I’m Jana, 36 years old and a nutritionist for Lunchtime Co. Lunchtime Co. is the only contract caterer in the UK providing fully personalised menus for primary & seconday schools in the UK. I’ve started working for Lunchtime in 2024, after moving to the countryside from the busy London. If you’re interested in my most recent development, check here or keep reading for my take on healthy nutrition and a quick overview of my career in the UK, after a decade in the hospitality industry. Outside of work I enjoy taking long walks with our miniature dachshund Minnie, going to the gym and trying lots of new food.
In London I worked for various restaurants, like the first fully paleo restaurant in the UK (2017), prestigious boarding schools with 24/7 meal provision (2020) and one of the biggest nursery providers in the UK, Grandir (2022), even supporting them with a curriculum with programs for children between 2-5, called “Foundations for the Future” – it encourages children to be empowered, supports them to become motivators, lets them explore different areas of their environment and builds their confidence, their communication and their skills in several key areas, like fine motor or language skills.
Taking allergies seriously while catering for children the best we can is of utmost importance to me. While I understand the “easy” approach some catering companies and chefs take of providing overly simplified food – or not providing food at all, I prefer to write menus that don’t sacrifice excitement, taste and new experiences. Eating is as much a social activity as it provides fuel and I don’t want children to miss out, simply for something they have no control over. Balancing the risk with the reward is a tough job, but supporting children and parents in their allergy journeys is the best thing I can imagine.
Healthy nutrition cannot only start in schools though – if a child has no access to healthy or fresh food, they won’t suddenly try something outrageously new or insecure in school – in fact, schools in areas of high food insecurity rely more on classics, such as pizza, burgers, chicken goujons – you get the idea. I don’t think there is anything wrong with that initially, but we need to ensure the recipes still match the nutritional needs of a growing child – complex carbohydrates, protein, iron, vitamins, Omega 3. Fish Fingers might not be everyone’s favourite, but they do have a place on the menu! At Lunchtime we offer fresh fruit and a varied salad bar with every lunch and always encourage, but not force, children to try something new.
Arfid and Dyphagia are two of the topics I care most about – providing a nourishing meal for a child can always be tricky, but do you know what children with swallowing difficulties can and can’t eat? Is it really the only option to provide a bland, unidentifyable blob of some sort or is there an alternative?
For children with Arfid (Avoidant / Restrictive Food Intake Disorder), lunchtimes can be a nightmare from the start: No clear division on the plate, sauces leaking into everything, no consisent texture or taste (due to different cooking styles, ordering issues or simply time of the day). For me developing menus for children with difficulties apart from allergies and intolerances is important – as it is often overlooked as “they should be happy they eat something” – but the something should also be cooked with care and with the child in mind!
Jana Jarrett Nutrition 