Nutrition
Early food experiences have an important impact on eating patterns in adult life.
When planning for the food provision for children under five there are three special considerations to take into account that gradually become less important as the child becomes older. These are:
- Pre-school children have a high energy and nutrient requirement relative to their size;
- They have a small stomach and a relatively under-developed gut which prevents them from consuming large quantities of food at a time and sometimes causes harmless bowel problems;
- They have a variable appetite, related to fluctuations in growth rate and level of physical activity.
While healthy eating guidelines designed for adults and older children are not wholly appropriate for pre-school children, especially for those under two, they can be used to shape the diet from an early age so there is a gradual progression towards healthy eating as the child gets older. Although there are a couple of specific points relating to very young children under two years which will be discussed later in this booklet, such as the consumption of milk, there are not distinct sets of guidelines for children under two and over two.
Instead eating habits and food intake should fit in with the whole family while bearing in mind the special nutritional needs of this age group.
Why good food and nutrition is important?
Promoting healthy eating in a nursery or playgroup provides an assurance to parents or carers that their child's nutritional wellbeing is being taken care of. It helps children settle into the nursery as good eating habits are established and is associated with improved learning and behaviour.
Children between the age of one and five years grow and develop rapidly and eating habits and food intake can affect this. For instance, a frequent poor energy intake can stunt growth. A poor iron intake can lead to the development of iron-deficiency anaemia which in turn is associated with frequent infections, poor weight gain, developmental delay and behaviour disorders. At this age, children are almost totally dependent on others for their food. Parents and carers should recognise that their own eating habits, including likes and dislikes, will be the ones that the child imitates.
Early food experiences have an important impact on eating patterns in adult life. Attitudes to eating, including which type of foods are considered 'normal' and whether mealtimes are regarded as social occasions or just something to be eaten while watching television, will develop during the early years.
Food and eating can be wonderful sources of learning for children, such as cooking, shopping, helping to lay the table and eating out. However, food can also be a source of frustration and a cause of arguments between the food provider and the child. Building on positive experiences with food will help to reduce such confrontation.