Menu planning checklists for family day care

The Menu planning checklists for family day care outline the amounts and types of foods required to meet the nutrition needs of 1–5 year old children in family day care.

The Menu planning checklists for family day care can be used to assess a 2-week menu. If your service uses a rotating menu, you will need to assess each week. These checklists can still be used if your service does not operate five days a week.  

A service can choose to assess their own menu or seek support from the local health promotion workforce or local council. 

Step 1:

Download the checklist that is relevant to the service from the list above. 

TIP! It’s easier to complete the checklist using Adobe Acrobat on your computer. If you don’t have access to Adobe Acrobat, a web browser will still work. You may also like to print out a copy of the checklist to manually assess the menu.  

Step 2:

Have a copy of your 2-week menu ready to complete the checklist.  

• The menu should include all recipes used, including all ingredients.  

• Note down any specific details about the foods and drinks you use. For example, if a product is salt-reduced, or wholemeal. 

Step 3:

 Refer to the menu when completing the checklist.  

• Place a tick in the box if your menu meets the guidelines. 

• Use a cross to show that your menu does not yet meet the guidelines and will need some changes. 

• For more information on foods and drinks that can be included on the menu, refer to the Menu planning guidelines for long day care.

Step 4:

If there are areas where your menu does not meet the guidelines, use this feedback to make changes to your menu. 

• If you are unsure if the foods and drinks you are providing meet the guidelines, contact the Healthy Eating Advisory Service for free support. 

Step 5:

Update the menu as necessary.  

Step 6:

Once the menu has been updated, reassess it using the instructions from step 2. 

Step 7:

When the menu meets all requirements of the checklist, use the completed checklist as evidence your service meets the National Quality Standard 2.1.3.  You can also use this checklist as evidence for:  

• Victorian Government recognition for the Healthy Eating and Oral Health Benchmark of the Achievement Program. ​​  
• The Smiles 4 Miles award, under the menu assessment award criteria “Eat Well” message. 

For more information and support, contact the Healthy Eating Advisory Service.