Five fresh meals a day, cooked on site by Lorna.

Every meal at West Ryde Long Day Care is cooked on site by our chef Lorna, who has been with us since 2021. Children get five meals across the day, all included in the daily fee.

What a day of meals looks like

Every weekday at our West Ryde centre, children are offered five separate meal occasions. Everything is included in the daily fee:

• Breakfast for children who arrive early, before family breakfast at home
• Morning tea fruit, dairy, and a wholegrain
• Hot lunch the main meal of the day, cooked from scratch that morning
• Afternoon tea something to bridge the gap before pickup
• Late afternoon snack a final snack before pickup

Plain milk and water are served at meal times. Fresh water is available all day, both indoors and on the playground.

The weekly menu

The full weekly menu is shared through the OWNA app, where every enrolled family can see what's being served each day.

Want to see a sample week before enrolling? Bring it up on a tour and we'll print one for you to take home.

A multicultural menu for a multicultural community

Lorna prepares meals that work for vegetarian diets and a wide range of family-driven dietary requirements, all directly in the kitchen rather than as a side option.

The full list of dietary requirements is captured at enrolment and updated whenever a parent flags a change.

Why a centre chef matters

Every meal at West Ryde is cooked on site by Lorna in the centre's kitchen, fresh each morning. Cooking on site has practical benefits that families notice at pickup:

• Fresh, hot food. The lunch your child eats was started that morning, not the day before.
• Direct allergy management. The chef knows every child's specific allergies and dietary requirements personally.
• A real kitchen, in the building. Children pass the kitchen on the way to lunch and see meals being prepared. Food at this centre is part of daily life, not something that arrives in a box.

One parent told us that Lorna's cooking gets her son to eat "whatever is put in front of him, even vegetables." Another family told us their daughter, now in primary school, still talks about Lorna's food.

Munch & Move and our nutrition approach

Our menu is aligned with Munch & Move, the NSW Health initiative that supports the healthy development of children from birth to 5 years. The approach focuses on vegetable serves, fruit serves, wholegrain inclusions, water access, and limits on processed foods.

Some specific things we focus on:

Vegetables across the day

Vegetables turn up in most meals, in different forms: in sauces and pasta dishes, alongside the main, blended into soups, or fresh at snack time. Repeated, low-pressure exposure is what builds familiarity over time.

Wholegrain by default

Wholemeal bread and pasta, brown rice. White bread is the exception, not the rule.

Limited sugar

No sweet drinks. Plain milk and water only. Cakes and biscuits are occasional treats, not daily fare.

Real fruit

Fresh fruit at morning tea every day. Seasonal where possible. No canned fruit in syrup.

Calm meal times

Children sit together, educators eat with them, conversation is encouraged. Eating is social, not rushed.

Allergies and dietary requirements

We cater for children with allergies, intolerances, and family-driven dietary requirements (vegetarian, no pork, no shellfish, gluten free, dairy free, egg free, and others). The full list is captured at enrolment and updated whenever a parent flags a change.

For babies in the Joeys Room

For our youngest children in the Joeys Room (0-2 years), feeding follows the family's home routine. Bottles, formula, breastfeeding support and the introduction of solids are all handled to match what your family is doing at home, not the room's schedule. As babies move from milk to solids, we coordinate with each family on what they're eating at home and progressively introduce the same foods at the centre.

The aim is consistency. Babies do better when their feeding routine at the centre matches what's happening at home, and we work with each family to make that happen.

What if my child is a fussy eater?

Most children go through a period of being unsure about new foods. That's normal. Our approach is gentle exposure, not pressure. Children are offered everything on the menu, but they aren't pushed to finish.

What tends to happen: children watch the other children eating, they see the educators eating it, and in time they start trying new things. Many parents report that children who refused a food at home eat it happily here. Eating is social, and children will often try things in a group that they'd reject at the family table.

If you have specific concerns about your child's eating, we'd love to talk on a tour or a phone call. We work closely with families to make meal times work for each child.

Questions families ask about meals

The most common questions parents ask us about food, allergies and how meal times work day to day.

What meals are provided each day?

Five meals a day, all cooked on site by our chef Lorna: breakfast for early arrivals, morning tea, a hot cooked lunch, afternoon tea, and a late afternoon snack before pickup.

Do children bring food from home?

No. We provide every meal as part of the daily fee. The only thing you bring is a labelled water bottle and a comforter if your child uses one. Babies on bottles, formula or breastmilk are catered for individually in the Joeys Room.

Do you cater for vegetarian diets?

Yes. We cater for vegetarian and other family-driven dietary requirements directly in the kitchen. Our chef Lorna prepares meals that work for every family.

How do you manage allergies and intolerances?

Allergies and intolerances are catered for directly in the kitchen. Each child with a documented allergy or intolerance has a clearly labelled meal prepared separately by our chef. We have written allergy and anaphylaxis management plans, and educators are trained in their use.

Are you nut aware?

Yes. We are a nut-aware centre. No nuts or nut products are served on site, and we ask families not to send any food containing nuts to the centre.

Do you follow Munch & Move?

Yes. Our menu and physical activity program are aligned with the NSW Health Munch & Move guidelines. Vegetables across most meals, wholegrains by default, limited added sugar, real fruit at snack times, and active play built into the day.

Can parents see the weekly menu?

Yes. The weekly menu is shared through the OWNA app, which all enrolled families have access to. Daily meals and any changes are recorded there.

What if my child is a fussy eater?

Our approach is gentle exposure, not pressure. Children are offered everything on the menu but are never pushed to finish. Eating is social, and many parents tell us their child happily tries foods at the centre that they refuse at home.

Questions about meals?

The best way to see what we do is to come on a tour. You'll see the kitchen, smell the lunch being prepared, and watch a meal time in action. Tours run weekly. Call 02 9858 5333 or book online.

For more about Munch & Move and healthy eating in early childhood, visit the NSW Health Healthy Kids site.