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Ethical Eating – Should Early Years Settings Adopt An ‘All Organic’ Food Policy?

Should your setting go organic? Nigel Denby visited Little Green Rascals Day Nursery to weigh up the pros and cons…

Nigel Denby
by Nigel Denby
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The American writer Jarod Kintz, author of This Book Is Not For Sale, once said, “To paraphrase Fight Club, the food you eat, ends up eating you. It’s true! Just think of all the chemicals found in modern foods…” From this perspective, the debate about organic versus non-organic food should have an easy winner – organic. When it comes to an early years setting opting to ‘go organic’, however, there are some serious things to consider – cost, nutrition, seasonality and, of course, availability, to name but four.

Yet I remain unconvinced that an organic nursery automatically serves food that’s nutritionally superior compared with its non-organic counterparts. In fact, without specialist training and knowledge, it could even be the reverse. Getting nutrition right comes down to having a genuine passion for food and health, coupled with training, careful menu planning and recipe writing. Without that passion and knowledge, no amount of fair trade, free range or organic ingredients will cut the mustard – so if you’re thinking about changing your nursery’s food standards, you’d be wise to start with these basics first.

Little Green Rascals’ Egg Custard Tart

To give you some idea of the food served at Little Green Rascals, here’s a recipe you can try out for yourself…

Pastry ingredients • 200g plain flour • 100g margarine • Cold water to mix

Filling ingredients • 375 ml whole milk • 375 ml double cream • 1 tsp vanilla essence • 5 eggs • 3 egg yolks • 125g sugar • Grated nutmeg

Method 1. Place a 9-inch, loose-based fluted tart tin onto baking sheets.

2. Put the plain flour and margarine into a mixer and blitz until they resemble coarse breadcrumbs. Add a little water slowly, until the mixture forms a rough ball.

3. On a floured surface, knead into a smoother ball before leaving it in a covered container, in the fridge for 30 minutes.

4. Roll out the pastry and line the tin. Bake it blind at 180C–200C (Gas 4–6) for 12 minutes.

5. Warm the milk, cream and vanilla essence together. Do not boil and allow to cool.

6. Mix the eggs, egg yolks and sugar together, forming a smooth paste.

7. Mix the liquid and the eggs together and pour into the pastry case. Sprinkle a little nutmeg for decoration, before baking at 150C–160C (Gas 2).

Serves 10

Allergy advice – contains egg

Further details about the Soil Association’s Food for Life Catering Mark can be found at visit sacert.org

Nigel Denby is a registered dietician and founder of Grub4Life; for more information, visit grub4life.org.uk or follow @GDAGuru

“The Soil Association Food for Life Catering Mark is a brilliant place to start,” Margaret explains. “The scheme has different levels and sets out clear steps a nursery needs to achieve in order to reach each stage. You don’t have to change everything at once; there are awards which are easier to achieve, and nurseries can choose their own pace.”

The challenges

According to Margaret, sourcing ingredients can be difficult – particularly fish. As a result, Little Green Rascals serves ‘sustainable’ rather than ‘organic’ fish.

As head chef Neil Best explains, “We’ve pretty much covered all other ingredient categories, but it took over five years to get to this point, We’ve built a strong network of local suppliers by being proactive and going out and finding people who produce food in the way we want.” There’s certainly an impressive group of suppliers working with Little Green Rascals, but then the nursery is situated in a rural area, surrounded by farms. Other areas may not have the same degree of choice, so starting with one or two foods like milk, potatoes, tomatoes or apples would be sensible. There are other challenges, too. “We have to be flexible using seasonal ingredients,” Neil says. “But with a bit of know-how we’re able to maintain the nutritional value of our menus. Swapping one green vegetable for another means that nutritionally, there is little impact. “Also, as part of the inspections made by the Soil Association, we have to show the ‘organic’ percentage of our food spend for different food groups. It means I have to be very organised with my paperwork!”

Added extras

To achieve the organic ‘stamp’, foods can only have a limited range of ingredients added to them. This doesn’t include extra vitamins and minerals used to fortify foods like breakfast cereals, though, so how does Little Green Rascals compensate? “We’re particularly careful to use eggs at breakfast to make up for the iron missing from non-fortified organic cereals,” Margaret says. “It also means we have to be more careful than a non-organic nursery to make sure our meals and snacks throughout the day are nutrient-rich.” Children following a vegetarian diet and children who are problem eaters often struggle to get enough iron in their diets. Fortified breakfast cereals are a vital source of iron for these groups, and indeed all children, but I worry that nurseries may be unaware of this. It’s not good enough to rely on organic fruit and veg to make up the shortfall, so any setting planning to go organic would need expert knowledge to plan its menus to compensate.

The costs

Organic food can also be expensive, so how does this affect Little Green Rascals’ profitability? Vanessa is refreshingly candid. “Food costs are higher for us. We spend well in excess of £2 per child per day on ingredients. That’s after a number of years of negotiating with our suppliers, too. We’ve streamlined and increased our buying power since opening our second nursery.” Her view is that no nursery should do this as a gimmick or a marketing tool: “We have full nurseries and waiting lists for children to join us, but our organic ethos is only a small part of why parents choose us. You have to be very clear about why you want to do this. If it’s to make more money, then don’t do it. We can’t charge any more than other nurseries in the area; that’s not what it’s about.” On this point I completely agree with Vanessa – being organic is not a big enough reason in itself to charge premium rates. It’s a nice add-on that parents might appreciate, but few will be willing to pay more.

The verdict

Vanessa and her team have my full admiration. They have clear principles and follow them through in every way they can. The nursery is a wonderful place, and provides a really great environment for children.

Yet I remain unconvinced that an organic nursery automatically serves food that’s nutritionally superior compared with its non-organic counterparts. In fact, without specialist training and knowledge, it could even be the reverse. Getting nutrition right comes down to having a genuine passion for food and health, coupled with training, careful menu planning and recipe writing. Without that passion and knowledge, no amount of fair trade, free range or organic ingredients will cut the mustard – so if you’re thinking about changing your nursery’s food standards, you’d be wise to start with these basics first.

Little Green Rascals’ Egg Custard Tart

To give you some idea of the food served at Little Green Rascals, here’s a recipe you can try out for yourself…

Pastry ingredients • 200g plain flour • 100g margarine • Cold water to mix

Filling ingredients • 375 ml whole milk • 375 ml double cream • 1 tsp vanilla essence • 5 eggs • 3 egg yolks • 125g sugar • Grated nutmeg

Method 1. Place a 9-inch, loose-based fluted tart tin onto baking sheets.

2. Put the plain flour and margarine into a mixer and blitz until they resemble coarse breadcrumbs. Add a little water slowly, until the mixture forms a rough ball.

3. On a floured surface, knead into a smoother ball before leaving it in a covered container, in the fridge for 30 minutes.

4. Roll out the pastry and line the tin. Bake it blind at 180C–200C (Gas 4–6) for 12 minutes.

5. Warm the milk, cream and vanilla essence together. Do not boil and allow to cool.

6. Mix the eggs, egg yolks and sugar together, forming a smooth paste.

7. Mix the liquid and the eggs together and pour into the pastry case. Sprinkle a little nutmeg for decoration, before baking at 150C–160C (Gas 2).

Serves 10

Allergy advice – contains egg

Further details about the Soil Association’s Food for Life Catering Mark can be found at visit sacert.org

Nigel Denby is a registered dietician and founder of Grub4Life; for more information, visit grub4life.org.uk or follow @GDAGuru

My advice had been to think about going ‘local and free range’ over organic when it comes to food ingredients. But then I met the team at Little Green Rascals Nursery in York. In this privately owned nursery, organic is a way of life, a commitment that runs through every area of the setting. “Organic, ethical and sustainable living is our passion,” says owner, Vanessa Warn (pictured above). “I’m proud that our nursery is one of a select group to hold a Soil Association Gold Standard Catering Award for our commitment to organic and fair trade food.” I was curious to understand what motivated the nursery to ‘go organic’, how they went about it and what the commercial implications had been. I met up with Vanessa and catering consultant Margaret Lee, along with the rest of the Little Green Rascals team, to learn more…

The motivation

“It’s something I’ve been passionate about for as long as I can remember,” says Vanessa of her decision to take the organic route. “In business I think we can still do our bit for the greater good. It’s particularly important in a childcare business; it’s about teaching our children about their role in the world and the impact they can have.” There’s certainly more to Vanessa’s approach than ordering an organic veg box each week. For other nurseries thinking of adopting a similar policy towards their food, matching Little Green Rascals straight away would be a real challenge. So what was the first step?

“The Soil Association Food for Life Catering Mark is a brilliant place to start,” Margaret explains. “The scheme has different levels and sets out clear steps a nursery needs to achieve in order to reach each stage. You don’t have to change everything at once; there are awards which are easier to achieve, and nurseries can choose their own pace.”

The challenges

According to Margaret, sourcing ingredients can be difficult – particularly fish. As a result, Little Green Rascals serves ‘sustainable’ rather than ‘organic’ fish.

As head chef Neil Best explains, “We’ve pretty much covered all other ingredient categories, but it took over five years to get to this point, We’ve built a strong network of local suppliers by being proactive and going out and finding people who produce food in the way we want.” There’s certainly an impressive group of suppliers working with Little Green Rascals, but then the nursery is situated in a rural area, surrounded by farms. Other areas may not have the same degree of choice, so starting with one or two foods like milk, potatoes, tomatoes or apples would be sensible. There are other challenges, too. “We have to be flexible using seasonal ingredients,” Neil says. “But with a bit of know-how we’re able to maintain the nutritional value of our menus. Swapping one green vegetable for another means that nutritionally, there is little impact. “Also, as part of the inspections made by the Soil Association, we have to show the ‘organic’ percentage of our food spend for different food groups. It means I have to be very organised with my paperwork!”

Added extras

To achieve the organic ‘stamp’, foods can only have a limited range of ingredients added to them. This doesn’t include extra vitamins and minerals used to fortify foods like breakfast cereals, though, so how does Little Green Rascals compensate? “We’re particularly careful to use eggs at breakfast to make up for the iron missing from non-fortified organic cereals,” Margaret says. “It also means we have to be more careful than a non-organic nursery to make sure our meals and snacks throughout the day are nutrient-rich.” Children following a vegetarian diet and children who are problem eaters often struggle to get enough iron in their diets. Fortified breakfast cereals are a vital source of iron for these groups, and indeed all children, but I worry that nurseries may be unaware of this. It’s not good enough to rely on organic fruit and veg to make up the shortfall, so any setting planning to go organic would need expert knowledge to plan its menus to compensate.

The costs

Organic food can also be expensive, so how does this affect Little Green Rascals’ profitability? Vanessa is refreshingly candid. “Food costs are higher for us. We spend well in excess of £2 per child per day on ingredients. That’s after a number of years of negotiating with our suppliers, too. We’ve streamlined and increased our buying power since opening our second nursery.” Her view is that no nursery should do this as a gimmick or a marketing tool: “We have full nurseries and waiting lists for children to join us, but our organic ethos is only a small part of why parents choose us. You have to be very clear about why you want to do this. If it’s to make more money, then don’t do it. We can’t charge any more than other nurseries in the area; that’s not what it’s about.” On this point I completely agree with Vanessa – being organic is not a big enough reason in itself to charge premium rates. It’s a nice add-on that parents might appreciate, but few will be willing to pay more.

The verdict

Vanessa and her team have my full admiration. They have clear principles and follow them through in every way they can. The nursery is a wonderful place, and provides a really great environment for children.

Yet I remain unconvinced that an organic nursery automatically serves food that’s nutritionally superior compared with its non-organic counterparts. In fact, without specialist training and knowledge, it could even be the reverse. Getting nutrition right comes down to having a genuine passion for food and health, coupled with training, careful menu planning and recipe writing. Without that passion and knowledge, no amount of fair trade, free range or organic ingredients will cut the mustard – so if you’re thinking about changing your nursery’s food standards, you’d be wise to start with these basics first.

Little Green Rascals’ Egg Custard Tart

To give you some idea of the food served at Little Green Rascals, here’s a recipe you can try out for yourself…

Pastry ingredients • 200g plain flour • 100g margarine • Cold water to mix

Filling ingredients • 375 ml whole milk • 375 ml double cream • 1 tsp vanilla essence • 5 eggs • 3 egg yolks • 125g sugar • Grated nutmeg

Method 1. Place a 9-inch, loose-based fluted tart tin onto baking sheets.

2. Put the plain flour and margarine into a mixer and blitz until they resemble coarse breadcrumbs. Add a little water slowly, until the mixture forms a rough ball.

3. On a floured surface, knead into a smoother ball before leaving it in a covered container, in the fridge for 30 minutes.

4. Roll out the pastry and line the tin. Bake it blind at 180C–200C (Gas 4–6) for 12 minutes.

5. Warm the milk, cream and vanilla essence together. Do not boil and allow to cool.

6. Mix the eggs, egg yolks and sugar together, forming a smooth paste.

7. Mix the liquid and the eggs together and pour into the pastry case. Sprinkle a little nutmeg for decoration, before baking at 150C–160C (Gas 2).

Serves 10

Allergy advice – contains egg

Further details about the Soil Association’s Food for Life Catering Mark can be found at visit sacert.org

Nigel Denby is a registered dietician and founder of Grub4Life; for more information, visit grub4life.org.uk or follow @GDAGuru

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