How to promote healthy eating in childcare

Your child learns a lot from their years in childcare – including healthy eating habits. At Edge, we provide highly-nutritional and balanced meals as we prioritise nutritional education as part of our curriculum. Here are a few of the reasons why and how to promote healthy eating in childcare:

Why should you promote healthy eating in childcare?

From physical play to interactive learning, childcare is an active environment for children. It is important to support them and ensure they are eating healthy foods. By providing children with nutritional meals, we allow children to learn, play and concentrate properly and to their fullest potential. Put simply, eating healthy in childcare helps children establish healthy eating habits for life and provides many developmental benefits listed below:

• Growth & Development: Healthy eating and a balanced nutritional diet is essential for physical growth, brain development and well-being in young children.
• Lifelong Habits: By encouraging healthy eating habits from a young age, educators and parents can set children up for success and foster positive habits that can last a lifetime.
• Concentration & Learning: As the saying goes, food is brain power. A balanced diet can improve energy levels and cognitive function to help little ones focus and learn.
• Emotional Wellbeing: A balanced diet with healthy meals and snacks can help to regulate mood and behaviour in young children, contributing to higher emotional stability throughout the day.

How to encourage healthy eating in childcare

There are many great ways to promote healthy eating in childcare. They include…

• Engaging children with their food – for example, picking their favourite fruit and vegetables from the garden
• Having children talk about food with activities like making healthy food menus
• Educating children about what healthy eating means
• Keeping education visually engaging with a healthy eating poster for childcare
• Setting up home or kitchen-themed play areas
• Having healthy food toys to reinforce children’s perception of healthy food

How to create healthy and safe mealtimes in childcare

Ensuring children have a safe and happy mealtime experience in childcare is essential to promoting good eating habits. Mealtime can also provide a good opportunity to talk with children about the food they are eating and why it’s healthy. Remember: children want to learn new things. They are curious by nature. Making mealtime an educational experience that they feel enthusiastic about can improve their attitude toward healthy eating. Children also learn by observing, so having childcare staff who are excited about healthy food will leave a positive impression.

How to deal with fussy eaters in childcare

Fussy eaters can be difficult to deal with, but luckily there are several ways to encourage them to eat healthy in childcare. For example, why not cut or grate vegetables in a way that makes them look new? The child may be more inclined to try them, and you can reveal the food to them after the fact in an encouraging (not smug) way. Children mimic their role models, so make sure educators are enthusiastic about eating their own healthy food – this can eventually persuade fussy eaters.

Click here for more information on feeding fussy eaters.

For more educator resources, explore our blog posts discussing industry tips, tricks, techniques and updates to keep you up to date on the latest in Australian childcare!