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We provide a healthy homecooked lunch for the children. We organise lunch to be a social occasion encouraging positive eating experiences. Our meals, which are provided by the Stebbing Primary School, are nutritionally balanced, using local produce and in season fruit and vegetables.
Other Food Information
At Maynard Montessori we always use local food producers where we can, for example for eggs, fruit and meat.
Snack Time
During the morning session we provide a rolling snack time which becomes an integrated socialising activity between children and staff. The children learn the social skills of sharing, taking turns, helping others, communicating, and cleaning and tidying up after they have finished eating and drinking. As the children’s confidence grows, they become independent in preparing their snack and serving themselves unaided, but we always have a member of staff to provide support and guidance with the self-service routine.
Due to the risk of allergies, we maintain a dietary/allergy list which is checked before each snack session and as part of our due diligence we ask that parents provide snack items in the original packaging, so we can check for allergens and ingredients.
As part of the socialising and sharing aspect we kindly ask parents to provide a snack item for your child to share with the others. Please feel free to bring in one or two items on your child’s first session for the week, e.g., a box of bread sticks to share over the week is plenty.
Healthy Snack Ideas
Fruit – the more variety the better…. we do currently have plenty of apples!
Vegetables, – e.g., carrot, pepper
Salad items – e.g., tomatoes, cucumber
Carbohydrates -e.g., bread sticks, rice cakes, crackers, bagel, crumpets, muffins, oat cakes, pitta bread, plain popcorn
Dairy – cheese, cream cheese
We provide milk or water in jugs so that the children can serve themselves, promoting independence and pouring skills so we kindly ask that you do not send in drinking bottles. Water is available freely during the day.
Items that we avoid at snack time!
As part of the new Early Years Statutory Framework 2023 there is a focus on children’s oral health that requires the staff to promote healthy eating and healthy teeth!
Please do not bring in the following! Crisps, chocolate, biscuits, muesli/granola bars, sweet products, processed foods e.g., fruit winders, bear yoyo, fruit strings.
Please note that no food or drink products should be sent into the pre-school containing nuts or nut ingredients.