Thanks to Jamie Oliver, the country is in uproar. School dinners have been exposed as a national disgrace and catering companies accused of fattening up our children on a 37p-a-day diet of Turkey Twizzlers and chips.
But it seems that British nurseries are a step ahead when it comes to healthy eating, with many nursery chains routinely serving nutritionally balanced and downright delicious meals and snacks.
At Primary Steps the children sit down to sweet and sour chicken and cheese and broccoli tarts, while at Childcare Scotland they enjoy homemade soups and sausage casserole.
Although processed foods still feature in some nursery settings, many of the chains have chosen to avoid additives in favour of fresh ingredients and even organic produce. Anna Taylor West, development manager at Countryside Nurseries, says chicken nuggets are definitely off the menu.
'Jamie Oliver has really put us off those. We revised our menus last year and we always use fresh ingredients. The snacks, such as biscuits, rice cakes and milk, are all organic. We also serve wholemeal pasta and bread and brown basmati rice.'
As part of its food policy, Coombe Valley Nurseries avoids hydrogenated oils and food colorants such as azo dyes and tartrazine. Many chains, including Childcare Scotland, Countryside Nurseries and Kidsunlimited, still shy away from serving beef while nut products are another no-go area.
At Primary Steps, children who do not eat meat for cultural or ethical reasons are offered a vegetarian version of the main meal to ensure they do not feel left out.
To avoid hidden nasties, the majority of nursery cooks make and bake everything from scratch. Valerie Jackson, operations manager at Primary Steps, says their biscuits and cakes are all homemade. 'It's only by preparing everything ourselves that we can properly monitor sugar, salt and fat levels,' she observes.
Conscious of the importance of dental hygiene, nurseries in the Childcare Scotland chain serve tooth-friendly drinks and snacks. 'The children snack on fruit and cheese,' says nursery manager Suzanne Jones. 'They also like to eat carrot and celery sticks with a range of different dips. The children drink water and milk instead of sugary squashes and we have regular visits from a dentist and oral hygienist. They teach the children how to brush their teeth properly after lunch and every child has their own toothbrush and toothpaste.'
Healthy eating
Kidsunlimited and Countryside Nurseries both hire a trained nutritionist to advise on menus. The meals must meet strict standards to ensure the children receive a balanced diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables and all the necessary vitamins and minerals. The importance of good food is reinforced at Countryside Nurseries during a weekly fun and fitness session when the children are also taught about healthy eating.
Mary Mahoney, general manager at Wind in the Willows, says the group is taking things further by gaining a healthy eating award. 'Three of our Neighbourhood Nurseries in Stoke-on-Trent are working towards the local authority's award,' she explains. 'As well as working with the council to develop new menus, we are encouraging both children and staff to have a very positive attitude towards food and healthy eating. For example, if a child doesn't eat the main course they are still allowed pudding.
Eventually, we hope all our nurseries will adjust their menus to meet this or a similar award, but in the meantime they are still working to our traditional "no junk" policy.'
Nursery mealtimes are a valuable opportunity to introduce children to new foods, flavours and spices. According to Abi Golland, regional care and curriculum manager for Kidsunlimited, its menus offer a multicultural slant. 'Traditional dishes such as roast chicken and shepherd's pie are favourites but we also give the children an opportunity to try things they may not get at home. Chicken curry and hummus have proved very popular. We also serve unusual fruits and vegetables, like star fruit.'
Coombe Valley's director, Sue Ranson, believes it can be easier for nurseries to encourage children to try new foods than for parents. 'I find children have different eating habits for different situations and they are often more adventurous at nursery,' she observes. 'Eating is a very sociable thing. If one child sees another child eating something, they will often try it for themselves. Food can easily become a big battleground for parents and it's often simpler for them to take the line of least resistance. Some parents say they send their children to our nurseries just so they will eat proper meals!'
Social time
Mealtimes are not just about eating - they are also about social interaction, and having fun. At Wind in the Willows nurseries the staff always take time to sit down with the children. General manager Mary Mahoney says, 'The staff encourage children to chat about the types of food they're eating that day. For example, they will talk about the colour and texture of a kiwi and invite the children to guess where it comes from.'
At Kidsunlimited nurseries, cookery clubs are an exciting way of improving children's food awareness and teaching them how to combine different ingredients. 'We really want the kitchens and nursery cooks to become central to our nurseries,' says Abi Golland. 'The over-threes are encouraged to help out with making the tea by preparing fruit salad and sandwiches, or making drinks with fruity ice cubes.
'We make the tables look inviting by decorating them with a centrepiece made by the children. It is a great way of involving the children in mealtimes and stimulating discussions. At Kidunlimited we believe that eating should be a social occasion and the staff act as role models to introduce the children to good table manners and conversation.'
Serving up healthy food has proved just as popular with parents as it has with the children. 'Parents have been very positive about our food policies,' says Anna Taylor-West from Countryside Nurseries. 'We displayall our menus clearly on the parents' board and encourage feedback and suggestions. Parents tell us that they have introduced new foods at home, such as wholemeal bread, after finding out that their children have enjoyed eating it at nursery.'
Primary Steps has received so many requests for recipes from parents that it plans to produce its own nursery food book. 'At the moment it is in the early stages, but we are working towards the development of a Primary Steps cookbook,' reveals Valerie Jackson. 'We will run a competition to encourage staff from all of our 34 nurseries to contribute recipes. We will also welcome recipes from parents and make the book available for them to buy.
When the book is published it will contain enough menus to cover a whole year. It will be a great way of building a stronger partnership between parents and nursery staff to ensure all our children eat properly.'
Laying down the foundations for a healthy future at a young age is vitally important, says Childcare Scotland's Suzanne Jones. 'If children are used to eating good food at nursery then we hope they will go on to make the right choices when they're older. And I hope that by the time the children reach primary school, there will be much better opportunities for them to eat well.'
