Food and nutrition are important to us and we know that a healthy balanced diet is essential to your child’s growth and development. Every day is an opportunity for us to satisfy your child’s appetite with delicious and nutritious meals and snacks, designed with their needs in mind, with a menu planned to broaden their food experiences.
Our food has won The Healthy Eating Under 5’s Award. We always provide fresh, balanced meals to the children at each meal time with a choice of fresh fruit at snack times.
We all know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. So, to get our children off to flying start, we offer a variety of non-sugared cereals, wholemeal toast and fruit. Enough to fill up their tummies and keep a smile on their face till snack time.
At Lunch and Teatime, we like to serve a hot, balanced meal that has been cooked on the premises by our amazing nursery cook.
Copies of our four week menus and recipes are available at the nursery. Please ask our manager for a copy.
Throughout the day and at meal times we encourage the children to drink fresh water and as a rule we do not offer squash as a meal time drink.
Our fantastic cook is trained as an allergen champion, so if your child has any specific dietary requirements or you want further information, simply get in touch.
Example daily menu
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | Cereal with milk or Toast and butterMilk or water |
Cereal with milk or Toast and butterMilk or water |
Cereal with milk or Toast and butterMilk or water |
Cereal with milk or Toast and butterMilk or water |
Cereal with milk or Toast and butterMilk or water |
| Snacks | Fresh fruit
Breadsticks |
Cucumber
Dry fruit |
Fresh fruit
Rice cakes |
Carrots/Peppers
Crackers |
Fresh fruit Breadsticks |
| Lunch | Macaroni cheese with vegetables
Yoghurt |
Sausage & mash with vegetables
Fresh fruit |
Lasagne with mixed salad
Rice/Corn crispy cakes |
Roast chicken with roasted potatoes, cauliflower and broccoli cheese
Fresh fruit |
Spaghetti & meatballs with vegetables
Yoghurt |
| Light Meal | Sandwiches with salad sticks
Fresh Fruit |
Tuna pasta with vegetable sticks
Jelly |
Chinese vegetable stir fry
Fresh fruit |
Scrambled egg/beans on toast
Homemade flapjack |
Jacket potatoes and beans with mixed salad Homemade cake |
Example daily menu
Rotating Menus
At Monkey Puzzle Irthlingborough, we use a 4 week rotational menu. You can see the fantastic meals and snack we have on offer on our menus through the links below.
Babies’ nutrition
At this age nutrition for your child and support for you go hand in hand as we work together to find your child’s feeding rhythm throughout their daytime with us and their night time and earlier mornings with you. We support both breastfeeding and formula feed with bottle feeds at nursery, delivered with comfort and care for their feeding and winding habits. When your babies are ready to experience solid food we will complement your efforts at home, working in partnership with you as your child experiences new tastes and textures.
Tweenies & Toddlers’ nutrition
Your tweenies & toddler’s food experiences are so important and at this age group, they really develop and secure many of their preferences. At this age we balance the opportunity to try new foods with the regularity and reliability of foods they already know and love, continuing to praise them for their food adventures, and giving them an abundance of time to enjoy these.
We delight in helping to create good habits, supporting mealtimes with learning and understanding about how foods help them and their bodies, helping them to make great food choices for life.
Preschoolers’ nutrition
Fuelling some of the most energetic beings on the planet is fun, and we love the challenge! A healthy balanced diet is essential to your child’s growth and development and at this stage, making sure they have the nutrition to match their desire to master the world.
Your preschooler will continue to learn and understand how foods help them and their bodies, helping them to make great food choices for life. At this age, your child will be a master of self-service with them creating their own portions, so they can display their appetite and tell us about their choice, with our guidance of course!
