Kids Around the Clock take pride in delivering a healthy range of delicious nutritional home cooked food for children to enjoy, in line with the statutory guidance “3.47 where children are provided with meals, snacks and drinks, they must be healthy, balanced and nutritious” (DfE, 2017), Our Chef and Staff have been trained by MEHYA Manchester’s Healthy Eating Award Scheme, all practitioners have training in food safety, our chefs have an extensive amount of experience working within the early years and have been trained to deliver a nationally balanced Early Years Menu.
Chef, staff and parents/carers come together to build a menu that is both nutritionally balanced and inspired by the world around us and the children that attend our setting. We work with parents to enable baby led weaning and We take part in world food days, tasting cuisine from around the world.
Settings have received 5* rating from Environmental Health as we have a passion for delivering high quality food in a high quality and clean environment. Kids Around the Clock have a Halal menu.
About our Halal Food – A Guide to Healthy Eating
As an early years provider, we have a key role to play in promoting health, wellbeing and food choices to support the development of young children. Halal food has grown in popularity over recent years with both Muslim and non-Muslim people, especially in the North of England.
What is halal food?
There is no definitive answer to the question of what constitutes halal food. Foods are considered halal in Islam unless they are prohibited by the Qur’an or the Hadith. Halal foods are those that are:
- Free from any component that Muslims are prohibited from consuming according to the Islamic law, Shariah.
- Produced and stored using utensils or equipment that have been cleansed in line with Islamic law.
- Reared, slaughtered, and prepared in line with Islamic dietary regulations.
Interesting facts about halal food
Halal food does not use artificial hormones, supplements, anti-toxins, additives, and other things that may harm the animal.
- There is no special method required to successfully cook halal.
- Halal food is growing in popularity outside of the Muslim religion.
- While all fish are viewed as Halal, animals that live on both land and in the water are not. For example, you can’t eat frogs or crabs because they can live both in water and land.
Types of halal food
Examples of allowed foods:
- Meat: kosher lamb, beef, game, chicken, turkey, duck, goose, and fish
- Dairy: cheese, milk, yoghurt from a kosher certified animal
- Parve Fruits, vegetables, eggs, fish, cereal products, nuts, and grains
It’s important to note that fish is not allowed to be placed on the same plate as meat. However, it is allowed to be consumed during the same meal.
Examples of forbidden foods:
- Pork, reptiles, amphibians, and insects
- Animal products or by-products made from any non-certified animal
Benefits of halal food for children
There are many health benefits for children of eating halal beef, lamb, and other meats. The main ones are:
It is safer to eat
Halal meat farmers do not use pesticides, antibiotics, or growth hormones which means these chemicals are not passed to us through consumption. Instead, animals can graze and be provided with proper nutrients that we can then benefit from when they enter our bodies.
It enhances metabolism
Halal food is of good quality and healthy, which supports the body’s immune system, brain, and metabolic function. Halal animals are fed on grass and vegetarian food, which means the meat is full of antioxidants, vitamins, and omega-3 fatty acids which are good for the human body.
It tastes better
In halal meat, the blood must be drained away from the carcass, which makes the meat more tender and taste better. The absence of blood also means that the food lasts longer.
It’s more ethical
Halal slaughter is considered humane as animals are kept in clean conditions to support disease-free growth and are treated well. Learning good moral values such as kindness, humility, courage, and compassion from a young age can help form a child’s character.
The importance of a healthy, varied diet in childcare settings
By exposing children to diverse cooking and food activities, they will gain broader knowledge about food from around the world. Introducing different cultured meals to children from a young age will help to expand their taste buds and curiosity.
The majority of children eat all three of their daily meals in childcare settings, so nurseries play a critical role in promoting healthy eating and nutrition. Parents want to know that their children are getting high-quality, nutritious food while they are at work and away from home. Teaching good eating habits to children at a young age will give them a much better chance that they will continue eating a healthy, balanced diet throughout their adult life.
Proper nutrition promotes growth and healthy brain development in children. Areas of particular importance include:
Consuming organic produce where possible
Organic produce has fewer additives and pesticides than other produce, which studies have shown can be harmful to developing brains.
Drinking plenty of water
Water should be your child’s main drink. Water promotes detoxification and dilutes harmful substances that are found in the body. Children should avoid, or at least be limited to, the amount of juices and fizzy drinks that they consume due to the amounts of sugar they contain.
Eating more fruits and veggies
Fruits and vegetables are fundamental to a child’s overall health. They contain vitamins and other essential minerals that benefit wellbeing. Children and adults should consume at least five servings of fruit and vegetables per day to support brain function.
Consuming the right fats
Healthy fats promote healthy brain development. Nuts and seeds, sardines, and avocados contain high levels of healthy fats.
Eliminating sugar
Sugar can have a negative effect on a child’s mood and disrupt the developing brain, leading to impaired memory and shortened attention span. Try to reduce the amount of refined-sugar products your child consumes including sweets, fizzy drinks, chocolate, and cakes.
Physical activity
Regular physical activity encourages healthy brain development, improves a child’s balance, and coordination, strengthens bones and muscles, and reduces the risk of heart disease and type-2 diabetes in later life.
Coordinating halal and non-halal food in a nursery setting
So, how can childcare providers ensure that halal and non-halal food aren’t mixed in a nursery setting?
One way to do this is by having a designated halal and non-halal food area in the nursery. This will help to avoid any confusion or cross-contamination. Another way to avoid any issues is by having separate utensils and crockery for halal and non-halal food. Staff should also be aware of the difference between halal and non-halal food and know how to correctly handle and prepare it.
By following these tips, nurseries and other childcare settings can ensure that all children have the opportunity to enjoy a healthy, halal meal. Halal food is not only good for the body, but it is also an important part of a child’s cultural identity. Providing halal food in a nursery setting can help teach children about different cultures and cuisines. Most importantly, it also helps to promote a sense of inclusion and diversity.