Meals and Nutrition
At Mother Bear, our exciting menu is 100% vegetarian. We offer freshly prepared meals with organic ingredients. We aim to source as many seasonal fruits and vegetables as possible to cut down on our carbon footprint and offer a range of plant based meals and snacks each week.
Our nursery is taking part in the London Mayor’s Healthy Early Years London (HEYL) programme. We believe that healthy eating lays the foundations for a happy, active and thriving life. We are committed to creating a nurturing environment where children develop a positive relationship with food, learn about nutrition through songs, play and stories as well as enjoy healthy balanced meals and snacks each day.
The snacks we provide are healthy, very often comprising a range of fruits, vegetable crudités, plant-based dips (such as guacamole and hummus) and healthy sandwiches, soups and pita bread with fillings. On occasions, children are given the opportunity to prepare biscuits, cakes and smoothies in our cookery groups which are eaten at teatime. During these activities, we promote the use of healthier ingredients such as oats and dried fruits and minimise the sugar content, opting for other natural sweeteners such as agave nectar as an alternative.
We aim to:
Encourage curiosity about different foods and where they come from
Promote a love for fresh produce and wholesome ingredients
Involve children in mealtime routines and food preparation where possible
Provide balanced meals and snacks that support growth and development
Teaching the importance of hydration
Discuss making healthy choices
Support lifelong healthy habits through talk, routine and example.
By celebrating food in a joyful, inclusive and supportive way, we aim to help children grow up with the knowledge, confidence, and habits they need to nourish both their bodies and minds.
All our meals and snacks are freshly prepared on the premises each day
We ensure that the children’s dietary needs are met and that they are offered foods from the four main food groups:
Protein
Dairy foods
Grains, cereals and starch vegetables
Fruit and vegetables
We serve breakfast, lunch and tea, with snacks in between
Breakfast is usually a selection of no added sugar cereal options, which we offer with fresh or dried fruit, with dairy and non-dairy milk. We will also offer wholemeal breads for spreads, and wholesome protein options.
We have two snack times throughout the day, after breakfast and after lunch, where we offer a range of fruits each week, such as bananas, chopped apples, pears, kiwi fruit, blueberries, sliced melon and strawberries.
Our lunch and teatime options will include a range of healthy options, some of which will be part prepared by the children (activity), meals such as:
Vegetable oven bakes, moussaka or casserole.
Pasta with green vegetables and cheese.
Pitta bread, hummus and vegetable sticks with flapjacks (prepared by the children).
Handmade vegetarian pizza slices loaded with vegetables; followed by yoghurt.
Mixed selection of sandwiches, corn on the cob, followed by fruit salad.
Wholegrain crackers with cheese or mushroom spread, dried fruit and vegetarian (non-gelatine) jelly.
Lentil or squash soup and baked rolls, followed by rice cakes or fruit muffins.
We ensure that children with allergies are catered for and we work with parents to ensure that children have varied options. We are a nut and sesame free nursery.
Drinking water is readily available throughout the day and children are encouraged to help themselves from our urn.
We will have a fortnightly menu, please see below for an example of what would be on the menu for a week.
Sample Menu
