Health & Nutrition - Field to fork

Elmscot Broussa in Altrincham has a comprehensive food policy based on national standards governing all aspects of food provision, and even its own recipe book. The policy places a strong emphasis on healthy food made from scratch on-site.

‘The ethos comes down from our director, Dee McKenzie, who is very passionate about food, what children are eating and the implications a healthy diet can have for children. She really sows that seed, and then it's up to individual managers to carry it on,’ says nursery manager Annette Derby.

The 65-place setting became the second Elmscot Group winner of the Nursery World Food Award after judges commended the ethos and passion of the staff.

All desserts are free from trans fats, no food is fried, no genetically modified foods are allowed, and limited processed foods are used, keeping well within the guideline of 75 per cent of meals to be freshly prepared using unprocessed ingredients.

Recipes for each ten-week menu are checked up to three times a year by a qualified paediatric dietitian. Each recipe specifies the brand of products where used, so the basic components of each ingredient can be verified.

‘Our main aim in providing good quality food is to promote our children's health and wellbeing by providing fresh, healthy food that they love,’ says Ms Derby. ‘We prioritise this because good nutrition is vital at this time of rapid growth, development and activity, and for healthy tooth development and decay prevention too. We see food as a key ingredient to inspiring happy, healthy, lifelong learners.’

The setting buys all its fruit and vegetables from local greengrocers, while children go on regular shopping trips to local supermarkets and bakeries. Food-related activities include the lifecycle of food, while children are regularly involved in growing, preparing and tasting food in the on-site herb and vegetable patch.

MEALTIMES

The nursery has a dedicated mealtime policy which aims to ensure expectations of table manners and behaviour are clear and consistent.

‘Practitioners sit and eat with the children in a family style to nurture positive relationships with food and eating,’ Ms Derby says. ‘They gently encourage children to try a variety of new foods and talk about their day and how they are feeling. We also link this to British values, like saying “please” and “thank you”, putting your knife and fork together when you’re finished, and asking permission to leave the table.’

Child-sized utensils, crockery, tables and chairs are provided to make it easier for children to serve themselves and learn to eat independently. Meals are presented on platters, and food is kept separate so children can choose to take what they like, although they are encouraged to try most things. Children scrape their own plates, older children are encouraged to wait until everyone is served, and table monitors set the table ready for the next meal.

Staff also discuss the four main food groups with children, and talk about how food can provide the energy they need to grow and play.

‘In our staff memos we often remind practitioners to talk to children about food,’ says Ms Derby. ‘When our chef presents a meal, she always tells the children exactly what they are eating and the benefits of each food group. That means our children often observe that they are eating carbohydrates which will help them run faster, for example, or drinking water to keep them hydrated. Even in our toddler room, staff talk constantly about where food comes from, what it is for and how it can be good for our bodies.’

Staff also eat food made by the setting's chef, Ms Derby adds. ‘This takes away the stress of making food the night before work, makes meals affordable, and obviously provides staff with energy thanks to healthy, balanced and nutritious meals, rather than the sluggish feeling you get after junk food.’

PARENTS

Consultation with parents helps the setting respect each child's individual requirements, from cultural beliefs and home circumstances to allergies and weaning. Ms Derby explains, ‘At handover, staff share what children have been eating, and parents might share children's preferences too. That affects what everyone makes and provides, so it really is a collaborative approach.’

Termly parent workshops provided by the setting's paediatric dietician offer support and guidance for children's nutrition at home, while nursery cooks are on hand to discuss menus with parents and share culinary skills.

The nursery also relishes the opportunity to consult with parents and learn from any expertise within the nursery community, for example by inviting a dentist parent in to do a talk for children.

Ms Derby adds, ‘One of our parents is doing a nutrition course at the moment so she is obviously going through our menus with a fine tooth-comb. We made sure we sent her our food policy too.’

As a parent at the nursery herself, Ms Derby can testify to the reassurance parents often seek from a setting's food offering.

‘It is so pleasing to know your child is having entirely home-cooked food that is fully traceable. You can really tell the difference. As a parent it gives you so much confidence to know your child has had a healthy, balanced diet all day, that they’ve had their fruit and vegetables and that the menus have been checked over and approved.’

CATERING FOR A PANDEMIC

When the setting closed briefly during the first lockdown, the majority of parents’ phone calls to the setting were for the nursery chef.

‘They all wanted to know how she cooks certain recipes, and get hold of menus and healthy ideas,’ Ms Derby laughs.

Partly in response to the extra stress faced by many families, the nursery widened its scope to focus on all-round wellbeing, providing regular yoga and mindfulness sessions. Children also attend Forest School once a week as well as taking part in fitness sessions provided by external trainers.

‘We want to ensure a healthy mind alongside a healthy body, so over the last year we’ve had a big focus on wellbeing,’ says Ms Derby. ‘A nursery day can be so busy, as can children's lives, so we need to teach them new skills to be calm and cope with and manage stress.

‘Parents have been stressed with work, health and finances, and you don't always know what is going on in a child's head. Building resilience has never been more important.

‘It's also nice for staff to have that calm time with children. It's been hard and stressful for everyone working in this pandemic and we try our best not to let it affect us.’

In addition to the Nursery World Award, the nursery has also gained the Soil Association's Food for Life Early Years Award, a Level 5 Environmental Health Rating, and the Trafford Healthy Settings Award. The nursery is often called upon to share its menus and policies with new acquisitions in the Elmscot Group, and with neighbouring settings through the local authority.

Ms Derby says, ‘Winning this award created an amazing sense of achievement for the whole team, particularly our cook. From the very start, providing the very best, nutritious food that children love has been a core priority for us.’

Nursery World Awards 2021

There's still time to enter the Nursery World Awards 2021 Nursery Food category - the deadline is now 7 June at 5pm. Go to www.nurseryworldawards.com.