Weston Community Preschool Inc.
Food & Nutrition
Studies have shown that early childhood is the period when lifelong ideas of food and eating habits are formed. Therefore, we feel it is most important to give children a good start in healthy eating. Our service uses information from current Australian dietary guidelines along with the good for kids’ nutritional resources, with the aim to promote healthy eating habits and wise food choices.
Nutritional learning experiences are incorporated within our curriculum, making food preparation and eating enjoyable and fun. We grow our own vegetables and fruit, which the children help care for, the vegetables are picked regularly and eaten by the children. Fresh fruit and vegetable scraps are used in our worm farm to promote recycling process. Throughout the year we have a dentist visit to extend on the process of well being.
All foods are to be prepared and brought from home by parents with the exception of special days, cooking experiences and or events arranged by staff.
The below websites have lots of useful information on creating healthy food habits, overcoming food challenges and ideas for families
A list of appropriate food choices suggestions can be obtained at all times from staff.
Food Recommendations are
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1 small serve of chicken or 1 egg or small container of fish.
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2 small serves of vegetables eg 1 serve ¼ cup of cooked vegetables or ½ cup of salad vegetables, 1/4 cup of legumes, 1/2 of a potato.
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1 small serve of fruit eg a small apple, orange, pear, banana, small tub of fruit pieces and small container of sultanas.
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2 child serves of dairy eg 1 serve yoghurt, 1 slice of cheese, a drink of milk.
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3 small serves of bread, cereals, rice, pasta.
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No foods high in fat, sugar and salt
e.g. 20g of fat
5g per saturated fat,
less than 15g of sugar
No greater than 600mg of sodium or salt per 100grams.
Sometimes foods
As part of our healthy food and nutrition education we aim to educate the children about foods that are recommended to be eaten every day and foods that are recommended to be eaten sometimes.
Therefore, foods for special events, such as birthday cakes parents are able to bring in vanilla plain cakes without icing, muffins, watermelon, or popcorn. At Easter the children will be given a small Easter egg as part of our annual Easter celebrations.
Christmas parties will be made up of appropriate food choices and limited sometimes foods.
Foods that are not appropriate for Preschool
Any food that would put a child with an allergy at risk. This includes all chocolate products; all nut products and other foods deemed a risk depending on children attending the centre as per Allergy Policy
No foods high in fat, sugar and salt
e.g. 20g of fat
5g per saturated fat,
less than 15g of sugar
No greater than 600mg of sodium or salt per 100grams.
Food that requires heating is not suitable for preschool as staff are unable to heat food for children.
Other names for saturated fat: oil (may or may not be saturated), copha, coconut oil, palm oil, shortening, butter, lard, beef fat, cream, milk solids, dripping, cream, mayonnaise, sour cream.
Other names for salt: sodium, sodium chloride, mineral salt, monosodium glutamate (MSG), rock salt, sea salt, vegetable salt.
Other names for sugar: raw sugar, honey, corn syrup, malt, golden syrup, glucose, disaccharides,monosaccharides,fructose,sucrose,lactose,maltose,dextrose,molasses,mannitol,sorbitol,xylitol.
Please check and develop an awareness of food additive codes and colours to support your child’s wellbeing and develop a lifelong habit.