Menu checklists

Download the checklists to plan each 2-week cycle of your service menu. Before planning a service menu, please read Food for children (2 to 5 years).

Download Menu checklists

Meal and water checklist

At least one main meal and two snacks should be provided each day.

Water: Offered at mealtimes and is available freely throughout the day.
Morning tea: Offered daily.
Afternoon tea: Offered daily.
Main meal: Offered daily.

Food group checklist

The number of food group serves recommended below is the amount of food needed to meet the nutritional needs of children aged 2 to 5 years in care for 8 hours.

Your menu will meet the recommendations for toddlers aged 1 to 2 years if it meets the requirements below. However, occasional foods and drinks should not be provided to children under 2 years old, including occasional foods to limit.

- Include different types and colours.
- Use fresh, frozen and canned varieties.
- Choose canned varieties with no added salt.
- An example of 1 serve is:
  - ½ cup cooked vegetables
  - ½ cup cooked beans, peas or lentils (use dried or canned varieties)
  - 1 cup green leafy or raw salad vegetables
  - ½ medium potato or sweet potato
  - 1 medium tomato.
- Choose mostly wholegrain and/or high fibre varieties, and when available, varieties with added iron.
- Include a variety of breads, cereals, rice, pasta, noodles, polenta, couscous, oats, quinoa and barley.
- Other breads include pita, lavash, wraps, Turkish, roti and Lebanese breads.
- Grain-based snack options include English muffins and plain crackers or crispbreads.
- An example of 1 serve is:
  - 1 slice (40g) of bread
  - ½ a medium bread roll or flat bread (40g)
  - ⅔ cup (30g) wheat cereal flakes
  - ¼ cup (30g) muesli
  - ½ cup (120g) cooked porridge
  - ½ cup (75 to 120g) cooked rice, polenta, quinoa, pasta or noodles
  - 3 plain crispbreads or medium crackers (35g)
  - 1 ½ thick or 3 plain thin rice or corn cakes (19g)
  - 1 crumpet or English muffin (35 to 60g).
- Serve fruit rather than juice.
- Use fresh, frozen or canned varieties.
- Choose canned fruit in natural juice, not syrup.
- An example of 1 serve is:
  - 1 medium piece of fruit such as apple, banana, orange or pear
  - 2 small apricots, kiwi fruits or plums
  - 1 cup diced or canned fruit (with no added sugar)
  - After 3 years of age: 30g dried fruit such as 4 dried apricot halves or 1½ tablespoons of sultanas.
- Choose full-fat or reduced-fat varieties.
- Choose plant-based milks with added calcium.
- Skim (low-fat) milk is not recommended for children under 5 years.
- An example of one serve is:
- Serve a variety of lean red meat, poultry or fish, and/or a variety of vegetarian meals based on eggs, tofu and legumes/beans.
- If the lunch meal includes options for children with different dietary needs, check that the:
  - meat option provides a serve of lean meat, chicken, turkey or fish
  - vegetarian option provides a serve of eggs, tofu, nuts and seeds*, legumes/ beans or plant-based meat alternatives.
- If this food group cannot be provided in the lunch option. For example, pesto pasta with cheese, then it must be met at morning or afternoon tea meals.
- Wherever possible, trim the fat from meat and include different meat textures and cooking methods.
- An example of ¾ serve is:
  - 50g cooked lean meats (70 to 75g raw weight) –beef, lamb, veal, pork, goat, kangaroo
  - 60g cooked (75g raw) lean chicken or turkey
  - 75g (85g raw) cooked fish
  - 75g canned fish
  - 2 large eggs (rounded up from ¾ serve to 1 serve of eggs)
  - 115g cooked or canned legumes/beans
  - 130g tofu
  - 11/2 tbsp (23g) nuts*, seeds*, nut or seed butters/pastes/spreads* such as peanut or almond butter or tahini* (no added salt).
*Your service may have food allergy policies in place to remove nuts and seeds, including nut/seed butters, pastes or spreads.

Foods with iron, occasional foods, and meal variety checklist

Ensure your menu meets the following criteria:

foods classified as Occasional foods to limit are served no more than twice per week and follow the portion size, Health Star Rating, and healthier ingredient and cooking method criteria
foods listed as Occasional foods to leave off are not included on the menu
at least 2 foods with iron are on the menu each day (in addition to ¾ serve of ‘lean meats and poultry, fish, eggs, tofu, nuts and seeds and legumes/beans’ food group)
for menus that are 100% vegetarian, at least 3 foods with iron are on the menu each day (in addition to the ¾ serve of ‘lean meats and poultry, fish, eggs, tofu, nuts and seeds and legumes/beans’ food group)
all vegetarian main meals include raw or lightly cooked vegetables or fruit with vitamin C
main meals are not repeated over the fortnight. Changing meals gives children different tastes, textures, colours and flavours. Try meals and snacks from different food groups and cultures.