Young people at Chailey Heritage receive meals based on their individualised needs. The kitchen team consider each child's personal abilities, medical needs, and dietary requirements.Enhancing independence, each child is given the option to choose what they want to eat each day. Being able to take control and make choices is integral to the young person's education and allows them to get involved in the meal process.The chef and kitchen team cook and prepares all the food in the specialty kitchen. They have the skilful role of learning about each young person and ensuring their meals are cooked and produced to the correct ‘blending level’ of their individual needs.Blending to level is taking the young person’s abilities and ensuring that they all receive the appropriate nutrition and support to promote their health and well-being.Here are some of the ways the young people receive their food:Mealtime support – The team will necessarily support and supervision to eat safely and comfortably.Feeding Assistance – Many of the children can eat through their mouths will help from a care giver, adapted utensils or assistive technology.Blended Diet – There are 3 different plated ways the young people can be served their food; Whole, Smaller chunks, puree.Tube feeding - Some children may have feeding tubes in place due to difficulties with swallowing, gastrointestinal issues, or other medical reasons. These tubes deliver nutrition directly into the stomach or intestines, bypassing the need for swallowingThere are also young people with specific dietary requirements or medical conditions which mean their meals must follow a strict plan of specialized diets tailored to their needs. This could include diets that are texture-modified, allergen-free, or tailored to manage conditions like diabetes or metabolic disorders.Once cooked and blended to the appropriate level, the dish is then triple checked before going out as individually labelled and detailed meals with their names printed on to each class. They are then given to each young person so they can enjoy their tasty lunch!How delicious!