Partager
In our Swiss daycares : the food is always local or organic
Our mission? Develop the desire to discover tastes, textures and seasonal foods, both by offering a variety of products and by sharing moments together. Our ambition is to enable children to become young foodies who are aware of their bodies and their needs, while respecting other guests and the environment!
We are constantly evolving our offer in order to guarantee the best possible quality, taste, origin and diversity for the children and their families. With local products, we are reducing our ecological footprint and broadening the range of products on offer, while remaining in line with our promise, thanks to our choice of Swiss products and our network of local artisans. With organic food, we offer products with a very high nutritional content and as few additives as possible.
In partnership with a Swiss caterer for daily meal delivery, organic or Swiss fruits delivered daily and local bakeries for bread.
Local
For us, “local” means products from Swiss agriculture, ideally from the local area. In our daycares, if food isn't organic, it's local!
For additional purchases, such as bread, we have developed a network of partnerships with artisanal bakeries close to each place.
Organic
The organic products used to prepare our meals are preferably European, guaranteeing optimal nutritional quality and support for sustainable agriculture.
Special diets
You can choose special diets for your child, such as vegetarian, pork-free or hypoallergenic. However, we cannot guarantee the treatment of severe allergies requiring “trace-free” preparation on medical advice. For these children, meals must be provided by their families, and we will serve them according to the recommendations received.
Balanced menus throughout the week: The composition of our plates and menus follows the current recommendations of the Swiss Society of Nutrition (SSN). For example, it is now recommended to eat vegetarian food twice a week.
→ Are you interested by joining our daycares ? Discover if you are close by clicking here.
Our 360° educational approach
We discover food in the broadest sense of the term: products, nutrition, ecology... Mealtime is the perfect moment for sharing, discovering, raising awareness and learning about this important topic. Mealtimes are also privileged occasions for socialization, when children learn to share, exchange and develop their social skills. That's why our CareFood concept also involves two major pedagogical axes: active participation and accompanied discovery,
They are reflected in the many day-to-day activities and specific educational projects set up in our daycare centers, some of which overlap with our Eco-school activities.
Active participation
The active participation of children in the various stages of the process, from seed to plate, encourages the discovery and acceptance of food, by understanding where it comes from. This translates into several concrete activities in which children are invited to participate:
- Planting: We encourage patience, a sense of responsibility and collaboration through working with the earth by promoting activities such as planting seeds and tending vegetable gardens. By taking part in these activities such as watering plants, weeding, harvesting aromatic herbs or certain fruits and vegetables, children learn about the life cycle of plants and develop a respect for and connection with nature.
- Preparing: Children take part in snack preparation activities, familiarizing themselves with basic cooking techniques. They can learn how to wash food, mix ingredients, whisk, stir or dress. This participation reinforces autonomy, develops fine motor skills and gives a sense of pride and accomplishment in the results of their work, benefiting all the children in the daycare.
- Serving themselves: Children are encouraged to serve themselves according to the principle of autonomous service, to teach them respect for food and avoid waste. They connect with their desires and appetite levels. Older children are even given roles during meals, such as setting the table, serving water or cleaning up, to give them a sense of responsibility and teach them the rules of good living together.
→ You wish to learn more about our pedagogical approach ? Discover everything by clicking here
Accompanied discovery
Several times a year, we organize discovery workshops where children taste different fruits and vegetables, learning their names and flavors. These exchanges encourage sensory discovery. Presenting food in its raw form enables children to recognize it and understand its natural state before processing. For example, showing them a whole carrot with its leaves, or a cabbage with its flowers, gives them a better grasp of the diversity of textures, shapes and colors in food.
Meeting artisans, producers and suppliers
We aim to get close to the various players in the food sector (from planting to food processing). For example, some educational projects include a visit to a farmer and the children picking strawberries, a visit to a baker, or regular outings to the market.
These activities offer children a variety of educational experiences. They can discover, see and touch a multitude of fresh produce, meet local farmers and learn how food gets from the field to their plates.
→ If you are aldready in one of our daycares and have any questions, please contact the daycare direction! They will be able to answer all your questions.