Begin with a conversation
Lunar New Year is celebrated in different ways across communities. Ask participating families which foods and names are meaningful to them. Avoid presenting one menu as the tradition of every culture.
A menu starting point
Morning tea: soft seasonal fruit. Lunch: approved chicken, tofu or vegetable rice bowls with cooked vegetables. Afternoon tea: a familiar centre snack chosen with families. Serve soft, suitably cut ingredients and use your centre’s rice cooking, cooling and holding procedures.
Hands-on learning
Use Vegetable garden flatbreads as a separate vegetable-arranging activity, or let children explore approved uncooked vegetables by looking and describing before an adult cooks them. Explain clearly that this activity is a kitchen learning idea, not a traditional Lunar New Year dish.
Labels deserve a second look
Soy, wheat, sesame, fish, crustacean and mollusc ingredients can appear in sauces and condiments. Check the actual products, including vegetarian sauces. Do not swap a condiment at the bench without reviewing every affected child’s meal.