Nurseries
At Wee Foragers, our meals are designed not only to nourish children, but to support settings in meeting national guidance and delivering meaningful, high-quality food experiences as part of everyday practice.
What Wee Foragers Looks Like in your setting..
Choosing Wee Foragers means that high-quality food and meaningful learning are built into your everyday practice
Calm, Connected Mealtimes
Children sit together and eat the same nourishing meal, creating a shared experience that supports inclusion, conversation, and relationships. Practitioners are present, modelling positive eating behaviours and supporting children to feel relaxed and confident around food.
(Links to HWB 0-25a, 0-01a)
Steady Energy and Regulated Behaviour
Meals made from whole, balanced ingredients support more consistent energy levels throughout the day. Settings often notice children are calmer, more settled, and better able to engage in play and learning.
(Links to HWB 0-01a, wellbeing indicators – SHANARRI)
Simple, Manageable Systems for Staff
Meals are easy to prepare, with clear instructions and consistent delivery. This reduces pressure on staff while still allowing settings to provide high-quality, nutritious food in line with national guidance.
Children Exploring Food with Curiosity
Children are encouraged to try new foods over time, without pressure. Menus introduce a variety of flavours, textures, and cultural dishes, helping children build confidence and a positive relationship with food.
(Links to HWB 0-30a)
Real Connections to Food and the Natural World
Practitioners can talk naturally with children about where their food comes from — whether that’s vegetables grown in Scotland, locally sourced meat, or seasonal changes in ingredients. This links directly to outdoor learning and sustainability.
(Links to HWB 0-35a, Learning for Sustainability, Out to Play)
A Food Culture That Reflects Your Values
Your setting demonstrates a clear commitment to children’s health, wellbeing, and sustainability — something that can be confidently shared with parents, inspectors, and the wider community
Cultivating Change Through Everyday Practice
Grounded in Scotland’s early years priorities, Wee Foragers translates policy into practice through seasonal food and real-world learning. This ensures national ambitions are lived daily by every child.
Aligned with Setting the Table
Our menus and approach are closely aligned with the Scottish Government’s Setting the Table: Nutritional Guidance and Food Standards for Early Learning and Childcare Providers.
This guidance highlights the importance of providing balanced, nutritious meals that support children’s growth, development, and long-term health.
As outlined in Setting the Table:
“The food provided for children in early learning and childcare settings should meet their nutritional requirements and help establish good eating habits for life.”
Wee Foragers supports this by:
Providing meals based on whole, minimally processed ingredients, avoiding ultra-processed foods
Offering a balanced approach to nutrition, including vegetables, whole grains, and high-quality proteins
Supporting shared mealtimes, where children eat the same food together, promoting inclusion and positive relationships with food
Designing meals that support steady energy levels, helping children to engage, regulate, and participate throughout the day
Our meals are developed with both nutritional guidance and real nursery practice in mind, making it easier for settings to meet standards without adding complexity.
Food as part of learning,
Linking to Realising the Ambition
We recognise that food is not separate from learning. In line with Realising the Ambition, everyday experiences such as mealtimes are rich opportunities for children to develop independence, curiosity, and social skills.
Our approach supports this by:
Encouraging children to explore new tastes, textures, and foods over time
Creating opportunities for conversation, curiosity, and cultural understanding through food
Supporting responsive, relationship-based mealtimes that feel calm and meaningful.
Supporting Curriculum for Excellence
Health and Wellbeing
Our approach directly supports Curriculum for Excellence Health and Wellbeing experiences and outcomes, particularly within food, health, and emotional wellbeing.
Through everyday mealtime experiences, Wee Foragers supports children to:
Develop positive attitudes to food and wellbeing
(HWB 0-30a / 1-30a) – understanding the role of food in keeping their bodies healthyExplore where food comes from and make connections to the wider world
(HWB 0-35a / 1-35a) – learning about food sources, sustainability, and the environmentBuild independence, confidence, and social skills through shared mealtimes
(HWB 0-25a / 1-25a) – participating in routines, making choices, and engaging with othersDevelop emotional regulation and wellbeing
(HWB 0-01a / 1-01a) – supported through consistent routines, balanced nutrition, and calm mealtime experiences
By embedding these experiences into daily practice, food becomes a meaningful part of children’s learning, not an isolated activity.
Supporting Learning for Sustainability,
Linking to Out to Play
Wee Foragers also supports settings to embed Learning for Sustainability through everyday food experiences, linking directly to Out to Play: Guidance for Outdoor Play in Early Learning and Childcare.
Out to Play highlights the importance of helping children develop a connection to the natural world and an understanding of how to care for it.
Our farm-to-fork approach brings this to life by:
Using seasonal, locally sourced ingredients that reflect Scotland’s natural environment
Working with local farmers, growers, and suppliers, helping children understand food origins
Creating opportunities to explore land, farming, animals, and food systems in a real and meaningful way
Supporting discussions around sustainability, care, and responsibility for outdoor spaces
Through this, food becomes a lived experience of sustainability — not a separate topic, but part of daily nursery life.
