restaurant Meals & Nutrition

Real Food, Cooked on Site, Shared Together

Our cook prepares meals on site each day. Morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea and a late snack are included in your daily fee. Please bring the daily items listed in our parent handbook, including a piece of fruit.

Learning through play at Cuddly Bear Day Care Centre

Our cook prepares meals on site and caters for special dietary needs. The weekly menu is displayed in the foyer and shared through HubHello.

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Our approach
Food the way food should be

Familiar ingredients and a varied menu give children opportunities to try different foods together.

Meals throughout the day

Our weekly menu includes the four meals and snacks below. Babies follow their own feeding routines.

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Morning tea

Fruit, milk and cereal feature in the supplied sample menu.

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Lunch

A cooked meal, with a variety of dishes across the week.

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Afternoon tea

A snack such as bread, muffins or oat bars, with fruit.

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Late snack

Fruit, crackers and milk before pickup.

Sample weekly menu

An example from our supplied menu. Check the menu displayed at the centre or in HubHello for the current week.

Day
Morning tea
Lunch
Afternoon tea
Late snack
Monday
Fruit, milk, corn flakes and Weet-Bix
Creamy chicken with rice and vegetables
Bread spread and fruit
Fruit, Sao crackers and milk
Tuesday
Fruit, milk, corn flakes and Weet-Bix
Lasagna with cheese sauce and vegetables
Banana oat bars and fruit
Fruit, Sao crackers and milk
Wednesday
Fruit, milk, corn flakes and Weet-Bix
Mixed rice with mince and vegetables
Ice cream, jelly and fruit
Fruit, Sao crackers and milk
Thursday
Fruit, milk, corn flakes and Weet-Bix
Sweet and sour chicken with rice and vegetables
Savoury muffins and fruit
Fruit, Sao crackers and milk
Friday
Fruit, milk, corn flakes and Weet-Bix
Beef burger with baked potato and fresh vegetables
Coconut cake and fruit
Fruit, Sao crackers and milk

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Cooked on site
A Real Kitchen at the Heart of the Centre

Our cook, Gul, prepares meals on site and works with the team to cater for the children. Children enjoy their meals together in their rooms.

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Family-style eating
At the Table, Together

Educators sit and eat alongside the children, modelling conversation and easy, happy eating. There is no pressure to clear plates and no reward for eating greens, just calm meals, and the quiet magic of a friend trying something new beside you.

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Allergies & dietary needs
Every Plate Accounted For

We cater for a wide range of dietary needs, including dairy-free, gluten-free, vegetarian, and cultural and religious diets. Our food coordinator works with each family, and our educators are trained in anaphylaxis and asthma management. Tell us at orientation and we will walk you through how your child’s meals are handled.

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For babies
Bottles, Breast Milk and First Foods

Breast milk is labelled, dated and stored safely, warmed gently and offered on your baby’s cues. Breastfeeding parents are welcome to feed on site. Formula follows your home brand, and starting solids is a partnership. We follow your lead on textures and foods, with daily notes home on what was offered and enjoyed.

Meals included in your daily fee

Morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea and a late snack are included in the daily fee. Please bring one piece of fruit, one or two changes of clothes, a jumper, a water bottle, a milk bottle and a sun-smart hat. For babies, pack five or six nappies and formula if needed. Label all belongings clearly.

Dietary needs

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Dairy-free

Oat, soy or rice-milk alternatives swapped through the menu.

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Gluten-free

Separate gluten-free bread, pasta and baking.

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Vegetarian and vegan

Plant-based mains rotated regularly, vegan swaps on request.

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Halal

Catered for families who require it.

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Cultural and religious

Hindu, Buddhist and other culturally specific meals catered with care.

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Medical allergies

Individual Risk Minimisation Plans agreed at orientation.

Learning through play at Cuddly Bear Day Care Centre

Mealtimes are learning too

Learning about food
Children talk about ingredients and discover different foods through meals and suitable activities.

Conversation
Mealtimes give children time to talk with their friends and educators.

Food from different cultures
Our menu introduces children to different dishes.

More serves are welcome
Children may eat as many serves as they wish.

Learning through play at Cuddly Bear Day Care Centre
From the kitchen

A look around

  • Learning through play at Cuddly Bear Day Care Centre
  • Learning through play at Cuddly Bear Day Care Centre
    Common questions

    Common questions, answered

    • What if my child is a fussy eater

      Family-style meals are our quiet advantage. Sitting next to a friend who is tucking into their vegetables works wonders. Our educators never pressure, they offer, model and try again another day. Many families tell us their child eats things here that they would not touch at home.

    • How do you manage allergies

      Every allergy has an individual Risk Minimisation Plan agreed at orientation. The menu board flags allergens, and our educators are trained in anaphylaxis and asthma management.

    • Can you cater religious or cultural diets

      Yes. We cater halal, vegetarian and other culturally specific diets. Tell us at orientation and our food coordinator will walk you through how the menu is adapted.

    • How do you handle breast milk and formula

      Expressed milk is labelled, dated and stored safely, then warmed gently and offered on your baby’s cues. Formula follows your home brand and ratio, and any unused milk is sent home so you can see what was taken.

    • Can I send my own food

      Generally no, however exceptions can be made.

    Keep exploring

    More of how a Cuddly Bear day comes together.

    Learning through play at Cuddly Bear Day Care Centre
    menu_book
    CURRICULUM & EYLF

    How play-based learning maps to the national framework.

    Learn more arrow_forward
    Learning through play at Cuddly Bear Day Care Centre
    schedule
    DAILY ROUTINE

    A day at Cuddly Bear from 7am to 6pm.

    Learn more arrow_forward
    Learning through play at Cuddly Bear Day Care Centre
    celebration
    EVENTS & INCURSIONS

    Family events and visiting programs like Living Eggs and SciTech.

    Learn more arrow_forward

    Taste It for Yourself

    Visit the centre, meet our educators and ask about the menu and your child’s dietary needs. Tours run on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at 9:30am.