Nursery World - Bean feast (1)

Our new series on special dietary needs considers how to cater for vegetarians and vegans in an early years setting, with these helpful tips from Suzannah Oliver All nurseries need to make provision for vegetarian children when they plan their menus, and this can mean a crash course in what to include or exclude for staff. Many hidden sources of animal products can easily trip you up, and it is essential to ensure healthy eating through balanced meal planning.

All nurseries need to make provision for vegetarian children when they plan their menus, and this can mean a crash course in what to include or exclude for staff. Many hidden sources of animal products can easily trip you up, and it is essential to ensure healthy eating through balanced meal planning.

* Some people describe themselves as vegetarians but eat fish, so are really 'fi****arians'. These diets are virtually identical, or superior, to meat eating.

* A true vegetarian avoids meat, fish and fowl and their by-products. From a nutritional viewpoint these protein sources are easily replaced with plants such as beans, lentils, peas, nuts and seeds, as well as eggs and dairy foods.

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