No images? Click here
In This Issue
Welcome to the new subscription year!
Are you allergy aware?
Little waste warriors
Reducing mealtime food waste
Let kids plan the menu!
2024 Food Safety Supervisor Courses
Recipes
Training Opportunities
Access links
Food Foundations 2024-2025
Welcome to the new Food Foundations subscription year!
We have already had a busy start to 2024, but have so much more to come in this new subscription year! Our favourite part of Food Foundations is getting to meet and work with you, the hardworking educators, cooks/ chefs and directors working in early years education and care. We look forward to continuing to support your service to provide positive food environments for the children you care for.
Keep an eye out for your subscription invoice, which will be sent out in the next week. Please get in touch with us on 07 3257 4393 or email foodfoundations@naqld.org if you have any questions about your subscription.
This year we are excited to announce some new additions to the Food Foundations program. As well as the regular inclusions, we are offering free menu planning training and ECEC cooks network meetings. Read more below!
*NEW*
Menu Planning in ECEC Settings Workshop
Our 2hr virtual Menu Planning in ECEC Settings Workshop is now freely available for Food Foundations subscribers. This is open to cooks and chefs who work in ECEC settings, and service directors are also welcome to join.
We will be holding one workshop each month which will be advertised in monthly E-newsletters. Click below to find out more and register for April or May workshops.
*NEW*
Cooks Corner Network Meetings
We are excited to be starting up a bi-monthly Cooks Corner Network Meeting. This will be a virtual meeting on Zoom, and is an opportunity for cooks and chefs working in ECEC services to collaborate, share ideas, discuss challenges and come up with solutions together. Meetings will be run by our early years dietitian, Rosie, who will provide a brief PD, facilitate discussion, and be available to answer questions. We would love to have you join us! The first session is on Wednesday 8th May from 2-3pm.
Download your Food Foundations Certificate
Download and print out your Food Foundations certificate to display in your Centre. Click on the button below to download your certificate - you will need to sign in to your account to do this. If you have issues logging in, please send us an email at foodfoundations@naqld.org.
Are you allergy aware?
1 in 10 children in Australia aged 18 months to 3 years has a medically diagnosed food allergy. Recently, services we have worked with report upwards of 30% of children in their care having a food allergy or intolerance. To make sure you are aware of the responsibilities of your service in managing food allergies, and where to access best practice tools, read this article from ACECQA.
Little waste warriors!
Earth Day is next week - April 22nd!
Earth Day is a great opportunity to highlight the importance of food sustainability, and teaching children small ways to care for the environment. Some fun ways to teach children about reducing food waste include:
- Create a worm farm or compost and allocate children to maintain it.
- Encourage children to separate their food waste at mealtimes into scrap containers - one for compostable food scraps and one for scraps that can't go in the compost bin.
- Have a regular end of the week smoothie making session where you use up fruit that won't last until Monday.
- Grow some herbs, veggies or fruit in your garden - talk about saving seeds so that you can grow foods again.
- Nude food - talk about foods that you can eat that don't come in a packet, or how you can store or wrap food without using single-use plastics.
Reducing mealtime food waste
Children's preferences and mealtime environments can have a big impact on food waste!
Some key strategies to help reduce mealtime waste are:
- When serving a new or unfamiliar food, make sure it is served alongside a food that is familiar to increase the chances of this food being accepted.
- Make sure children know they are allowed to come back for second helpings, and don't have to overfill their plate.
- Educators can role model positive eating through joining in the mealtime, talking about trying new foods, and encouraging positive language when talking about food.
- Offer some 'family style' meals where children are able to select foods from the middle of the table. This also promotes independence, development of motor skills, and intuitive eating skills.
Let kids plan the menu!
Do you involve children in planning your service menu?
The more children can be involved in food decisions, the more likely they are to eat the food prepared for them. Here are a few ideas on how to get children involved in planning your service menu.
- Write down a list, or print out pictures of snacks and main meals that can be included on the menu.
- Ask the children to choose their favourite meals and snacks from these lists/pictures.
- Using a blank weekly menu plan, ask the children to choose which days they want to have the foods.
Some questions you could ask include:
- What veggies should we serve with the dip this day?
- What fruit should we add to the muffins?
- What fillings should we have on sandwiches?
- Are there any foods that you want to try that you haven't tried before?
- What are your favourite foods to include in the menu?
2024 Food Safety Supervisor Courses
According to the Food Standards Code, Standard 3.2.2A Food Safety Management Tools, your Food Safety Supervisor (FSS) certification now needs to be renewed every five years. Enforcement of this commenced on 8th December 2023. For more information on these new requirements, visit the Queensland Government website here.
Our 3-hour face to face recertification course is for those who already hold a Food Safety Supervisor (FSS) certification and need to renew it. Upon completion, students achieve a statement of attainment for the following units of competency: HLTFSE001, HLTFSE005, HLTFSE007.
Upcoming recertification course dates:
Tuesday 14th May 9am - 12pm
Newmarket - Grange Community Hall
If these options don’t suit, please don't hesitate to email us at training@naqld.org with your preferred date and time. We will try to accommodate your request if possible.
We also offer private recertification courses delivered at your workplace for a minimum of 6 people ($290 per person). Please phone or email us to find out more.
Please note: you will be required to provide a copy of your previous FSS statement of attainment in order to attend this course.
Full Course Cost: $385
This full-day face to face course is available to those working in early years, OSHC, aged care and disability settings and prepares food safety supervisors to supervise and oversee day to day operations and to prevent and recognise food safety hazards through nationally recognised training.
Upon completion, students achieve a statement of attainment for the following units of competency:
- HLTFSE001: Follow basic food safety practices
- HLTFSE005: Apply and monitor food safety requirements
- HLTFSE007: Oversee the day to day implementation of food safety in the workplace
Tuesday 11th June 9am - 4pm
NEW VENUE! Richlands - C.J. Greenfield Community Hall
Tuesday 9th July 9am - 4pm
Newmarket - Grange Community Hall
Tuesday 6th August 9am - 4pm
Northgate - Northgate Hall
If these options don’t suit, please don't hesitate to email us at training@naqld.org with your preferred date and time. We will try to accommodate your request if possible.
We also offer private full courses delivered at your workplace for a minimum of 6 people ($385 per person). Please phone or email us to find out more.
Recipes
This month we have two delicious berry recipes to share:
Use fresh or frozen berries to make these recipes if berries are not in season. Smoothies are a great way to use up fruit that might be close to spoiling and strawberry balls are a wonderful morning tea snack for your service menu or to share with families for lunchbox ideas.
Training Opportunities
Online Training
We offer a suite of online training programs through our partner In Safe Hands. Click on the following buttons for more information and to register.
Access links
Once logged in to the subscriber section of our website, access the following:
Do you have a question for the Food Foundations team?
Feel free to give us a call (07 3257 4393) or email through your questions to foodfoundations@naqld.org
Nutrition Australia Qld
Ph: (07) 3257 4393
Email: foodfoundations@naqld.org
Website: www.naqld.org
Nutrition Australia acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the land we work on and pays respect to Elders past, present and emerging.
