Gumnut Grove revamps menu and gains MLHD Caring for Children guideline win

Gumnut Grove Childcare, located in the rural New South Wales town of Young has recently revamped its menu, gaining recognition for meeting the Caring for Children guidelines following an assessment by Murrumbidgee Local Health District (MLHD) in the Menu Makeover initiative.

The Caring for Children guidelines incorporate the latest Australian Dietary Guidelines and Infant Feeding Guidelines and are the key documents for the Munch and Move early program.

Munch and Move is a popular program which encourages educators to engage with children during mealtimes, and to use them as a platform to educate children about food, develop healthy habits, and have new conversations about food. 

Speaking with local publication The Young Witness service director Meghan Pratt said the Gumnut Grove team were “very pleased” to have received the accolade from MLHD, acknowledging the “many hours of planning” put into the project by Clare Hayes, chef at the service. 

“It has always been our goal to achieve best practice around food options we provide to our children on a daily basis. Many children are eating meals on a regular basis in care, making a large contribution to their diets” Ms Pratt told The Young Witness. 

The process of participating in the program, and of offering a wide range of food options for children, considering their cultural needs and the needs of those with medical needs, has been “very satisfying” Ms Pratt said. 

Barb Manwaring, health promotion officer at Young Community Health Service, said the newly adapted menu offers variety and nutrition for the children attending Gumnut Grove, praising the team on their “outstanding efforts”. 

To read the original coverage of this story, please see here. Further resources to support the Munch and Move program are available on the website, here.