What a day of meals looks like
Every weekday at our Normanhurst centre, children are offered five separate meal occasions. We don't ask families to send food, except in unusual cases (specific formula, medical diets). Everything is included in the daily fee.
- Breakfast (7:00 - 8:30am) for children who arrive before family breakfast at home
- Morning tea (around 9:30am) fruit, yoghurt, and a small grain
- Hot lunch (around 11:30am) the main meal of the day
- Afternoon tea (around 2:30pm) something to bridge the gap
- Late afternoon tea (around 4:30pm) for children still at the centre at pickup time
Full cream milk and light milk are served at meal times depending on the child's age and family preference. Fresh water is available all day, both indoors and on the playground.
Sample weekly menu
Below is a representative week from our four-week rotating menu cycle. The menu is displayed in the foyer each week, and the daily menu is posted in the OWNA app for parents to see exactly what their child will eat that day.
This is a representative sample. The actual menu rotates over four weeks, with seasonal adjustments (more soups in winter, more salads in summer). Specific allergies and dietary requirements are catered for individually.
Why a centre cook matters
Many childcare centres serve catered or pre-prepared food, delivered cold and reheated at meal times. We cook every meal on site, in our own kitchen, by a qualified cook. Dianne has been with us since 2022 and has both a Food Handling Certificate and a Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care.
What that means in practice:
- Fresh, hot food. The lunch your child eats was started that morning, not yesterday.
- Direct allergy management. The cook knows every child's specific allergies and dietary requirements personally.
- Real flexibility. If a child doesn't like something, an alternative is made on the spot rather than missing the meal.
- The smell of the building. Children pass the kitchen on the way to lunch. They smell the food being made. Mealtimes feel different.
Munch & Move and our nutrition approach
Our menu is approved by Munch & Move, the NSW Health initiative that supports the healthy development of children from birth to 5 years. The approval means our menu meets specific standards around vegetable serves, fruit serves, wholegrain inclusions, water access, and limits on processed foods.
Some specific things we focus on:
Vegetables in everything
Vegetables are blended into sauces, mixed into pasta bakes, hidden in muffins. The aim is exposure, not lectures.
Wholegrain by default
Wholemeal bread and pasta, brown rice. White bread is the exception, not the rule.
Limited sugar
No sweet drinks. Plain milk and water only. Cakes and biscuits are occasional treats, not daily fare.
Real fruit
Fresh fruit at morning tea every day. Seasonal where possible. No canned fruit in syrup.
Calm meal times
Children sit together, educators eat with them, conversation is encouraged. Eating is social, not rushed.
Allergies and dietary requirements
We cater for children with allergies, intolerances, and family-driven dietary requirements (vegetarian, halal, no pork, no shellfish, gluten free, dairy free, egg free, and others). The full list is captured at enrolment and updated whenever a parent flags a change.
Important · Nut aware
Due to the increased number of children with anaphylactic reactions to nuts, our centre is nut aware. We ask that no food or drink of any kind is brought into the centre. If your child has eaten nut products before arriving, please ensure they brush their teeth and thoroughly wash their hands before coming in.
For babies in the Possum Room
For our youngest children in the Possum Room (0-2 years), feeding follows the family's home routine. We provide:
- Bottles and teats the centre provides these, but if your baby uses specific bottles or teats, you can bring them in (clearly labelled with your child's name)
- Formulas we stock S26 Gold 1, S26 Gold 2, S26 Lactose Free, and S26 Soy. If your baby uses a different formula, we'll ask you to provide it
- Solids transition as your baby moves from milk to solids, we coordinate with you on what they're eating at home and progressively introduce the same foods at the centre
- Cooled boiled water available throughout the day for babies as appropriate
The aim is consistency. Babies do better when their feeding routine at the centre matches what's happening at home, and we work with each family to make that happen.
What if my child is a fussy eater?
Most children who start with us go through a period of being unsure about new foods. That's normal. Our approach is gentle exposure, not pressure. Children are offered everything on the menu, but they aren't pushed to finish.
What tends to happen: children watch the other children eating, they smell the food, they see the educators eating it, and over weeks or months they start trying things. Many parents report that children who refused a food at home eat it happily here. Eating is social, and children will often try things in a group that they'd reject at the family table.
If you have specific concerns about your child's eating, we'd love to talk on a tour or a phone call. We work closely with families to make meal times work for each child.
Sample menu image
Below is a printed sample of the weekly menu we display in the centre foyer. The sample week shown is one of four in our rotation.
Questions about meals?
The best way to see what we do is to come on a tour. You'll see the kitchen, smell the lunch being prepared, and watch a meal time in action. Tours run weekly. Call 02 9487 5455 or book online.
For more about Munch & Move and healthy eating in early childhood, visit the NSW Health Healthy Kids site.