Nutrition
Healthy, nourishing food is central to our childcare philosophy
Good nutrition sets your child up with what they need to take on the day! More energy, better brain function, and improved moods are just a few benefits of having a conscious, health-filled menu at our childcare centre. Read on to discover more about our nutrition principles.
Here at Oma Rāpeti, Freemans Bay we follow a vegetarian diet. This makes it very easy to cater for vegan diets or any dietary restrictions or allergies our tamariki may have.
Our recent menu review
We recently had our menu reviewed and assessed by registered paediatric family dietitian and nutritionist, Rachael Wilson from The Food Tree.
Rachael had this to say:
"It was an absolute pleasure working with Oma Rāpeti. The children enjoy a truly excellent menu; each day they are offered fresh organic whole foods, with plenty of variety from all the food groups to choose from. The teaching team demonstrate many aspects of exemplary practice when it comes to supporting children to have a good relationship with food, such as growing their own vegetables and herbs, which the children then help harvest and prepare for meal times."
– Rachael Wilson - registered paediatric dietitian and family nutritionist from The Food Tree.
More About Nutrition at Oma Rāpeti — Freemans Bay
At Oma Rāpeti Early Learning Centre we believe high-quality nutrition is important for health, well-being, growth, and development.
- We enjoy a vegetarian diet.
- Should you and your family choose to follow a vegan diet, we can easily cater for this.
- The children love to get involved in our organic vegetable garden; selecting and growing their own plants.
- As much as possible our ingredients are organic.
- We cook from scratch using real ingredients like garlic, onion, fresh herbs, dried herbs and spices, organic vegetable bouillon, olive oil, and rice-bran oil.
- Our drinking water is filtered.
- We use organic flour and rice and other organic dried goods in our regular home baking of low sugar treats.
- We cater for vegetarian, dairy free, and gluten free diets, with egg free options where necessary.
- We cater for all children with any allergies.
- We make vegetable smoothies packed full of nutrition.
- Meals are served with fresh vegetables like cucumber or steamed broccoli.
- Muesli or porridge is available for any child needing breakfast, along with morning and afternoon tea, lunch, and a late snack if required.
- Children bring their own lunch boxes on a Friday and we encourage parents and children to make healthy choices with as little packaging as possible.
- We encourage building independence in eating.
- Children learn to serve themselves, have patience, and enjoy this important social time together.
Sugar policy: we have a no sugar policy in place here at Oma Rāpeti. Children enjoy home baking with natural sweeteners such as honey used.
We ask that parents do not bring in cakes on birthdays, in line with our policy. Our birthdays are celebrated with beautiful birthday trays that the children choose and decorate themselves. Parents are always welcome to join our celebrations.
No preservatives: we make as much of our food from scratch, meaning there are a little preservatives as possible.
We serve a variety of meals from different places around the world, such as...
- Organic pasta with tomato passata sauce, steamed veggies, and cheese.
- Fried rice with vegetables, egg, and soy sauce.
- Wraps with salad, hummus, and cheese.
- Sushi bowls with rice, carrot, cucumber. and tamari sauce.
- Mild chickpea curry with coconut milk.
- Fresh sandwiches with salad, cheese, mashed egg, and mayo.
- Refried bean and cheese toasted nacho bowls.
Winter Menu
Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | |
Morning tea | Porridge, coconut & fresh fruit or cooked apple | Hommade bread with butter, marmite seed butter and fruit | Quinoa pudding, coconut & fresh fruit or cooked apple | GF Cake & fresh fruit | Lunch boxes |
Lunch week 1 | Chinese veggie rice, grated cheese, fried egg (burrow) sesame or linseeds (meadow) tamari, nori & peas or corn | Carrot, kumara and lentil stew with millet or rice, grated carrot and cheese. | Sandwiches with grated beetroot & carrot, fresh spinach, tomato, boiled eggs mashed with mayo, cucumber & cheese | Cauliflower and lentil pasta with veges and grated cheese | Lunch boxes |
| Rice bowl, spinach, grated carrot & beetroot, fried egg, peas or corn, grated cheese, nori and tamari. | Mexican brand with millet or rice, cheese sour cream & corn or grated carrot | Bread with pumpkin & lentil soup with grated cheese & carrot | Tomato, lentil, spinach pasta, grated cheese & veges | Lunch boxes |
Afternoon Tea | Corn thins crackers, hummus, cottage cheese and fruit platter | Yogurt, muesli and fruit salad | Dairy free scones and smoothie | Potato chips with sauce & smoothie | Lunch boxes |
Summer Menu
Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | |
Morning tea | Porridge, coconut & fresh fruit or cooked apple | Hommade bread with butter, marmite seed butter and fruit | Quinoa porridge, coconut & fresh fruit or cooked apple | GF Cake & fresh fruit | Lunch boxes |
Lunch week 1 | Chinese veggie rice, grated cheese, fried egg (burrow) sesame or linseeds (meadow) tamari, nori & peas or corn | Rice bowl, spinach, grated carrot & beetroot, fried egg, cheese, cucumber & tamari | Sandwiches with grated beetroot & carrot, fresh spinach, tomato, boiled eggs mashed with mayo, cucumber & cheese | Tomato, lentil, spinach pasta, grated cheese & veges | Lunch boxes |
| Chinese veggie rice grated cheese fried egg corn or peas & tamari sauce and tori | Mexican brand with millet or rice, cheese sour cream & corn or grated carrot | Bread with pumpkin & lentil soup with grated cheese & carrot or sandwiches | Tomato, lentil, spinach pasta, grated cheese & veges | Lunch boxes |
Afternoon Tea | Corn thins crackers, hummus, cottage cheese and fruit platter | Yogurt, muesli and fruit salad | Dairy free scones and smoothie | Potato chips with sauce & smoothie | Lunch boxes |
Extract from a Student Teacher's Final Assignment...
"The centre offers organic, vegetarian, no sugar and low salt foods for all children. The food is amazing, and all the children enjoyed everything. I can see the love that the centre cook puts into the food for the children, and I can see the love that the children have for the kai as they will often have three-to-four servings if they want.
The tables are also laid each meal time and will always have a vase with fresh flowers in, for a lovely homely feeling. All children (including under twos) use china bowls and plates, and glass cups. When I asked the teachers about this they said it shows the children that the adults have trust in them to use the plates, bowls and cups which can easily break. The whole four weeks I was there nothing got broken – amazing."
— Abby, AUT Student
Freemans Bay
1 Pratt Street, Freemans Bay, Auckland
Phone 09 376 7282
enquiries@omarapeti.net.nz