Eating well – advice from the Early Years Nutrition Partnership

Xanthi Maragdouaki, an Early Years Nutrition Partnership (EYNP) registered nutrition professional, discusses preparing children for enjoying school meals

A key part of the EYNP approach is to support early years educators to engage parents regarding their children’s nutrition. We often see around this time parents with children who are about to leave the early years and begin school starting to think about school meals or packed lunches. These changes can be a big challenge to established nutritional habits, and parents often turn to their trusted early years providers for some pointers.

If children are getting school meals, then there is the risk that every day they will make the same choice, depending on what the school offers, a choice that parents might not necessarily approve of. It is important to encourage children to make good, nutritious choices. Encourage parents to get hold of the menu if they can and go through it with their child, discussing how each meal offered can benefit them. For example, ‘eating your protein will help you grow and eating your vegetables will make your body stronger’. At the same time, most schools also offer a ‘treat’ day. It is important for children to be part of this, so parents and carers should avoid demonising food.