FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Do you have any questions? We have the answers.
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Topic overview
Kindergartens and schools
Registration
So that your child can take part in the meal if individual billing is done via the parents. If billing is done via the institution, online registration is generally not required.
If your child attends a school or daycare center that is supplied by VielfaltMenü, you will receive a registration code by e-mail from your institution or from our service center. You can use this to register your child online.
Important: You need a valid e-mail address to complete the online registration process
Yes, we pay attention to sustainability in all processes.
As a regional caterer, we take responsibility for the ecological and social challenges of our time. We focus on sustainable food, environmentally friendly practices and responsible resource management – without compromising on quality and taste.
Yes, by opening www.vielfaltmenue.com in the browser on your tablet, as well as on your computer or smartphone, and switching to the desktop version.
- Click on the “Registration & Login Kitas / Schools” button at the top of the website.
- Enter the registration code in the text field and click on the “Register” button.
- Follow the registration process and enter the required data.
- At the end of the registration process, you will receive the registration confirmation with your online access data as a PDF file and our GTC by e-mail.
- Click on the “Complete registration” button to complete your registration. You can now start ordering meals.
No. The code is only intended for registration in your institution.
The most likely cause: Our e-mail has landed in your spam folder. Please check there.
Tip: Save our e-mail address in your address book so that you always receive our e-mails. Your mailbox may also be full.
In this case, you must conclude the contract with us in writing. You can obtain the contract (registration for meal provision) at the facility or on request from our Service Center.
Please check your spam folder. If you cannot find the customer number there, please contact the Service Center.
After a longer period of inactivity, a new registration is necessary. The same applies if your child has changed facilities, as this may change the contractual conditions (form of care, menu offer, prices, etc.).
The profile is the combination of your customer number and your password.
Yes, you can save multiple profiles. This is how it works:
- Click on the “Registration & Login Kitas / Schools” button above.
- Enter your customer number and password and activate “Save profile”.
- After clicking on the “Log in” button, the profile for your child is saved and you are logged in.
- For each additional child, select “Add profile” and follow the instructions.
Meal order and login
- Click on the “Login | Order” button above and log in first.
- Enter your customer number and password.
Tip: If you have already saved a profile, you can select a profile under “Log in with saved profile” and use it to log in. - After successfully logging in, you will see the current weekly meal plan for the school or daycare center.
- Click to select the meal for your children. It will automatically be added to the shopping cart.
- You can order meals for several weeks at the same time. To change the weeks, click on the arrow buttons to the right and left of the calendar week. It is not necessary to save in between.
- When you have made your final choice, click on “Save and add to cart” below.
- You will now be redirected to the shopping cart.
- To complete your order, click on “Confirm”.
No. You can select the food for several weeks and add it to the shopping cart. Saving is only necessary at the end of the order process in the shopping cart.
- When you are logged in, click on “Order food”.
- Click on the tick for the ordered meal in the meal plan. The symbol for canceling the order (recycle bin) appears.
- Now click on the shopping cart at the top right.
- To finalize the cancellation, click on “Confirm”.
- Cancellation is confirmed.
- Click on “OK” to return to the meal plan. This completes the cancelation process.
Important to know: Only cancelations that have been finally confirmed as in steps 3 and 4 can be considered by us. Canceled orders that are still in the shopping cart are not considered canceled.
This can have several causes:
- Your facility uses collective orders.
- The order deadline for the desired day has expired – this is then displayed in gray.
- There are payment arrears or your credit balance is insufficient.
- Your facility has set up order breaks for certain days (e.g. bridge days, hiking days, vacation periods).
- There are invalid items in the shopping cart. Remove them to start a new order.
- Daycare centers often place complete orders. In this case, you can only cancel orders.
A saved profile is the combination of your password and your customer number. You can use all online services in your customer account with this saved profile without having to re-enter your access data.
If you have forgotten your password, there are two ways to get a new password.
- If you are not yet logged in, click on the “Login | Order” button. You can set a new password by clicking on the “Forgot password” text link.
- If you are logged in, you can change your password in the profile area under “Manage profile”. To do this, click on the name of the logged-in user on the web.
In both cases, a new page will open. You must enter your e-mail address and customer number for clear verification. After clicking on “Reset”, you will receive an e-mail. The e-mail contains a link that you must open in order to change the password. Please note that the new password should be 8 characters long and contain a number and a special character.
If you have forgotten your customer number, you will find it on your invoices or in your contract documents/registration confirmation in the subject line. Otherwise, please contact the Service Center. You will find the contact details in your contract documents (registration confirmation) or on our website and in the VielfaltMenü app.
You can change your password yourself in the profile administration under “Change password” or you can use the “Forgot your password?” function in the login area under “Order food”. If you are already logged in, please log out first.
Especially in daycare centers and schools with a large number of students, there are enormous logistics involved in preparing and providing fresh meals. Depending on the catering concept, the planning and preparation for the new meal week is therefore completed one to two days before the weekend. For this reason, we are unfortunately unable to offer the ordering function everywhere at weekends. All customers who have registered online can view their detailed order deadlines in their profile administration under the Order times button.
This way you will always be reminded in good time to select and order your meal. If you have already ordered and still receive the order reminder, please ignore it.
If you no longer wish to receive order reminders, you can deactivate them at any time in your customer profile if you have registered online. To do this, go to your profile management and remove the checkmark next to Order reminder. Saving will deactivate your order reminder. You will then receive information about this to your e-mail address.
For educational reasons, meals are eaten together in the daycare centers. The children’s menus are stored as a standing order. The food is selected by the daycare center according to nutritional aspects and often depending on the age of the children.
There may be various reasons for this, which must first be clarified. It is very important to us to detect errors quickly when ordering and avoid them in the future.
In such a case, please contact our service center immediately. You will find the contact details in your contract documents (registration confirmation) or on our website and in the VielfaltMenü app.
Catering
We offer four different options for catering in your facility:
- Cook & Serve: Freshly cooked in your kitchen and served warm.
In our local kitchens:
- Cook & Hold: …freshly cooked, delivered hot and served on time.
- Cook & Chill: …freshly cooked, delivered chilled and served warm on time.
- Cook & Complete: …freshly cooked, delivered chilled and flexibly served warm.
Together with you, we will find the ideal solution to suit your needs.
Our balanced meals at daycare centers and schools are based on the quality standards and recommendations of the German Nutrition Society (DGE). In many of our kitchens, one menu line each is certified for daycare and school catering based on the DGE quality standards.
We prefer seasonal and regional products from certified suppliers. We define regional as products that are seasonally available in Germany. We prefer to buy from growing areas where our ingredients can ripen naturally.
Our quality management is based on the following four pillars:
- We consistently comply with all legal requirements of the Food Hygiene Ordinance.
- We use a quality and environmental management system in accordance with DIN EN ISO 9001 / 14001.
- We have external controls, regular audits and certifications carried out.
Our meals are made exclusively from fresh, natural ingredients without the addition of artificial preservatives, flavor enhancers such as sodium glutamate, aromas or artificial colors.
We fully comply with the DGE guidelines and place great value on natural taste. Wherever possible, we serve fish certified by MSC, GLOBAL G.A.P or ASC.
We have specialized in age- and development-appropriate catering for many years. As experts in high-quality nursery and school meals, we develop concepts that are precisely tailored to the abilities and needs of children of different ages.
While the focus for small children is on bite-sized pieces of fruit and vegetables or encouraging independence through children’s buffets, teenagers are happy to enjoy international trend dishes or take-away snacks.
A balanced diet includes fresh salad, vegetables, raw vegetables and fruit every day. We also offer a vegetarian dish every day, do not include meat on the menu more than twice a week and prepare fish at least once a week. Dairy and egg dishes also feature regularly on our menu.
Depending on the establishment, you can choose from up to three menus – so there is something for every child. Buffet solutions, a free choice of side dishes and promotions also offer plenty of variety. When putting together the menus, we also make sure that the dishes are repeated as little as possible.
Our employees are rooted in their home country. They know our partners personally and are familiar with the social, cultural and culinary conditions in the region. This experience also flows into the design of the menu.
VielfaltMenü has set itself the goal of gradually reducing the consumption of animal products. To this end, we have analyzed and further enhanced our vegetarian menu line in collaboration with ProVeg. In the long term, the proportion of vegetarian and vegan dishes should continue to increase.
We have also started to raise awareness of the health benefits of a plant-based diet among kitchen management, chefs and serving staff.
Our prices are based on a mixed calculation, as food prices in particular can fluctuate greatly. In addition to the cost of ingredients, the calculation also includes amounts for staff, electricity, kitchen cleaning, the service center and billing.
We aim to pay our employees fairly at all times, to comply with the guidelines of the German Nutrition Society for a balanced diet and to provide a large number of families with access to lunchtime meals at the childcare facility at reasonable prices. It is a matter close to our hearts that every child can also enjoy menus that are a little more expensive to buy and prepare.
We always try to provide seconds of vegetables, potatoes and other side dishes. As we want to avoid food waste and overproduction as far as possible, this may mean that side dishes that have already been served in full are replaced by others that are still available.
This mainly has to do with the number of calories, the taste and other menu composition criteria. For example, if a substantial meal with meat is offered on one day, we do not combine it with a creamy quark dish with a high fat content, but rather with fruit or raw vegetables in order to meet the required calorie values.
When compiling our recipes, we follow the guidelines of the DGE.
Yes, organic is organic with us!
We are regularly certified and many of our recipes are made from organic ingredients. On request, we can put together a completely organic menu for you. Get in touch with us!
This varies from facility to facility and depends on the conditions, requirements, price and the desired catering concept.
On request, we can offer daycare centers and schools a 100% organic menu.
Yes, we pay attention to sustainability in all processes.
As a regional caterer, we take responsibility for the ecological and social challenges of our time. We focus on sustainable food, environmentally friendly practices and responsible resource management – without compromising on quality and taste.
Yes, we source most of our fresh vegetables from regional farms and pay attention to seasonality.
If fresh vegetables are not available in sufficient quantities, we use frozen vegetables that are shock-frozen immediately after harvesting to preserve vitamins and minerals – without any additives.
Yes, we offer at least four special diets:
- Basic allergy food
- Low-fructose diet
- Gluten-free food
- Gluten-free food without milk and without egg
Depending on the region and requirements, there are up to two menus to choose from for each special diet.
Talk to us. We will take care of it.
Yes, for breakfast and afternoon meals, we sometimes offer alternatives for children with allergies and intolerances. We provide diet-tested, centralized menus for this purpose.
As the selection of suitable and high-quality products is somewhat smaller here and we have to guarantee a high level of ingredient safety, we offer a two-week meal plan for breakfast and afternoon meals and an eight-week meal plan for lunch.
The “i” stands for “Information”. Click on it for detailed information such as nutritional values and allergens for the menu.
You can leave feedback on menus you have ordered within three days (from the day of delivery). You can rate the food and the service by leaving a smiley and answering questions by pressing the slider.
Click on the “Order food” button and log in. The menu will open. By clicking on the speech bubble symbol, you can give your feedback on the respective dish. If you have extensive feedback or questions, please contact the Service Center.
Yes, we are happy to take children’s and parents’ meal requests into account.
Wishes and requests can be submitted to us via the food commissions in daycare centers and schools or directly via our service center. We are happy to implement new ideas after careful consideration.
For clear identification at the food counter and as proof of the selected menu.
In most daycare centers, the facility or the provider decides on the caterer – often on the basis of a public tender.
Talk to your nursery management if you would like to have your say or pass on your wishes to us.
Like all caterers, we are obliged to verifiably return uncollected or leftover food to biogas plants.
The sustainable handling of food is firmly anchored at VielfaltMenü. We avoid waste, regularly adapt recipes and at the same time promote awareness among our employees for the careful handling of food.
As our menus vary locally, you will need a customer number and a password to view your individual menu.
For the sake of the environment, we want to reduce paper waste and have done away with printed menus as far as possible.
According to the Food Information Ordinance, all providers of communal catering are obliged to label allergens and additives. These can be easily recognized by the combinations of numbers and letters on the menu. The labeling is regularly checked by the Food Inspection Office.
Payment
As education is a matter for the federal states in Germany, both the prices and the subsidies for nursery and school meals vary from state to state. In addition to subsidies from the federal states and local authorities, parents also have to bear part of the costs.
The situation is different for low-income families. They receive funding for the costs of lunchtime meals in the facilities via the education and participation package.
- Go to the meal plan and click on the “My account” tab.
- Log in via “Login”.
- Select the period using the calendar symbol or search directly for the invoice number.
- You can also print out invoices.
Note: Invoices are available in the system for a maximum of 18 months.
You can top up your customer account by paying in advance (prepaid). This credit enables you to take part in the meal. Please ensure that you top up your credit balance in good time, taking into account the bank working days.
The meal fee is debited in accordance with SEPA regulations. You will receive advance information about the amount and the date of the direct debit in advance by e-mail. The meal money will then be debited from your account at the beginning of the following month.
Under the button “Order food”.
The education package (also known as Bildung und Teilhabe BuT) helps children, teenagers and young adults from families with little money. It enables participation in school and leisure activities, such as communal lunches in schools or daycare centers.
Many cities and municipalities also offer vouchers or discounts. Find out more locally or from the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs. There you will find an overview of regional contact points.
There may be various reasons for this. Perhaps the approval period has expired or the BuT notification was sent to us too late (after the monthly statement). It is not possible for us to recalculate. Please contact your BuT office directly.
Your account details are primarily stored in case your BuT expires.
For kindergarten children, we need the account details because the costs for breakfast and snacks usually have to be paid by the parents. The BuT only covers lunch. Different regulations apply here in the individual federal states.
If you have concluded your contract online, you can submit the termination on the website or in the VielfaltMenu app in the profile area under “Manage profile”. To do this, log in and click on the button with the name of the logged-in user. For contracts in written form, you can send the notice of termination by e-mail, post or fax. Please refer to the General Terms and Conditions for the notice period. You will have received these either together with your registration in paper form or as a PDF document as part of the online registration process.
Technical questions
There are various ways to order food online.
You can use a computer with internet access. It is important that you accept cookies and activate Java Script.
You can order from www.vielfaltmenue.com using your smartphone or tablet, as the site is optimized for mobile devices.
You can use the VielfaltMenü app to place orders. The free app is available for iPhones in the Apple App Store and for Android devices on Google Play.
The site is tested with the latest versions of the following browsers: Internet Explorer, Firefox, Google Chrome and Safari. We cannot guarantee the functionality of other browsers such as BitBox, Iron or Opera.
Yes, that’s it. Depending on your system, browser and settings, you may need an additional PDF reader program such as “Adobe Reader” or “PDF Reader”. This will allow you to print out menus and invoices from your computer. This does not yet work with mobile devices.
Please contact our service center by phone: +49 3494 66 94 400 or e-mail: servicecenter@vielfaltmenue.com, stating your customer number.
Company catering
General
Yes, we work with you to determine your needs and are happy to fulfill your individual wishes.
Yes, our recipes are varied and diverse. We also adapt them to the needs of your employees. Even for allergies and intolerances.
We offer everything from cash to cashless – whether card terminal, transponder chip or classic cash register.
Digital system solutions
General
Our experts will instruct you and your team – at your premises or via webinar. There are also easy-to-understand guidelines for all areas.
There are no maintenance costs for you. We maintain the system and keep it up to date with updates. This ensures that your day-to-day business runs smoothly.
You back up your data yourself on your server or in your cloud. VielfaltMenü has no access to it.