9 Months Babies feeding policy

Aim:

This setting regards feeding times as an important part of the setting's day. Eating represents a social time for children and adults and helps children to learn about healthy eating. At feeding times, we aim to provide nutritious food, which meets the children's individual dietary needs.

Methods

• Before a child starts to attend the setting, we find out from parents their children's dietary needs and preferences, including any allergies.
• We record information about each child's dietary needs in her/his registration record and parents sign the record to signify that it is correct.
• We regularly consult with parents to ensure that our records of their children's dietary needs - including any allergies - are up to date. As these change regularly as children grow Parents sign the up-dated record to signify that it is correct.
• We display current information about individual children's dietary needs in the kitchen so that all staff and volunteers are fully informed about them.
• We implement systems to ensure that children receive only food and drink that is consistent with their dietary needs and preferences as well as their parents' wishes.
• We plan menus in advance, involving a nutritionist, children and parents in the planning where possible.
• We display the menus of meals/snacks for the information of parents.
• We provide nutritious food at all meals and snacks, avoiding large quantities of saturated fat, sugar and salt and artificial additives, preservatives and colourings.
• We include a variety of foods from the four main food groups:

• - meat, fish and protein alternatives;
• - dairy foods;
• - grains, cereals and starch vegetables; and
• - fruit and vegetables.