nutrition
At Kidsbury, we pride ourselves on many things... and our nutritional standards are just one of them!
We believe that the proper nutrition is key to every child’s success mentally, emotionally, and physically, and as a result of these beliefs, anything that we serve within our facility is served proudly with the latest available version of the Canada Food Guide in mind.
We are firm believers in balanced nutrition and in taking care of our bodies and what we put into them, as well as in teaching our children about the value of these beliefs and how their nutrition can affect them. In keeping with both our safety and nutritional standards, we have also implemented a number of policies over the years that detail our procedures as they pertain to all things nutrition. You can find a sampling of these policies provided below.
at Kidsbury, we:
Ensure that hot foods are kept hot, while cold foods are kept cool at all times.
Provide a microwave in order to heat lunches.
Mandate that serving utensils and surfaces are sanitized after each use.
Enforce a no juice box policy.
Advise parents to only serve chocolate bars, candies, and sweets at home, and ask that they refrain from sending them to the center, with the exception of pre-discussed special occasions.
Post dietary restrictions and allergies of children in all rooms.
Have the parents of infants send bottles filled with formula or milk each day (if needed.)
Label all bottles and food containers with the child’s name.
Require all children to be seated when eating or drinking. No beverages are provided to children while napping.
Respect dietary and religious holiday requirements for families without penalty.
Supplement the child’s meals and snacks when the food provided by the family does not meet the Canada Food Guide recommendations.
Have the parent provide the required snacks in the event that child has dietary restrictions.
Feed infants under eighteen (18) months according to the parent’s instructions.
Compel staff to sit with the children while they eat, providing pleasant conversation and discussions that pertain to the children’s interests, events of the day, or different aspects and textures of the food.
Encourage children to try new foods, but do not in any way force the child to eat them.
Ensure that spoon-fed infants sit in highchairs.
Directly supervise the children and assist when necessary.
Encourage infants and toddlers to finger feed and spoon-feed themselves.
due to potential choking hazards, the following foods are not to be served to the children, or brought into the center:
Whole nuts and seeds
Hard candies
Caramels or toffee
Chewing gum
Popcorn
Gumdrops
Jellybeans
the following foods must be served as indicated:
Whole grapes must be sliced lengthwise.
Hot dogs must be sliced lengthwise.
Hard vegetables must be shredded or chopped.
Fruits with pits must have pits removed.
Hard fruit pieces must be shredded or chopped.
Peanut butter must be spread thinly (if a child is allergic to nuts, peanut butter or nut products will not be served.)
All fish bones will be removed.
menus for meals and snacks provided by the center are posted in a prominent place in the kitchen.
When working with children, all staff must be aware of the concerns of allergies involving a child. The registration form, as well as the postings on the walls of each room, shall list any allergies of each child and shall be reviewed regularly. The Director is responsible for informing all staff of any child's full medical conditions. When a child has food allergies, their parents will review the snack menu, and provide the child's food if the menu is not in accordance with their restrictions.
