Menus & Nutrition
Freshly prepared, home-cooked meals made with love in our 5-star hygiene-rated kitchen every day.
Spring / Summer Menu 2026
All our meals are freshly prepared each day in our 5-star hygiene-rated kitchen by our in-house cook, Rachel. Using our fully equipped kitchen, we make sure every meal is healthy, balanced, and full of flavour. We follow a four-week rolling menu, although this may occasionally vary. All our team complete food hygiene training, which is refreshed annually to ensure we stay up to date with the latest guidance.
Catering to Every Child
At Ladybird Nursery, we know that every child is different. We are happy to support children with allergies and cultural dietary requirements, making sure mealtimes are safe, enjoyable, and inclusive for everyone.
Healthy and Balanced Meals
Our menus are carefully planned to meet government guidelines for early years nutrition. We provide a variety of balanced meals, including wholegrain options and plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables. We also keep salt and sugar to a minimum.
Children are offered milk or water at snack times, and water is provided with lunch and tea. Fresh drinking water is always available throughout the day. As tea is a lighter meal, your child may need a small snack at home.
Breakfast
Breakfast is available between 8:00am and 9:00am. We offer a range of healthy, low-sugar cereals such as Weetabix and Shreddies, multi grain hoops to help children start their day well.
Snack Time
Children enjoy snacks in their rooms at around 10:00am and 2:00pm. Each room has its own fruit bowl, and children are encouraged to choose which fruit they would like, helping to build confidence and promote healthy eating habits.
Week 1
Lunch
| Day | Main Course | Description | Side Dish | Second Course |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Veggie mac ’n’ cheese | Pasta, cheese, milk, flour, butter, butternut squash & cauliflower and pepper D, G | Carrots | Fresh mixed berries |
| Tuesday | Roast Gammon Roasted Vegetables V |
Unsalted Gammon, new potatoes, green beans and gravy G | Green Beans | |
| Wednesday | Lentil cottage pie | Red lentils, carrots, peas, onion, vegetable stock, potato, thyme, rosemary & broccoli | Broccoli | Bananas, reduced sugar custard D |
| Thursday | Tuna Pasta bake Chickpeas V |
Fusilli pasta, tuna, onion, garlic, chopped tomatoes, tomato puree, double cream D, G | Peas and sweetcorn | |
| Friday | Savoury mince Lentils V |
Mince, onion, garlic, carrots, beef stock, peas, sweetcorn, courgettes, parsley and rice | Rice | Pumpkin seed flapjacks G |
Light Tea
| Day | Light Tea | Description | Side Dish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Pancakes with fruit | Flour, eggs and milk, blueberries, bananas D, G | Mascarpone D |
| Tuesday | Scrambled eggs & bagels | Free range eggs, milk, butter, bagels, peppers D, G | Pepper sticks |
| Wednesday | Orzo salad | Orzo, pasta, sweetcorn, cucumber, tomatoes, red pepper, parsley G | Sliced ham |
| Thursday | Broccoli cheese bites | Broccoli, free range eggs, cheese, beetroot, lettuce, sweetcorn D | Mixed salad |
| Friday | Spaghetti Hoops and wholemeal bread | Wholemeal spaghetti hoops, wholemeal bread, butter, grated cheese D, G | Grated cheese D |
Week 2
Lunch
| Day | Main Course | Description | Side Dish | Second Course |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Spaghetti Bolognaise Chunky Mushrooms V |
Mince, onion, garlic, basil, chopped tomato, tomato puree, beef stock, grated carrots, spaghetti & garlic bread G | Spaghetti and garlic bread G | |
| Tuesday | Jacket potato with slaw and salad | Potatoes, cheese, beans, cabbage, carrot, mayonnaise, lemon juice, pepper, lettuce, salad tomatoes, cucumber D | Coleslaw and salad | Oat cookies G |
| Wednesday | Chicken Chinese curry Jack fruit V |
Chicken, mild curry powder, Chinese five spice, garlic, turmeric, chicken stock, coconut milk, onions, peas, cornflour to thicken, rice, spring rolls D | Rice and spring rolls D, G | |
| Thursday | Creamy tomato veg pasta | Pasta, chopped tomatoes, carrot, courgettes, red pepper, lettuce, cucumber G | Lettuce and cucumber | Fresh melon |
| Friday | Cod fingers with mash and mixed veg Veggie Fingers V |
Cod finger, potato, milk, butter, pepper, peas, sweetcorn, green beans and broccoli D, G | Mixed vegetables |
Light Tea
| Day | Light Tea | Description | Side Dish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Wraps | Wraps, butter, soft cheese, ham, chicken, salad tomatoes, cucumber, little gem lettuce D, G | Mixed salad |
| Tuesday | Crumpets | Crumpet, butter, reduced sugar jam, honey (honey not to be given to under 1’s), marmite D, G | Cucumber sticks |
| Wednesday | Cracker platter | Wholemeal crackers, cheddar slices, wafer thin chicken, marmite and apples and pears D, G | Fruit slices |
| Thursday | Mini Sandwich selection | Wholemeal bread, cucumber, egg mayonnaise, avocado and soft cheese, ham D, G | Houmous and carrot sticks |
| Friday | Mini pasta veggie salad | Star pasta, chopped tomatoes, grated courgettes, and carrots, lettuce, sweetcorn, tomatoes, cucumber G | Sweetcorn salad |
Week 3
Lunch
| Day | Main Course | Description | Side Dish | Second Course |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Fish fillet, mash and veg Portobello Mushroom V |
Fish fillet, potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, parsley butter, flour and milk D, G | Mixed vegetables | Reduced sugar ice cream D |
| Tuesday | Beef mince pasta bake Mixed lentils V |
Fusilli pasta, cheese, beef mince, onion, carrot, courgettes, garlic, chicken stock, chopped tomatoes, tomato puree, oregano, parsley, rosemary, thyme D, G | Broccoli and cauliflower | |
| Wednesday | Mixed bean chilli and couscous | Mixed beans, red lentils, baked beans, mild chilli powder, couscous, vegetable stock, peppers G | Couscous and sliced peppers G | Baked apples with cinnamon and vanilla crème fraîche D |
| Thursday | Katsu curry and rice Tofu V |
Onions, garlic, carrots, mild curry powder, tomato puree, chicken stock, soy sauce, chicken breast, breadcrumbs, egg, rice, cabbage G | Rice & cabbage | |
| Friday | Cheesy broccoli & cauliflower pasta bake | Penne pasta, broccoli, cauliflower, milk, butter, flour, cheddar cheese D, G | Carrots | Sugar free jelly & mixed fruit (under 2’s mixed fruit) |
Light Tea
| Day | Light Tea | Description | Side Dish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Pancakes with fruit | Flour, eggs and milk, blueberries, bananas D, G | Mascarpone D |
| Tuesday | Scrambled eggs & bagels | Free range eggs, milk, butter, bagels, peppers D, G | Pepper sticks |
| Wednesday | Orzo salad | Orzo, pasta, sweetcorn, cucumber, tomatoes, red pepper, parsley G | Sliced ham |
| Thursday | Broccoli cheese bites | Broccoli, free range eggs, cheese, beetroot, lettuce, sweetcorn D | Mixed salad |
| Friday | Spaghetti Hoops and wholemeal bread | Wholemeal spaghetti hoops, wholemeal bread, butter, grated cheese D, G | Grated cheese D |
Week 4
Lunch
| Day | Main Course | Description | Side Dish | Second Course |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Vegetable risotto | Arborio rice, vegetable stock, peas, carrots, spinach and parmesan D | Warmed baguettes G | |
| Tuesday | Home-made Fish Pie Jack fruit V |
Salmon, haddock and white fish, flour, butter, milk, parsley, potatoes, peas and sweetcorn D, G | Peas and sweetcorn | Natural yogurt with a berry compote D |
| Wednesday | Beef lasagne Mixed bean V |
Lasagne sheets, beef mince, beef stock, chopped tomatoes, tomato purée, onion, garlic, crème fraîche, mozzarella, basil, oregano, salad leaves, salad tomatoes and cucumber D, G | Garlic bread and leafy salad | |
| Thursday | Vegetable curry and rice | Potatoes, peas, carrots, coconut milk, chopped tomatoes, mild curry powder, onion, garlic, sweet potato, spinach | Rice | Pineapple upside-down cake D, G |
| Friday | Creamy chicken pasta Tofu V |
Chicken breast, Penne pasta, garlic, spinach, soft cheese, parmesan, peas, basil, broccoli D, G | Broccoli |
Light Tea
| Day | Light Tea | Description | Side Dish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Wraps | Wraps, butter, soft cheese, ham, chicken, salad tomatoes, cucumber, little gem lettuce D, G | Mixed salad |
| Tuesday | Crumpets | Crumpet, butter, reduced sugar jam, honey (honey not to be given to under 1’s), marmite D, G | Cucumber sticks |
| Wednesday | Cracker platter | Wholemeal crackers, cheddar slices, wafer thin chicken, marmite and apples and pears D, G | Fruit slices |
| Thursday | Mini Sandwich selection | Wholemeal bread, cucumber, egg mayonnaise, avocado and soft cheese, ham D, G | Houmous and carrot sticks |
| Friday | Mini pasta veggie salad | Star pasta, chopped tomatoes, grated courgettes, and carrots, lettuce, sweetcorn, tomatoes, cucumber G | Sweetcorn salad |
What Families Say About Us
We were so nervous about choosing a nursery but from the moment we visited we knew Ladybird was the right choice. The team are brilliant, the facilities are lovely and our son has thrived.
Ladybird Nursery has been amazing for our daughter. She absolutely loves going and has come on so much. The staff are so warm and caring — it really does feel like a home from home.
The communication from the nursery is excellent. We always feel kept in the loop and the app updates are brilliant. It's so reassuring to see what your child has been up to during the day.
Have questions about our meals or your child’s dietary needs?