Nutrition and Wellbeing
Our in-house nutritionist, Sharonne, is an experienced chef and educator with formal qualifications in nutrition and a genuine passion for healthy eating and nature exploration. She combines her professional expertise with the hands-on experience of raising her own fussy eaters, bringing empathy, practicality, and real-life understanding to her work with families and educators.
Sharonne designs seasonal, balanced menus and provides friendly, evidence-based guidance to families on nutrition and lunchbox ideas. She supports families with fussy eaters through approachable strategies and simple recipes to try at home, making healthy eating an enjoyable and achievable part of everyday life.
In her role, Sharonne works alongside educators in the rooms, helping to create positive mealtimes and smooth transitions that nurture children’s confidence, curiosity, and independence. Together, they build engaging food and wellness experiences that encourage children to explore new tastes, develop self-help skills, and understand the importance of healthy choices. Through these shared experiences, children not only expand their knowledge and practical skills, but also strengthen their overall health, wellbeing, and connection to the natural world.
Sharonne also delivers cooking and nutrition education for educators, offering coaching, tailored resources, and hands-on demonstrations that embed wellness practices into everyday learning. By integrating nutrition and wellbeing across the program, Sharonne helps educators build their own confidence in supporting children’s lifelong healthy habits.
Working closely with our kitchen and educator teams, Sharonne promotes food safety, allergen management, and the creation of calm, dining-like environments that bring a sense of joy and connection to mealtimes. Her holistic approach benefits the entire community, empowering educators, supporting families, and fostering environments where children can truly thrive.
Common questions about food and nutrition
Who plans the menus?
Our in house nutritionist, Sharonne, plans them. She is an experienced chef and educator with formal qualifications in nutrition, and she designs seasonal, balanced menus rather than running the same rotation all year.
Are meals cooked on site?
Yes. Food is prepared in our own kitchens rather than delivered in, which is what makes a seasonal menu possible and lets us adjust for the children actually in the room that week.
My child is a fussy eater. Will that be a problem?
No, and it is more common than most parents realise. Sharonne works alongside educators in the rooms at mealtimes, and supports families with practical strategies and simple recipes to try at home. She raised her own fussy eaters, so the advice tends to be realistic rather than theoretical.
How do you handle allergies and dietary requirements?
Tell us at enrolment. Where a child has a diagnosed allergy or medical condition, the centre will work with you before your child starts on a risk minimisation plan based on their medical management plan, and both the kitchen and the room team are made aware of it. For other dietary requirements, talk to the centre about what can be accommodated. If you are unsure what we need, ring the centre and ask.
Do the children learn anything about the food?
Yes, and this is the part parents tend not to expect. Educators and Sharonne build food and wellness experiences into the program, so children try new tastes, build self help skills at the table, and start to understand why some choices are better than others.
Can I see the menu before I enrol?
Of course. Ask on your tour and we will show you the current seasonal menu for the centre you are considering.
Come and see it
Ringwood 30 Bond Street, (03) 9879 8055
Croydon 50 Maroondah Highway, (03) 9722 8933
Boronia 172 Boronia Road, (03) 9762 4888
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