Health & Nutrition – A healthy child is a happy child
At Teeny Days Nursery, the physical well being of our children is extremely important. We promote healthy eating and encourage as much physical activity as possible within and outside of the setting in order to facilitate this.
We are pleased to be accredited by Growing Healthy Families and we pride ourselves in maintaining outstanding safe, hygienic food standards and healthy eating practices. Growing Healthy Families is a public health initiative designed to promote healthy lifestyles for families with children, focusing on nutrition, physical activity and oral healthy. Led by experts, it uses a whole-setting approach in early years childcare to support healthy eating, weight managements and active lifestyles.
You can find out more about the Growing Healthy Families initiative or about how to stay healthy as a family, by visiting their website: https://bedslutonchildrenshealth.nhs.uk/services/bedfordshire-and-luton-childrens-nutrition-and-dietetics-service/growing-healthy-families/
Or you can find their social media on Facebook and Instagram by searching ‘Growing Healthy Families.’
Hot Lunches Prepared and Served Daily
At Teeny Days we offer hot lunches every day prepared fresh on site daily by our in house chef. All meals have been checked and approved by the Growing Healthy Families team for quality and nutrition. The hot lunches menu is available on request. (For further details regarding costs, please see our fees section on this website or speak to our nursery staff).
Children also have the option bring in their own lunches and we support parents in bringing healthy and balanced meals. Furthermore children are provided with healthy snacks, milk and water throughout the day.
Information regarding how to pack a healthy lunch box can be found here:
https://bedslutonchildrenshealth.nhs.uk/media/qi3f5x15/ghf-packed-lunch-leaflet.pdf
Some other ways we encourage healthy eating is by regularly sending our children home with goody bags of fruit and a message to families to replace a sugary or unhealthy snack with a piece of fruit and to encourage more fruit consumption as part of a healthier diet.
We have also started a lending library, sending books home with our children and asking parents and families to spend time reading books together to encourage family time and reduce screen time as part of a healthier lifestyle.
Oral Hygiene and Daily Supervised Toothbrushing
As part of our commitment to good health and as part of our Growing Healthy Families accreditation, we work closely with the Dental Wellness Trust to provide daily supervised toothbrushing at the nursery. This is where children engage in tooth brushing activities and learn about dental hygiene practices daily. Children in Luton are experiencing higher rates of tooth decay than the rest of England and this is preventable if we instil good practice as early as possible.
It is recommended to register your child with a dentist as early as the appearance of their first tooth. If you are looking for a dentist, have a look at the document below, which has a list of highly recommended dentists in our locality. The document also includes 12 top tips for looking after your little ones teeth, so please do have a read. If you would like any further information, please speak to a member of staff.