Organic nutrition
Organic
We attach great importance to healthy and responsible nutrition for the children. A child with a healthy body will not only develop optimally on a physical level, but it will also benefit other areas of development. All food offered to the children at a Kids and Carrots nursery is organic and provided by Ekoplaza. We believe that organic food is healthier. Research into individual products shows that organic products generally contain less pesticide residues and sometimes less nitrates than conventional products. Higher levels of vitamin C, minerals and bioactive substances have also been measured in some organic products. Organic farmers do not use genetic modification (source: voedingscentrum).
Moreover, organic food is more animal and environmental friendly. The animals get more space than in conventional cattle breeding and agriculture. At Kids and Carrots, no meat is offered to the children, only meat substitutes. The eggs come from chickens that have been allowed to roam freely and the fish is caught in a sustainable way. Organic farming reduces the environmental impact many times over, as it prevents manure surpluses. In addition, less greenhouse gases are emitted during production and transport and, in many cases, waste is reused.
Meals and snacks
During their stay at a Kids and Carrots childcare centre, the children receive various meals and snacks. In the morning, the children eat different types of fresh fruit; we mainly offer seasonal fruit, but also introduce the children to different types of (exotic) fruit.
For lunch, the children are given three types of fresh vegetables, a cereal product such as pasta, rice, quinoa, bulgur, etc. and a vegetarian product or fish. Lunch is freshly prepared by the pedagogical staff in the group and heated in the steamer. In this way, the taste, vitamins and minerals of the products are optimally preserved.
In the afternoon, the children eat a cracker or spelt waffle topped with humus, goat’s cheese, avocado or vegetable spread, among other things. As a snack in between meals, the children eat a spelt soup stick or dried fruit. With their meals and snacks, the children drink water, tea or, occasionally, highly diluted thick juice. We also serve goat’s milk instead of cow’s milk. Goat milk is easier to digest and is less likely to cause hypersensitivity reactions and gastrointestinal complaints. Moreover, essential minerals are better absorbed in goat’s milk than in cow’s milk.
Sugar-free and salt-free
All of the food that we offer is free of preservatives, artificial flavours, fragrances and colourings and free of refined sugars, given their detrimental effect on health. We also only use pure, fresh and honest products with little or no salt and no salt is added to the meals.
Eating together
We eat meals together at the table. This allows the children to see each other eating and encourages children who naturally eat less well to also start their meal. Children are positively encouraged to taste and eat, but are never forced to eat or empty their plates completely.
Vegetable garden
Tending to our own vegetable garden is a weekly activity. The children learn where the vegetables come from. They see a seed grow into a pepper or tomato. Research has shown that when children are busy in their own vegetable garden, they are more willing to eat healthily (source: research The Times).
