Healthy eating habits in Early Years

In Early years at BSC we are committed to ensuring the best possible start for young children. As well as academic achievement, children need to be happy and healthy.  

The food children eat plays a vital role in their health and well-being. Their food preferences and eating habits are formed early in life and this is the best opportunity we have to influence their behaviour towards healthy living.  

Both the amount and type of food consumed affects how children behave. During a busy day at school, children use a lot of energy and if they have not had enough or not had the right type of food to eat, this can affect their level of engagement as well as their behaviour and mood.  

At some point in our own lives we have either been a fussy eater or known of somebody that is. It is not uncommon, but how do we support our children to eat a well-balanced diet.  

It is not always about the taste of the food, children can become fussy about the colour, shape or texture. Some days a child may eat it and some days they may not. Children are likely to grow out of this if it is dealt with in a positive way. 

Children need to experience of a variety of different foods at an early age in order to increase their acceptance of new foods and provide a more diverse diet with the range of nutrients, vitamins and minerals needed for health. 

Children’s willingness to try can be greatly influenced by their meal-time environment. Children need to feel that it is a valued time with people who are important to them and observe adults as good role models. Taking time to eat as a family, giving children time to feed themselves without worrying about spills or mess, builds self-confidence which is an important when trying new foods. 

At BSC the teachers in Early Years value snack time as it is a fantastic learning opportunity to support children’s development across all areas of learning. Sitting together and chatting about the different foods children have and acknowledging food that helps children to grow healthy and strong supports both language and social skills. Opening containers and using tools like a knife, fork and spoon supports physical development, promoting important hand-eye coordination skills when feeding themselves.  

Children love going shopping and picking a few items for themselves. Involving them in the whole sensory process of preparing it provides motivation for children to want to try new things. 

This week the children in Playgroup have brought in fruits and have been involved in the preparing and sharing of a group snack. All the children engaged with enthusiasm and enjoyed carrying out the responsibility of the task. 

The children peeled and chopped many different fruits to make fruit kebabs. This helped them to identify fruits and gain an understanding of what they look like when whole. Through this sensory activity, the children’s senses were activated as they touched and smelt the delicious fruits. They had fun placing them on a stick and went for a picnic on the terrace to enjoy eating them together. All the children tried them and some even asked for more.  

Throughout the rest of the week the children made fairy bread, cheese and crackers and jelly. They had their own equipment and tools which allowed them to get involved with stirring, spreading and sprinkling. They enjoyed snack in many different places around school including the early years outdoor area and the BSC magic garden. Everyone ate together, offering praise and compliments for the food that had been prepared by themselves.  

All this positive reinforcement and an awareness of different foods, alongside the relaxing time given to eat with friends will have an impact on the habits children adopt.  

For further ideas and information regarding fussy eaters and how you can support children through this stage of development, please visit: 

https://www.helpguide.org/articles/healthy-eating/healthy-food-for-kids.htm 

https://raisingchildren.net.au/toddlers/nutrition-fitness/common-concerns/fussy-eating 

Ms. Madelaine White - Head of EYFS