apple
  • fruit or veg-based cake, such as carrot cake or fruity flapjack
  • milk based pudding, such as rice pudding or custard
  • fresh fruit
  • yoghurt or fromage frais

You are welcome to provide your child with a packed lunch. Please avoid packets of crisps and sweets, fresh fruit is far better and provides all the sugar children need. Providing the children with lunchboxes using the nutritional guidelines in the Eat Better, Start Better guidance should ensure their healthy development and well-being.

6 Day Rolling Menu

​A sample of our healthy eating, six day rolling menu is shown below. This may be subject to change on a seasonal basis. Our latest menu is always displayed at preschool and on our Baby’s Days system.

Allergens

View the Government Allergens Fact Sheet here

In December 2014 new government regulations came into effect regarding the labelling of allergens within food. At Roots to Wings, we provide allergen information for all of the freshly prepared foods that we offer. This is clearly displayed in the main foyer area and also in our kitchen area. If you would like a copy to take away with you to read, please just ask a member of staff.

It is important that we are fully aware of any food allergies that your child may have. We ask for this information in your registration form when you join Roots to Wings. Please don’t forget to update us if anything changes.

Roots to Wings is a nut-free zone – to avoid any dangerous allergic reactions and keep all the children safe, please DO NOT give your children anything in their lunchbox which may contain nuts.
​