Nutritional Interventions in Early Childhood Care Settings
Summary
Early childhood care settings have emerged as critical venues for promoting healthy dietary patterns and preventing nutrition-related disorders from the outset of life. Interventions in these environments encompass a spectrum of strategies, including curriculum integration of nutrition education, structured mealtime routines, food-based learning activities, and modifications to the physical and policy environment. Educator training and support play a central role, empowering staff to model positive eating behaviours, implement family-style dining, and engage children in age-appropriate food preparation. Policy measures such as nutrient standards for menus, restriction of sugar-sweetened beverages and incentives for fruit and vegetable provision further shape the nutritional landscape. Digital and eHealth platforms are increasingly deployed to deliver training modules and facilitate communities of practice among practitioners. Cross-cultural studies highlight the need to tailor interventions to local dietary guidelines and cultural preferences, while ensuring alignment with broader objectives such as planetary and environmental health. Taken together, these approaches aim to establish repeated exposure to healthy foods, foster intrinsic food preferences, and engage families in sustaining positive habits beyond the care setting.
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Nutritional Interventions in Early Childhood Care Settings publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in nutritional interventions in early childhood care settings across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC): Formal and informal services providing education and care to children from birth up to five years of age.
Food-Based Learning (FBL): An educational approach using hands-on food experiences to expose children to healthy foods and influence preferences.
Healthy Eating Index (HEI): A composite score assessing diet quality in relation to national dietary recommendations.
Environment and Policy Assessment and Observation (EPAO): An observational tool used to evaluate the nutrition and physical activity environments within care settings.
eHealth intervention: The use of digital platforms and online modules to deliver education and support for practice change.
References
- Associations between Preschool Teachers’ Food-Based Learning Frequency, Level of Personal Priority and Identified Resources and Challenges: A Needs Assessment. Nutrients (2024).
- Children’s Diets and Planetary Health: A Study in Wroclaw, Poland, and Sydney, Australia. Foods (2024).
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