The importance of healthy foods in ECECs
Many children spend a lot of time in ECECs, and these services provide ideal settings to promote healthy eating habits.
The food children eat while in care can be a big part of their overall diet, so it’s important to ensure healthy foods are provided or packed in lunch boxes.
Eating well keeps children healthy now and in the future. Providing healthy food at ECECs supports children’s growth and development and sets up good habits for life. Children who develop healthy eating habits from a young age are more likely to continue these healthy habits as they grow into adults.
ECECs provide an opportunity for food learning experiences that expose children to foods so that they become familiar with a variety of foods. Sharing food with their friends and educators can be a very positive experience for children and can help them create good habits for life.
ECECs can also play an important role in sharing healthy food and eating information for families.
What are healthy foods
Healthy foods are foods that come from the 5 food groups and include:
- Wholegrain or wholemeal breads, cereals, rice, pasta, oats and noodles.
- Vegetables like carrots, pumpkin, broccoli, peas and lettuce. Fresh, frozen and canned vegetables are all healthy options.
- Fruit like apples, bananas, oranges and pears. Fresh, frozen and canned fruit (in natural juices) are all healthy options.
- Milk, yoghurt and cheese. Choose full-fat versions for children under 2 years old.
- Lean meats including chicken without skin, kangaroo, pork, lamb and beef with the fat cut off, and lean mince.
- Seafood, fish and shellfish. Fresh, frozen and canned are all healthy options.
- Eggs – boiled, scrambled and poached.
- Nuts, seeds or nut butters like peanut or almond butter or tahini. (Whole nuts and seeds may cause choking in young children and should not be given to children under 3 years).
- Tofu and legumes such as lentils, kidney beans, baked beans, and chickpeas.
Healthy eating resources for ECECs
Munch & Move has free training, tools and resources to help ECECs:
- provide staff training on healthy eating for children
- plan healthy menus aligned with state and national nutrition standards
- provide fun, healthy eating learning experiences and activities
- promote healthy eating for families.