What makes us stand out
Food Hygiene Rating of 5
Awarded the highest food hygiene rating, reflecting strict standards in food preparation, cleanliness, and kitchen safety practices.
Free formula milk and cow’s milk
Formula milk and cow’s milk are provided at no extra cost, supporting dietary needs across different age groups.
Healthy meals in all sessions
All sessions include freshly prepared meals, ensuring children receive balanced nutrition throughout the day with applicable charges.
Healthy eating menus
Here at Little Owls Day Nursery in Danbury and Billericay, our menus have been designed to encourage children to develop healthy eating habits and attitudes to food. Using the Pre-School Learning Alliance’s ‘The Essential Early Years Cookbook’ as a basis, we have access to unique resources specifically designed for preparing healthy food for the under-fives. We have created a varied menu full of old favourites and new, less traditional dishes, vegetarian meals and party food. All of which contain fresh produce and ingredients, sourced locally and freshly prepared each day, packing many vegetables and power foods into each meal.
No salt is added to any of our meals in any part of the cooking stages, and we naturally sweeten desserts and cakes with fruits, fruit juice and dates to lower sugar use to a minimum. Please see our sample menu.
Dietary requirements
Weaning
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All babies are different. Some may start solid foods earlier and take to it quickly, while others may start later and take longer. Likewise, some babies are choosy, while others seem to like everything. This is why our weaning menu is prepared fresh each day to suit individual needs and tastes, using key ingredients from our main menu for the day.
Vegetarians
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All our vegetarian dishes are made from the same recipes as our meat dishes, with the simple replacement of meat with Quorn. This ensures they look the same as other children’s meals and contain essential proteins.
Allergies
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Where a child is allergic or intolerant to a food, we replace the ingredients with a suitable alternative, ensuring their meal looks the same as all the other children’s meals. For example, dairy milk is replaced by oat milk and dairy cheese with coconut cheese. With other allergies like eggs, we make egg-free cakes and sponges.
Top 10 Health Foods
1. Broccoli
Helps detoxify the body’s systems, reduces inflammation, and is filled with antioxidants. Making it one of the most ideal things that you can eat to maintain health.
2. Garlic
Garlic has a variety of antibiotic and anti-inflammatory chemicals. Garlic boosts your immune system and helps with metabolic functions.
3. Oats
Whole grain oats are a great source of fibre, which can significantly reduce cancer risks and cardiovascular problems, and they can reduce cholesterol.
4. Salmon
Rich in B-12 and vitamin D, and with one of the highest concentrations of omega-3 fatty acids of any food. Eating salmon can help improve cardiovascular problems.
5. Apples
A good source of vitamin C and cellulose fibres, apples increase blood glucose and maintain cholesterol levels. Their antioxidant properties promote the production of collagen that strengthens veins and capillaries.
6. Almonds
High level of monounsaturated fat content reduces unhealthy cholesterol level, reduce heart diseases, slow down the aging process of the body and improves overall cardiovascular health.
7. Blueberry
Packed with antioxidants, vitamin C and fibre, this wee berry might actually improve memory and slow down or postpone certain cognitive disorders related to ageing. The blueberry is low in sugar and can help maintain a healthy glycaemic level.
8. Sweet potato
The popular root vegetable helps to maintain glucose levels while also boosting the presence of vitamin A in the bloodstream, essential for maintaining a healthy immune system and eyesight.
9. Kale
A cup of kale can surpass a cup of milk in terms of calcium content. Its complex chemical composition helps to fight cancer and can actually repair DNA or damaged cells.
10. Avocados
Avocados are rich in oleic acid, which makes them useful against heart and inflammatory diseases. It also improves the body’s absorption of carotenoids, the essential nutrients found in leafy greens and red/yellow vegetables.
