Best Practice Guidance
   FOOD 
   &NUTRITION 
        for Childcare settings
   Section 1
   Why healthy eating matters for children 
           Section 1
           Why healthy eating matters for children in childcare
           Contents
           Key role of childcare settings in children’s nutrition                                      1
           Diet and children’s health                                                                  2
               Healthy weight                                                                          3
               Dental health and tooth decay                                                           4
               Important vitamins and minerals                                                         5
           What are our children eating?                                                               6
               Sugars 6
               Fruit and vegetables                                                                    7
               Fibre                                                                                   7
           Aims of the Food and Nutrition Best Practice Guidance                                       8
           What does the Food and Nutrition for childcare settings contain                           10 
               Best practice guidance                                                                10
               Menu plans and recipes                                                                10
           References                                                                                11
           Appendix 1: Child care regulations for food and drink                                     12
                   © Crown copyright 2018       WG34509 
           Digital ISBN 978-1-78964-298-8        
           Best practice guidance                                        Section 1 Why healthy eating matters for children 
           Key role of childcare settings in children’s  
           nutrition
           The early years and childhood are a crucial           Provision of a healthy balanced diet and 
           period for development and provide an                 healthy drinks is essential to:
           important foundation for a child’s future health      •  encourage children to eat a wide variety of 
           and well being.                                          foods because habits adopted at the toddler 
           The first 1000 days, from when a baby is                 stage will be taken into later childhood and 
           conceived to age two, can have a positive                adult life
           influence on how they develop, grow and learn –       •  influence food preferences as a toddler 
           not just now, but for his or her whole life. What        begins to have a decisive say in food 
           a child eats is crucial. This means that childcare       selection
           settings can play a key role in the provision         •  ensure they get the right amount of energy 
           of quality and nutritious food, for children in          and nutrients for this time of rapid growth 
           their care.                                              and development
           There is evidence that children as young as 3         •  develop and maintain a healthy weight.
           are receptive and capable of learning about           •  help prevent tooth decay
                                                  1              •  help prevent iron deficiency and constipation. 
           nutrition and its relationship to health  and 
           that newly tasted foods are more likely to be         Childcare practitioners are in an ideal position 
           accepted between 2 and 3 years, than between          to help shape eating habits and to support 
                         2
           4 and 8 years .                                       infants and children to eat well.
           As children get older they may attend a variety       Childcare settings can:
           of child care settings in addition to school, so      •  play a significant part in children’s nutrition 
           it is equally important to maintain the focus on         by supporting mums who are continuing to 
           good nutrition.                                          breastfeed and supporting the introduction of 
           There were 84,000 childcare and play places              solid foods
                             3
           in Wales in 2017  and therefore settings will         •  provide nutritious food in the correct portions 
           impact on the lives of many young children.              to support a diet that encourages vegetables 
                                                                    and fruit, and balanced meals providing all 
                                                                    the essential nutrients, with milk or water  
                                                                    to drink 
                                                                 •  provide activities to create an environment 
                                                                    that encourages children in their care to 
                                                                    develop positive attitudes to food and their 
                                                                    health. 
                                                                 The challenges are to ensure that meals, 
                                                                 snacks and drinks provided meet dietary 
                                                                 recommendations for this age group, and are 
                                                                 eaten and enjoyed by children. This should 
                                                                 continue throughout childcare settings for 
                                                                 children up to 12 years. 
                                                                 Some families may not be able to access or 
                                                                 afford good quality food and this can have an 
                                                                 impact on children’s long-term health. Childcare 
                                                                 settings can provide an essential part of  
                                                                 a child’s dietary intake in these crucial years. 
           Best practice guidance                             1             Section 1 Why healthy eating matters for children 
           Diet and children’s health
           Key health problems that 
           are linked to children’s diet            Overweight            Tooth               Vitamins 
           include: overweight and          1and obesity           2decay             3and minerals
           obesity, tooth decay and not 
           having enough vitamin and 
           mineral intakes.
           Healthy weight 
           The Child Measurement Programme in Wales          recent rise in the overall levels of obesity and 
           monitors the height and weight of all school      the higher levels in more deprived areas. This 
           children in reception class every year. We        makes it even more important to ensure that 
           know that 72% of children at reception age        young children have the opportunities to grow 
           are a healthy weight but 27.1 % (over 1 in 4) is  up eating a healthy balanced diet and being 
           overweight or obese. What is of concern is the    physically active. 
                                                                                              i
            Figure 1: Results from the Child Measurement Programme in Wales for 2016/17
             27.1%                             12.4%                      The range of levels of obesity 
                                                                          across local authority areas 
             of children aged                  of children aged           in  Wales is   
             4–5 years are                     4–5 years are obese       7.8%–17.5%
             overweight or obese 
             Local authority areas                Anglesey, Gwynedd, Conwy, Wrexham, 
             above the average of                 Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire, Swansea, 
             12.4%                                Bridgend, Rhondda Cynon Taf, 
             in Wales include:                    Merthyr Tydfil and Blaenau Gwent 
             Local authority areas 
             below the average of                 Denbighshire, Flintshire, Ceredigion, 
             12.4%                                Neath/Port Talbot, Vale of Glamorgan, Cardiff, 
                                                  Torfaen, Monmouthshire, Newport 
             in Wales include:
             i. Ref: National Child Measurement Programme in Wales 2016/17, Public Health Wales, 2018.
           Being overweight or obese as a child can lead     some cancers. Nearly 60% of adults in Wales 
                                                                                    4
           to being overweight or obese as an adult with     are overweight or obese . 
           very serious health consequences such as          Helping children to be a healthy weight is one of 
           increased risk of diabetes, heart disease and     the best things we can do to set them up for life. 
           Best practice guidance                          2           Section 1 Why healthy eating matters for children