This tool is another way of presenting the minimum number of options for the food item or food group to be included on an paediatric menu. For example, for spreads, "3" indicates that three options of spreads are to be offered at that meal.
+/- indicates an optional choice to offer.
This is a sample, rather than a recommended or proposed menu.
Breakfast | Mid-meal morning | Lunch | Mid-meal afternoon | Dinner | Mid-meal supper | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fruit | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
Juice | 1-18 years: 1 | 1-18 years: 1 | 1-18 years: 1 | |||
Cereal - hot | 1 | |||||
Cereal - cold | 0-12 months: 2 1-18 years: 4 | |||||
Breakfast – protein | 1 | |||||
Bread | 2 (white or wholemeal) | 0-12 months: 2 (white or multigrain) 1-18 years: 2 (white or multigrain) | 2 (white or wholemeal) | |||
Margarine and butter | Margarine – 1 +/- Butter – 1 | Margarine – 1 +/- Butter – 1 | Margarine – 1 +/- Butter – 1 | |||
Spreads | 0-12 months: 1 1-18 years: 3 | |||||
Cold beverages | 0-2 years: 1 (plain milk, full fat only) 3-18 years: 2 (plain milk, full fat or reduced fat), +/- 1 (other option) | 1-2 years: 1 (plain milk, full fat only) 3-18 years: 2 (plain milk, full fat or reduced fat), +/- 1 (other option) | 1-2 years: 1 (plain milk, full fat only) 3-18 years: 2 (plain milk, full fat or reduced fat), +/- 1 (other option) | 1-2 years: 1 (plain milk, full fat only) 3-18 years: 2 (plain milk, full fat or reduced fat), +/- 1 (other option) | 1-2 years: 1 (plain milk, full fat only) 3-18 years: 2 (plain milk, full fat or reduced fat), +/- 1 (other option) | 1-2 years: 1 (plain milk, full fat only) 3-18 years: 2 (plain milk, full fat or reduced fat), +/- 1 (other option) |
Hot beverages | ||||||
Sugar and sugar substitute | 1-18 years: 1 (sugar only, no substitute offered) | |||||
Soup | 1-18 years: 1 (Band 1) | |||||
Hot choice (main) | All: Red meat – 1 (Band 1) 1-18 years: Poultry – 1 (any band) | All: Vegetarian – 1 (Band 1) 1-18 years: Fish – 1 (any band) | ||||
Potato, rice, pasta and others | All: Potato – 1 1-18 years: Rice – 1 | All: Potato – 1 1-18 years: Pasta – 1 | ||||
Vegetables, including side salads | All: Orange vegetable – 1 1-18 years: Any colour vegetable – 1 | All: Green vegetable – 1 1-18 years: Side salad – 1 | ||||
Sandwich | White – 1 (Band 1) | Wholemeal – 1 (Band 1) | ||||
Salad – main | 1-18 years: 1 (Band 1) | |||||
Condiments | Options available on request | Options available on request | Options available on request | |||
Desserts | 1 (Band 2) | 1 (Band 1) | ||||
Nutrient-dense snack | 1-18 years: 2 | |||||
Other snacks | 1-18 years: 2 | 1-18 years: 2 | 1-18 years: 2 |