St. Mary’s Childcare Campus Ltd. Healthy and Policy

FOOD & NUTRITION

St. Mary’s Childcare Campus Ltd. will promote a healthy lifestyle through prevention of illness, encouraging take-up and completion of immunisation programmes and developmental checks and establishing healthy patterns, with an emphasis on the social and enjoyable aspects of mealtimes. The service will comply with current legislation regarding food hygiene. St. Mary’s Childcare Campus Ltd. service will encourage an active lifestyle of all involved in the service by:

 Providing opportunities for energetic and outdoor play. All children attending our Campus take part in physical activity and outdoor play we have a baby/toddler and preschool purpose built outdoor play areas. After school children part take in football, basket ball rounders and indoor activities such as dancing, badminton, karate, singing, pool and various board games. All our staff has participated in an “Wet weather play workshop” where they have being trained to develop a variety of play ideas for rainy days.

 Being open to inviting health care and other professionals to visit the service while in session.

Our overall aim is to support children develop lifelong healthy eating practices and a positive approach towards food, nutrition, physical activity, confidence and dental health.

The following are our members of staff that are involved in the development of the policy.

Margaret Glancy (Centre Manager), Sheila Martin (), Carolyn Penrose (Team Leader baby and toddler room), Mary O Reilly (Team Leader Preschool)

St. Mary’s Childcare Campus - Food and Nutrition Guidelines for Pre-school children 0 – 5 Years of Age

Children’s food needs for different day care periods Children spend varying amounts of time in Pre-school services and so they are there for a different number of . (Food will be offered to young children at least every 3 hours).

Children in full day care (more than 5 hours) - Will receive at least two meals and two , for example – , , and snack. One will be a hot meal. Any children that are in our care for a long day, an evening meal may also be provided.

Children in day care for up to 5 hours maximum per session - Will receive at least two meals and one snack, for example – breakfast, snack and lunch. the meal will include at least 1 serving from each of the four main shelves of the . Children in day care up to 3.5 hours per session - Will receive one meal and one snack – for example, snack and lunch. This group may also include after-school care. Food and

The food served in our pre-school services is of key importance in the young child’s health, particularly for children in full day care. Some areas of nutritional concern for young children are; • ensuring appropriate energy intake for growth and development, • the prevention of iron deficiency anaemia, • adequate intake of C and calcium. The pre-school service provides an excellent setting for promoting positive habits and attitudes to healthy eating and being active as part of a healthy lifestyle. The provision of nutritious food positively enhances not only a child’s health, but also allows the child to take full advantage of the learning opportunities provided in pre-schools.

The Food Pyramid

The Food pyramid illustrates how our daily intake of food should be apportioned. It is our aim at St. Mary’s Childcare Campus to educate our children and staff on the epidemic that is and to try and improve our eating habits and change the habits that we have seemed to have adopted, namely: eating high / processed and doing little activity.

The Food Pyramid consists of several shelves. We can see that it consists of several shelves with food items from main food groups, , Fat, and Fruit and .

1. The bottom shelf represents the group with food, such as , cereal, , , grains, potatoes etc. It is the largest group recommending 6+ servings per day, as these are the foods that supply us with energy. Where possible go for the wholegrain variety as you will get more fibre and will feel fuller for longer. 2. Fruits and make up the second largest group. It is recommended that we eat 5+ servings every day. 3. The next group is the dairy, 2-3 servings for calcium. Fortified dairy products also provide . Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium and so helps to strengthen bones and teeth. 4. The meat group is next, again 2 servings for protein and iron. Fish, chicken and eggs are also part of this group as well as beans and pulses for those who don’t eat meat. Avoid fatty meats, which contain saturated fat, which can lead to the clogging up of arteries. Go for lean meats and remove all visible fat and skin. Oily fish are a great source of unsaturated fat, omega 3, which is beneficial to our blood. Girls and women of childbearing age should have only one serving of oily fish per week, men can have 2. 5. The top group represents saturated , oils, sweets and . It is still there so you are allowed to have it but in proportion to the other groups, i.e. a small amount! Meals and Snacks at St. Marys Childcare Campus

Each meal served at St. Marys Childcare Campus will contain food from each of the four main food groups, carbohydrates, fruit and vegetables, dairy products and meat/fish/vegetarian alternatives.

Snacks will contain foods from two of the four bottom shelves of the Food Pyramid., i.e crackers/cheese, fruit/yoghurts and milk.

Healthy Eating

The service will provide healthy and nutritious snacks and hot meals to the children in our care.  The service shall provide healthy toothy . Milk and are the best drinks for healthy teeth  The needs of children with special dietary needs will be met in partnership with parents.  Staff will sit with children during mealtimes to encourage good eating habits, stimulate conversation and enhance the quality of interaction at mealtimes.  Children will be encouraged to help themselves from serving dishes on the table, and to clear away their dishes and plates.  Parents will be notified of irregular eating/drinking habits of their children.

Suitable, sufficient, nutritious and varied food will be available for the children attending the service. Breakfast, light snacks, lunch and hot are available for the children.

St. Mary’s Childcare Campus Ltd. shall ensure that:-

 Adequate and suitable facilities for the storage, preparation, and serving of food  Adequate and suitable eating utensils, hand washing, wash-up and sterilising facilities are provided  Prepare all meals on the premises  Purchase supplies from a supplier whose premises is registered with the relevant Health Board  All waste and other refuse will be stored hygienically and disposed of frequently and hygienically and in a manner as not to cause a nuisance

St. Mary’s Childcare Campus will accommodate special food needs of individual children If the child needs a special , it is the responsibility of the parent or guardian(s) to inform the service Manager of this, so that arrangements can be made to accommodate the child’s requirements. Some special diet requirements such as gluten-free (coeliac), diabetic, nut- free or milk free, can be quite complex. The parent should provide a copy of the diet sheet prepared for the child by a . Lists of prepared foods are available to give information on products that are free of a particular item such as milk or gluten. Parents will be required to provide further details or information as needed. If a is suspected, the parents should be encouraged to discuss this with their doctor. It is unwise to restrict children’s food choices without professional assessment and individual information.

Peanut allergy Peanut allergy is usually severe - sensitive individuals may even react to peanut dust. Care should be taken to prevent accidental consumption of food containing nuts or nut products or food that has come into contact with them. Preparing food for peanut allergy sufferers in a designated area may help. Peanut butter should be avoided and many prepared foods can contain nuts or nut flour. Careful checking of food labels is necessary. Children with severe food allergies are advised to carry identification. It is recommended that children with a family history of asthma, eczema, hay fever or food allergy should avoid peanuts and peanut products until the age of 3 years. Whole nuts are not recommended for children under 5 because of the risk of choking.

Vegetarian diet A vegetarian diet does not contain meat, poultry or fish. It does not include animal products such as beef or pork fat and gelatine. It can include milk and milk products and eggs. Cheese may be excluded if it contains animal rennet as the setting agent. Parents will be expected to discuss the particular food requirements with St. Mary’s Childcare Manager. Some people may use the word vegetarian, but will actually eat fish and chicken. A well-planned and varied vegetarian diet is nutritionally adequate and allows normal growth and development. Children on a very restricted or limited diet may benefit from breast or formula milk over 1 year of age, as advised by their Doctor or Dietitian. Nutrient-rich foods such as milk, cheese, yogurt and eggs can provide protein, , calcium and . Vegetable sources of protein, for example quorn, and pulses (peas, beans and lentils), should be provided at each meal. It is important to ensure that the child receives enough dietary iron from a meat-free diet. Good nonmeat sources of iron are eggs, cooked lentils and beans, green vegetables, dried prunes, apricots, raisins and iron-fortified cereals. Iron is better absorbed if the child has foods or drinks that are high in – for example citrus fruits or juices – at the same meal as eggs, beans, grains or other vegetable sources of iron and protein.

St. Mary’s Childcare is currently working with HSE – HIP Project (Healthy Incentive for Pre-School)