Healthy Eating Learning Experiences: Making Healthy Eating Part of Daily Learning at Your Early Childhood Service

At Healthy Little Heroes, we believe that fostering healthy eating habits in young children is one of the most important steps toward setting them up for a lifetime of good health. Providing children with fun, engaging, and educational healthy eating experiences should be a priority for all Early Childhood services.

As educators, you have the unique opportunity to shape children's attitudes toward food and nutrition during these crucial early years. It’s not just about serving nutritious meals; it’s about integrating healthy living practices into the fabric of daily routines. Here’s how to add healthy eating to your childcare service every day.

1. Make Healthy Eating Fun and Interactive

Children learn best when they are actively involved in the process. Teach the importance of healthy eating through engaging, hands-on food experiences.

Healthy Little Heroes offers incursions that bring nutrition to life with exciting, interactive programs designed for young learners. But you don’t need just an incursion to make healthy eating fun. Here are a few ideas:

• Fruit and Veggie Art: Set up a creative station where children can use fruits and vegetables to make fun, edible art. This encourages them to try new foods while developing fine motor skills.

• Taste Tests: Introduce a variety of healthy foods like different types of fruits and vegetables and encourage children to explore new tastes.

NSW Health Healthy Eating Learning Experience Resource is a great tool for ECEC services

The NSW Health Healthy Eating Learning Experience Manual has great ideas on how to include learning experiences around food and healthy eating into your daily routines. It is designed specifically for Early Childhood Education and Care services.

2. Incorporate Healthy Eating into Daily Routines

Children are more likely to adopt healthy habits when those habits are part of their daily routines. At every opportunity, model healthy eating and encourage children to participate in age-appropriate tasks related to food.

• Involve Children in Meal Prep: Let children help wash vegetables, set the table, or stir ingredients. These simple tasks teach them about healthy foods and also build their independence.

• Family-Style Dining: Where possible, have meals served family-style. This encourages children to make their own choices about portions and allows them to socialize while eating, making mealtimes more enjoyable.

3. Use Books and Songs to Teach Healthy Eating

Choose picture books and stories that highlight healthy foods, such as The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Eating the Alphabet and I will not ever NEVER eat a tomato. During circle time, read these books to the children, and use them as a springboard for discussion and active learning. Songs and rhymes about food are also a great tool!

4. Create a Healthy Eating Environment

The environment where children eat plays a significant role in encouraging them to make healthy choices. Display posters that show healthy food options, such as colorful fruits, veggies, and whole grains, around the eating area. You can even involve the children in creating these displays! Having a positive, supportive environment that emphasizes healthy eating and nutrition will help reinforce the idea that healthy foods are fun and tasty.

5. Make Nutrition Education Part of the Curriculum

Incorporating healthy eating into your daily program is one of the best ways to ensure children grow up with the tools they need to lead a healthy life.

Use every opportunity to weave nutrition into the curriculum. Whether it’s a science lesson about where food comes from or a cooking activity that ties into math concepts (measuring ingredients), there are endless ways to introduce healthy eating into your daily lessons.

You can also host a Healthy Little Heroes incursion/workshop for the children, teaching them about food groups, eating fresh fruits and vegetables and how to choose foods that fuel their bodies for play and learning.

6. Model Healthy Habits

Children look up to the adults in their lives as role models. By demonstrating healthy eating habits yourself, you can encourage them to follow suit. Eat nutritious snacks and meals alongside the children, and show enthusiasm for healthy foods. If you enjoy it, they are more likely to do the same!

Encouraging Healthy Habits Early On

Incorporating healthy eating and nutrition into your daily early childhood education program is one of the best ways to ensure that children grow up with the tools they need to lead a healthy life. Whether through interactive incursions, creative food activities, or simply setting a positive example, you can make healthy eating a part of every day at your preschool or day care.

At Healthy Little Heroes, we’re passionate about helping children develop a love for healthy living that will last a lifetime. Get in touch with us today to learn more about our healthy eating programs and how we can support you in bringing nutrition education to life at your childcare service!

Together, we can raise the next generation of healthy little heroes! 🌱