Welcome to The Little Diner

Food is a basic and essential need for everyone. I know from my own experiences of feeding my family how stressful, boring, mundane and financially challenging food can be! As a childminder, I have the added responsibility of ensuring that the food I provide to children in my care is safe, healthy, nutritious and right for them.  I care for children aged 6 months up to 12 years, that's a lot of different likes, dislikes and needs! The concept of The Little Diner at Jane's was created from the desire to improve all things food related in my setting, offer transparency in my own development and share with others best practice and tried and tested ideas.

Follow my Facebook page to track our food journey!

Legislation and guidance relevant to food provision in childcare

This business of food is a big deal, so many considerations and rules! It is essential that childcare providers follow them to ensure that they get it right for every child, keep them safe and give them the best start in life. I've gathered the links to the legislation, guidance and practice notes that are relevant to me as a childminder who provides food, you can access them using the buttons below. There's a lot of reading in each of those buttons and spoiler alert...it's a bit boring! Be assured however, I have done the reading and developed a Food and Nutrition policy from this, feel free to have a read of this and see my approach to food provision.

Meal Planning Approach

I take into consideration the dietary needs and preferences of each child I care for, ensuring that they receive meals that they enjoy and are beneficial to their health. I carefully plan menus to ensure that every child receives the right balance of nutrients to support their growth and development, I do this by following the standards and guidance provided in 'Setting the Table, Nutritional Standards and Practical Guidance for Early Learning and Childcare Providers in Scotland'. I also work in partnership with my families and make decisions on food provision together. Menu planning shouldn't be a chore or a burden, it's an opportunity for families to come together and learn about nutrition and by involving children in the process, we are teaching them important life skills and giving them a strong foundation for a healthy future.

I find menu planning essential for managing the grocery budget, it can easily get out of hand when we find ourselves running to the shop to pick something up that's quick to prepare and cook! I've also wandered around the shop aimlessly many a time, picking things up that are on offer or look tasty because I've come to the shop hungry...all the mistakes that you can make with food shopping, I've done! Then there's food waste to consider, roughly 1 million tonnes of food is thrown away each year in Scotland! (Zero Waste Scotland) There's no doubt about it, planning meals is a great way to control the budget, involve everyone and increase the likelihood of them liking what's for eating and reduce food waste.  

Check out the Zero Waste Scotland website for tips on menu planning and reducing waste.

Examples of Meals and Snacks

Take a look at some examples of the nutritious and delicious meals and snacks I provide.

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What about packed lunches?