Nutrition and Meals
The development that occurs before the age of 5 is vitally important and we aim to support this healthy growth in every way we can. At Clovel, we believe that we have a responsibility to promote quality nutrition in childcare so you can have absolute peace of mind that your child is receiving everything they need to grow up happy and healthy. Through a balanced child care meal menu, we encourage healthy eating habits that often become the framework for good nutrition in years to come.
The food provided by Clovel plays an important role in the growth and development of your child from an overall health and strength perspective and in the development of positive future eating habits. Your child will be provided with a variety of foods such as vegetables, fruits, cereals, lean meats and dairy.
Like all aspects of our preschool programs, our child care meal plan is thoroughly researched to ensure that balance is provided throughout your child’s early education. This allows them to grow and develop freely with the support of a quality diet to maintain the incredible energy levels that this age group is known for.
In designing our menus, we commit to providing two-thirds of the recommended daily nutritional food intake for children less than 6 years of age. Our team of educators have worked tirelessly to ensure that your child has all the nutrition in childcare required for them to grow up strong and healthy. Also aiding important brain development, our menus are ever-evolving to ensure that the nutritional qualities reflect the latest research in childhood nutrition.
We want to give your child every opportunity to grow up being the best they can be which is why our healthy eating meal plans are just as important as our science and technology or numeracy and maths programs. To ensure that your child has the most well-rounded childcare experience, we focus on every aspect of the service we provide at Clovel ensuring that we meet, and often exceed, every Australian childcare food and nutrition standard.
Breakfast
Morning Tea
Lunch
Afternoon Tea
Late Afternoon Tea
Clovel is involved in the NSW Government Munch and Move Initiative that supports the healthy development of children from birth to 5 years and beyond by promoting physical activity, healthy eating and reduced small screen time.
Theresa Willett, Clovel’s Educational Leader and Compliance Manager coordinated the Clovel services involvement and training in the NSW Government’s Munch and Move Initiative. After Clovel’s assessment period Theresa was then invited to sit on the Munch and Move Advisory Board, a position she still holds today. The concept of introducing our young children to physical education and healthy eating is something that Theresa and Clovel are very passionate about and this is an area that Theresa is constantly researching and reviewing to ensure we are offering the best service to the children in our care. At Clovel we are very proud of Theresa’s involvement in the Munch and Move Initiative and her enthusiasm for this area of your child’s development.
The key principles of the Much and Move initiative involve:
A quality meal plan for child care is an important aspect for parents to consider when choosing where to send their children for early education.
At Clovel, we ensure that our children are not only well-fed but also introduced to new and different foods to broaden their horizons when it comes to healthy eating.
Your child will also be encouraged to drink water or light milk throughout the day. Likes and dislikes are communicated through our detailed KindyHub app so that you can help them seamlessly continue their healthy eating journey at home.
Our child care meal plan includes morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea each day with special days interspersed ensuring that we continue to pique our children’s interest when it comes to trying new and exciting foods. Our blog showcases our past multicultural days and highlights our upcoming special days so you can see how Clovel children are encouraged to explore new foods in line with their learning about the world around them.
In line with our Multicultural Program and Special Days, we also provide a hot meal for lunch on a regular basis. We still offer regular sandwiches on these days as some children do not like the hot meal option. These meals are nutritious and include dishes such as:
Meat pies – Australia
Fried rice – China
Fish & chips – New Zealand
Souvlaki – Greece
Chip butties (sandwiches) – England
Huspop (stew) – Netherlands
Spaghetti Bolognese – Italy
Shepherd’s Pie – UK
Kofta & tzatziki – Egypt
Paella – Spain
Butter chicken, rice and pappadums – India
The feedback we get from families has been nothing but positive. Your child will love the choice and options they are offered.
“Since attending Clovel, my child is asking to eat Tuna and salad, something they never would have asked for previously”
Our expert educators pride themselves on knowing everything there is to know about each of the children in their care. This includes specific dietary requirements and personal preferences. Allergies are taken into account for every meal and if required, separate meals will be served within our child care meal plan.
Eating can often be a challenge with children of preschool age as they develop their personal likes and dislikes. Through constant contact via our KindyHub app, our educators can work with parents to tackle challenging eating habits as a united force. At Clovel, our educators are here to support parents in helping their children to develop strong and healthy eating habits for sustained development that comes from quality nutrition in childcare.
At every stage of growth, different nutritional requirements will help your child to grow and develop. Our well-researched child care meal plan ensures that these important nutritional goals are met for each stage of your child’s development.
By breaking down the development phases in preschool-aged children, we can ensure that a balanced diet is provided, giving you the ultimate peace of mind that your child’s nutritional and developmental needs are being met.
Childcare nutrition should always be focused on providing ultimate health and vitality benefits for young children, and at Clovel, we encourage healthy eating habits that can provide a foundation for your child that will last well into their school years.
In the months leading up to your child’s new beginning at primary school, our “School Readiness” group are regularly given a packed lunch by the Educators at their centre.
They practice sitting in a group, unwrapping sandwiches from cling wrap and opening packets. They also discuss what is in their lunch today.
Like all aspects of Clovel Childcare’s preschool education, our child care meal plan options and special day menus are all thoroughly researched to ensure we are providing the best in childcare nutrition for your child.
All food prepared in each of our Clovel Childcare Centres strictly adheres to food safety laws and Australian food service regulations. Each of our educators strictly follows health and hygiene guidelines to ensure that your child is served a quality meal prepared in the most hygienic conditions.
The meal plan in our child care centres is updated on an as-needed basis to ensure that the perfect nutritional balance is maintained for our children. We closely follow nutritional research so we can encourage the healthiest development for your child.
All allergies and special dietary requirements can be catered for at Clovel Childcare Centres. If a special menu is required for your child, our team of excellent educators will ensure they have access to all the foods they need.
Choosing your child’s childcare and early learning centre is one of the biggest decisions you will ever have to make for your child. If you have more questions for us or would like to book a tour of one of our centres, please fill out our form and we’ll be in touch!
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