Woolworths at Work celebrates one year of nourishing excellence with Menu Plan & Order

As compliance pressures and nutritional expectations intensify, Woolworths at Work’s Menu Plan & Order marks 12 months of helping early childhood education and care services streamline menu planning, meet state guidelines and support quality outcomes for children.

Behind every high-performing early childhood education and care (ECEC) service is a kitchen working hard each day to nourish growing minds and bodies.

The role of cooks and chefs in early learning services is often under-recognised. It carries significant responsibility, balancing budgets, managing diverse dietary needs, meeting allergy requirements and aligning menus with regulatory and nutritional guidelines. In long day care settings, meal provision also intersects directly with obligations under the National Quality Framework (NQF), particularly in relation to children’s health, safety and wellbeing.

Recognising these operational and compliance demands, Woolworths at Work launched Menu Plan & Order (MPO) in March 2025. Designed specifically for the ECEC sector, the online platform aims to reduce administrative burden while supporting nutritionally balanced, cost-conscious meal provision.

As the tool reaches its first anniversary, adoption data shows strong sector engagement.

Since launch, close to 100 customers have adopted Menu Plan & Order, placing almost 10,000 orders through the platform. National providers including G8 Education, Goodstart Early Learning, Aspire Early Education and Edge Early Learning are among those using the feature on a weekly basis.

At its core, Menu Plan & Order integrates menu planning and grocery ordering into a single simple process. Users can:

• add complete recipes to their cart in one click
• adjust serving sizes based on enrolments
• manage product substitutions where required
• reduce manual calculations associated with food group serves

By consolidating planning and procurement, the tool is designed to reduce time spent on spreadsheets and manual compliance checks.

Woolworths at Work developed Menu Plan & Order in collaboration with a pilot group of ECEC customers, including G8 Education, as well as independent accredited nutritionists, dietitians and practising ECEC chefs from across Australia.

The result is a library of 119 recipes, comprising:

• 73 lunch recipes, including 39 meat-based and 34 vegetarian options
• 46 snack recipes suitable for morning and afternoon tea

Recognising the diversity of children’s dietary requirements, the platform incorporates:

• Allergen management: alternatives for recipes containing wheat, gluten, dairy, soy, sesame, egg, fish, shellfish and lupin
• Nut-free recipes: all recipes exclude tree nuts and peanuts
• Inclusive meal options: halal alternatives and purée meal suggestions 

These features support services in meeting both family expectations and regulatory requirements around health and safety.

Navigating state-based nutrition guidance can be complex, particularly for multi-site providers operating across jurisdictions.

To address this, Menu Plan & Order includes two seasonal 4 week menu cycles, both tailored to state-specific requirements:

• Spring/Summer
• Autumn/Winter 

In total, four menu plan versions are available.

Both cycles are tailored to state-specific requirements. For example - the NSW and ACT plans align with Munch & Move and the Caring for Children resource. The Victoria and other states' plans align with the Menu Planning Guidelines for long day care.

The platform also accounts for regional differences in recommended food group serves. For example, lean red meat must be served at least six times per fortnight in NSW, compared to four times in Victoria.

All menu plans are designed to align with the Australian Dietary Guidelines and broader NQF expectations, supporting services in demonstrating compliance during assessment and rating.

Lucille Marsh, Head of Procurement at G8 Education, said the platform has strengthened consistency and efficiency:

“Woolworths at Work’s Menu Plan & Order online feature has been a tremendous addition to G8 Education centres across Australia. We’re dedicated to providing nutritious meals for children in our care and Menu Plan & Order takes the complexity away, it’s much easier and more convenient. And the children love the recipes!”

A detailed G8 Education case study outlining the operational impact of Menu Plan & Order can be viewed here:

The weekly use of Menu Plan & Order by large national providers reflects a growing appetite for digital tools that reduce compliance risk while supporting quality outcomes.

As services transition into Autumn menu cycles, many are reviewing seasonal changes in line with regulatory and nutritional guidance.

To support this shift, take a look at Woolworths at Work’s on-demand webinar showcasing recipes perfect for the colder months, available to view here. 

With Easter approaching, services are also preparing for family engagement events such as shared morning and afternoon teas. The platform integrates seasonal items, including hot cross buns and chocolate treats, alongside craft supplies commonly used for Easter-themed activities.

Woolworths at Work has also hosted sector roundtables in Sydney and Melbourne, bringing together leaders from both ECEC and outside school hours care (OSHC) services.

Discussions have focused on nutrition standards, supply chain reliability, workforce preferences and compliance pressures. OSHC providers in particular have expressed interest in greater knowledge sharing around menu planning and operational efficiency.

Frequently asked questions

How does the tool manage different state nutrition guidelines?
Menu Plan & Order provides state-aligned menu cycles tailored to NSW, ACT, Victoria and other jurisdictions. The platform adjusts food group serves and menu frequency requirements to reflect local guidance, including differences in recommended red meat frequency and other food group benchmarks.

What are the specific benefits for ECEC providers?
All services benefit from simplified ordering, scalable recipe quantities and structured snack options that align with healthy eating guidance. The platform also supports time-poor teams by reducing manual menu documentation requirements.

How are allergen and halal meal options managed?
Recipes are designed to exclude tree nuts and peanuts. The platform provides clearly identified alternatives for common allergens, including wheat, gluten, dairy, soy, sesame, egg, fish, shellfish and lupin. Halal alternatives and puréed meal suggestions are available across meal categories, supporting inclusive practice.

Menu Plan & Order is positioned as an operational support tool, enabling cooks and chefs to focus on preparing nutritious meals rather than managing spreadsheets and manual compliance checks.

For Woolworths at Work Enterprise+ Learn and Care customers, access to Menu Plan & Order is complimentary.

Further information is available via the Menu Plan and Order hub.