LATEST STORIES
Healthy Food and Nutrition
At Best Start Botany Junction, we take responsibility for promoting children’s hauora by offering suitable healthy (and developmentally appropriate) food, drink and active movement.
The team believes that children learn from examples. Encouraging them to make healthy choices will promote healthy habits that support them to lead healthy and active lifestyles over time. Children need the proper nutrients to help their bones, teeth, and muscles develop.
At Botany Junction, our cook Priya prepares fresh meals daily on the school premises, providing a balanced diet with something from each food group that meets their nutritional needs and helps children build healthy habits. All meals served at Botany Junction follow the guidelines by services such as the Heart Foundation Nutrition Advisor to ensure they meet the Healthy Heart Award requirements.
The centre has been awarded the Whanau Award by the Heart Foundation, which shows our commitment to creating an environment that promotes healthy eating and physical activities for the tamariki in our care. All food and dietary requirements are catered for. All you need to do is ask.
Our children’s special days are celebrated by cutting healthy cakes designed by our chef. Healthy party snacks and ideas are shared with parents and encouraged. The centre undertakes regular reviews of our menus to make sure that we are providing variety and including some of our children’s favourite dishes from home, making our menu culturally inclusive.