Healthy Lifestyle

At Carousel we take great pride in ensuring our children are nurtured both emotionally and nutritionally. We know that children are more active, happier and empowered for learning when they are properly hydrated and fed. We provide all meals at Carousel. All our staff are food hygiene trained. We operate a home from home environment where children sit together at tables in mixed age groups encouraging a family atmosphere. Practitioners sit with the children and supervise the babies. As a setting we have completed the Healthy start programme and several of our practitioners have attended the Community Chef training.

 Breakfast is a combination of cereals and bread products like croissants, toast or crumpets. Children are encouraged to be as independent as possible and serve themselves whilst adults watch carefully.

Morning and afternoon snack is fruit or raw veg with an option of muffins or toast or pitta bread. The children cook weekly and so sometimes snack will involve homemade products.

Our lunches and teas are brought onto site by a company called Zebedees. We commissioned Zebedees in 2018 as part of our development programme. Zebedees prepare all the food off site and work closely with dieticians to ensure that all their food meets the nutritional guidelines for under 5’s. The menus rotate on a three week cycle with new menus being introduced every half term. Zebedees are able to cater for all dietary requirements and will do homemade baby food too. The children have a hot lunch with a dessert. Sample menus are available at the time of registering your child and we would be happy to answer or refer any questions you may have to Zebedees. 

Tea is a cold tea, again provided by Zebedees. This will consist of around 5 items (larger hot teas can be ordered at a small extra cost if parents would like something more substantial). Again, these teas are nutritionally balanced to ensure your child has a balanced diet whilst in our care.

All children have a Carousel water bottle allocated to their exclusive use. These are refreshed throughout the day and children’s hydration is carefully monitored through our record system.

Throughout the year we invite Zebedees in to do demonstration cooking sessions and taster sessions for parents. This not only helps to inform you about what your child is eating at Nursery but offers helpful hints to encourage healthy eating at home too. 

Join Carousel Nursery