WORK WITH PARENTS ON CHILDREN'S FOOD
The recent 'Panorama' programme 'What's really in our kids' food?' (News, Nursery World, 28 January) highlighted how many nurseries are concentrating on providing children with five portions of fruit and vegetables a day but are overlooking children's need to have zinc and fats in their diet. Parents are understandably nervous when they view negative media content about nurseries, so it is important to highlight that many nurseries are excelling in this area.
We are a 120-place nursery and pride ourselves on the quality and variety of our nursery food. All the food is brought in fresh and then our nursery chef Chris Hearn works his magic, making wonderful creations that are both healthy and well balanced that all the children enjoy.
Our parents often comment on the meal for the day and ask how we manage to get the children to eat the meals that they serve up at home, but sometimes with no success. They also often ask if they can have a 'doggy bag'.
Our chef works with the nursery staff and children in the rooms to promote an understanding of healthy eating. And recently, we were awarded an 'excellent' and five stars in our environmental health inspection and 100 per cent in a health and safety audit carried out by our health and safety advisor.
To promote all that we do and to celebrate our achievements, Chris is organising a taster evening for our parents so they can sample some of the meals we deliver. He will also be compiling a book and we are just starting an 'Ask Chris' link on our website, to provide parents with ideas and help those whose children can be fussy eaters.
Donna Martin, deputy nursery manager, Elvetham Heath Day Nursery, Fleet, Hampshire
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JOIN THE NURSERY FOOD CAMPAIGN
The 'Panorama' programme 'What's really in our kids' food?' has highlighted the crucial issue of food that is fed to young children. During this important time for early years care, the Soil Association would like to make sure that Nursery World readers are given an accurate account of the aim of our Better Nursery Food Now campaign for clear, legal standards for nursery food.
Better Nursery Food Now is calling for the Government to put in place clear rules for the quality of food served in nurseries and other early years care. We have been encouraged to see school food and food culture improve radically as a result of the standards now in place in primary and secondary schools, but we are concerned that nurseries have escaped ministers' notice.
As a charity and a campaigning organisation, our resources are limited. We believe the best use of them is in pressuring the Government on behalf of parents to give nurseries the clear guidance and regulatory support they need to provide nutritious food for all children in daycare.
We know that most nurseries make commendable efforts to provide good food in challenging circumstances, but we are saddened to hear of examples that do not. We want to ensure that parents who put their children in daycare can be assured that their child's health is protected by law.
Better Nursery Food Now is also calling for Government funding to ensure that all childcare staff can access the food and nutrition training they need. Child nutrition experts like the Caroline Walker Trust have already developed excellent educational materials for childcare staff (supported by funding from Organix Foundation, the charitable arm of the Organix food company that has partly funded our campaign). These are already available on the Caroline Walker Trust website (www.cwt.org.uk), and will be joined by photographic resources later this year.
Full information about the campaign can be found on our website (www.nurseryfood.org.uk), where Nursery World readers can sign our petition to the Government and join the thousands of parents and concerned individuals calling for better nursery food, now.
Paula Brunton, policy manager, Soil Association
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The Editor, Nursery World, 174 Hammersmith Road, London W6 7JP
letter.nw@haymarket.com, 020 8267 8401