Ingredient quantity guide for long day care menus
The tables below will help you order and prepare foods and drinks in quantities that meet the Menu planning guidelines for long day care, support children’s nutrition needs and reduce food wastage at the same time.
A ‘children’s serve’ refers to the portion of food appropriate for children aged 1–5 years. To be practical in the childcare setting, children’s serve sizes have been adapted from the serve sizes in the Australian Dietary Guidelines.
Lean meat and poultry, fish, eggs, tofu, nuts, seed and legumes/beans
Offer 1 children’s serve of lean meat, poultry, fish or alternatives per child per day.
E.g. for 5 children you need 300g of fish to provide enough for each child.
| What is 1 children’s serve? | 5 children | 10 children | 20 children | 30 children | 40 children | 50 children | 60 children | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lean red meat, pork, poultry (raw) | 50g boneless | 250g | 500g | 1kg | 1.5kg | 2kg | 2.5kg | 3kg |
| Lean red meat (cooked) | 30g | 150g | 300g | 600g | 900g | 1.2kg | 1.5kg | 1.8kg |
| Poultry (cooked, skin off) | 40g | 200g | 400g | 800g | 1.2kg | 1.6kg | 2kg | 2.4kg |
| Fish (raw) | 60g | 300g | 600g | 1.2kg | 1.8kg | 2.4kg | 3kg | 3.6kg |
| Fish (canned/ cooked) | 50g | 250g | 500g | 1kg | 1.5kg | 2kg | 2.5kg | 3kg |
| Egg | 1 egg | 5 eggs | 10 eggs | 20 eggs | 30 eggs | 40 eggs | 50 eggs | 60 eggs |
| Legumes (dry) | 35g | 175g | 350g | 700g | 1.05kg | 1.4kg | 1.75kg | 2.1kg |
| Legumes (cooked/tinned, drained weight) | 85g (½ cup) | 425g (2½ cups) | 850g (5 cups) | 1.7kg (10 cups) | 2.55kg (15 cups) | 3.4kg (20 cups) | 4.25kg (25 cups) | 5.1kg (30 cups) |
| TVP* | 20g | 100g | 200g | 400g | 600g | 800g | 1kg | 1.2kg |
| Tofu | 85g | 425g | 850g | 1.7kg | 2.55kg | 3.4kg | 4.25kg | 5.1kg |
| Hummus | 60g (¼ cup) | 300g (1¼ cups) | 600g (2½ cups) | 1.2kg (5 cups) | 1.8kg (7 cups) | 2.4kg (9½ cups) | 3kg (12 cups) | 3.6kg (14 cups) |
* TVP stands for Textured Vegetable Protein which is a vegetarian meat substitute. One children’s serve of lean meat, poultry, fish or alternatives is equal to half a serve in the Australian Dietary Guidelines.
Fruit
Offer 1 children’s serve of fruit* per child per day.
E.g. for 5 children you need 375g of fresh/tinned/frozen fruit to provide enough for each child.
| What is 1 children’s serve? | 5 children | 10 children | 20 children | 30 children | 40 children | 50 children | 60 children | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fruit (fresh/ frozen) | 75g (½ med piece) | 375g (2½ pieces) | 750g (5 pieces) | 1.5kg (10 pieces) | 2.25kg (15 pieces) | 3kg (20 pieces) | 3.75kg (25 pieces) | 4.5kg (30 pieces) |
| Fruit (cooked/ tinned, drained) | ½ cup | 2 ½ cups | 5 cups | 10 cups | 15 cups | 20 cups | 25 cups | 30 cups |
| Dried fruit* | 15g | 75g | 150g | 300g | 450g | 600g | 750g | 900g |
One children’s serve of fruit is equal to half a serve in the Australian Dietary Guidelines.
* Dried fruit leaves a sticky residue on teeth and can contribute to tooth decay. If included on the menu it should only be offered once per week.
Vegetables and legumes/beans
Offer 1–1½ children’s serves of vegetables and legumes per child per day.
E.g. for 5 children you need 375–500g of vegetables/legumes to provide enough for each child.
| What is 1 children’s serve? | 5 children | 10 children | 20 children | 30 children | 40 children | 50 children | 60 children | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vegetables (fresh/frozen) | 75g | 375–500g | 750g–1kg | 1.5–2kg | 2.25–3kg | 3–4kg | 3.75–5kg | 4.5–6kg |
| Vegetables (cooked/tinned, drained) | ½ cup | 2½ - 3¾ cup | 5–7½ cups | 10–15 cups | 15–22½ cups | 20–30 cups | 25–37½ cups | 30–45 cups |
| Vegetables (salad) | 1 cup | 5–7½ cups | 10–15 cups | 20–30 cups | 30–45 cups | 40–60 cups | 50–75 cups | 60–90 cups |
| Legumes (dry) | 30g | 150–225g | 300–450g | 600–900g | 900g–1.3kg | 1.2–1.8kg | 1.5–2.25kg | 1.8–2.7kg |
| Legumes (cooked/tinned, drained weight) | 75g (½ cup) | 375–500g | 750g–1kg | 1.5–2kg | 2.25–3kg | 3–4kg | 3.75–5kg | 4.5–6kg |
One children’s serve of vegetables and legumes/beans is equal to one serve in the Australian Dietary Guidelines.
Grain (cereal) foods
Offer 2 children’s serves of grain (cereal) foods per child per day.
E.g. for 5 children you need to provide 5 slices of bread AND 150g of pasta to provide enough for each child.
| What is 1 children’s serve? | 5 children | 10 children | 20 children | 30 children | 40 children | 50 children | 60 children | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bread (all types) | 1 slice (40g) | 5 slices (¼ loaf) | 10 slices (½ loaf) | 20 slices (1 loaf) | 30 slices (1 ½ loaves) | 40 slices (2 loaves) | 50 slices (2½ loaves) | 60 slices (3 loaves) |
| Pita bread | ½ large pocket (40g) | 2½ pockets (200g) | 5 pockets (400g) | 10 pockets (800g) | 15 pockets (1.2kg) | 20 pockets (1.6kg) | 25 pockets (2kg) | 30 pockets (2.4kg) |
| Breakfast cereal flakes | 30g | 150g | 300g | 600g | 900g | 1.2kg | 1.5kg | 1.8kg |
| Breakfast cereal (wheat biscuits) | 2 Weetbix™ | 10 Weetbix™ | 20 Weetbix™ | 40 Weetbix™ | 60 Weetbix™ | 80 Weetbix™ | 100 Weetbix™ | 120 Weetbix™ |
| Bread roll | ½ medium | 2½ rolls | 5 rolls | 10 rolls | 15 rolls | 20 rolls | 25 rolls | 30 rolls |
| Pasta/noodles/rice/cous cous | 30g dry | 150g | 300g | 600g | 900g | 1.2kg | 1.5kg | 1.8kg |
| Flour | ¼ cup(35g) | 1¼ cups (175g) | 2½ cups (350g) | 5 cups (700g) | 7½ cups (1.05kg) | 10 cups (1.4kg) | 12½ cups (1.75kg) | 15 cups (2.1kg) |
| Cracker biscuit/ crisp bread | 35g | 175g | 350g | 700g | 1.05kg | 1.4kg | 1.75kg | 2.1kg |
| Crumpet/ English muffin | 1 crumpet/ small muffin | 5 | 10 | 20 | 30 | 40 | 50 | 60 |
Milk, yoghurt, cheese and/ or alternatives
Offer 2 children’s serves of milk, yoghurt, cheese or calcium fortified alternatives per child per day.
E.g. for 5 children you need 500mL of milk AND 400g of yoghurt to provide enough for each child.
| What is 1 children’s serve? | 5 children | 10 children | 20 children | 30 children | 40 children | 50 children | 60 children | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milk | 100mL | 500mL | 1L | 2L | 3L | 4L | 5L | 6L |
| Hard cheese | 15g (1 slice) | 75g | 150g | 300g | 450g | 600g | 750g | 900g |
| Yoghurt | 80g | 400g | 800g | 1.6kg | 2.4kg | 3.2kg | 4kg | 4.8kg |
| Custard | 100mL | 500mL | 1L | 2L | 3L | 4L | 5L | 6L |
| Evaporated milk | 50mL | 250mL | 500mL | 1L | 1.5L | 2L | 2.5L | 3L |
| Milk powder | 15g | 75g | 150g | 300g | 450g | 600g | 750g | 900g |
| Ricotta cheese | 50g | 250g | 500g | 1kg | 1.5kg | 2kg | 2.5kg | 3kg |
One children’s serve of milk, yoghurt, cheese and/or alternatives is equal to just under half a serve in the Australian Dietary Guidelines.
For more information please phone 1300 22 52 88 or email heas@nutritionaustralia.org.au
Except where otherwise indicated, the images in this document show models and illustrative settings only, and do not necessarily depict actual services, facilities or recipients of services. This document may contain images of deceased Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. In this document, ‘Aboriginal’ refers to both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. ‘Indigenous’ or ‘Koori/Koorie’ is retained when part of the title of a report, program or quotation. Copyright © State of Victoria 2016
Written and reviewed by dietitians and nutritionists at Nutrition Australia, with support from the Victorian Government.
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