Nursery World - On the Menu (3)

Early years settings, if they show commitment and get parents on their side, can make their food provision healthier, says Mary Whiting Although admirable exceptions exist, poor food is far too common in many early years settings. Yet there is much that settings can, and should, do to improve the type, quality and range of food that they offer to the children in their care.

Early years settings, if they show commitment and get parents on their side, can make their food provision healthier, says Mary Whiting

Although admirable exceptions exist, poor food is far too common in many early years settings. Yet there is much that settings can, and should, do to improve the type, quality and range of food that they offer to the children in their care.

The current abundance of poor food in early years settings is due to a variety of factors:

* Some settings rely on ready-made school meals, which too often comprise deep-fried junk and sugared desserts and drinks. Even with 'home-cooked'

meals, the cook may still rely on 'mixes' and the same greasy, sugary food as in the ready-made school meals, so loading children with calories and training their tastebuds in exactly the wrong direction for the future.

* Staff are sometimes unaware of the urgency of the situation. They may even eat badly themselves. There may be confusion over what healthy food is (see box) and how to make it attractive to children. It is dismaying to see such things as sticky brown rice and unchewable coleslaw served up as 'healthy eating'. When children reject such fare, the whole idea of eating healthily gets abandoned. If the 'healthy option' tack is tried and the children (naturally) choose ice-cream instead of an apple, the conclusion can be 'We tried healthy eating but it didn't work'.

* The idea that 'children need their treats' dies hard. Settings seeking to remove all sweets and biscuits can be viewed as 'mean', although dispensing such things at nursery is unnecessary and irresponsible. The time lapse between children eating the 'treat', getting their teeth drilled and becoming overweight makes it easy to forget the links between them - and our part in it.

* Staff may believe that lack of exercise alone causes obesity, and anyway it's a matter for their parents. Indeed, staff may worry that parents will complain.

* Some staff may be overweight themselves and feel reluctant, perhaps embarrassed, to address the situation in the setting.

* The new guidelines for healthy eating from the Department for Education and Skills offer little help, unlike the original ones that were removed in the 1980s.

Ways to success

Settings that provide good-quality food have usually made a determined and combined effort to improve their practice. So, what did they do?

* Staff became informed and learned about the connection between food and health. They looked for examples of good practice or sought advice from their local community dietician. Some organised training sessions. They 'brainstormed' to think how to improve the food on offer.

* Early on, they involved the cook in the excitement and the challenge of creating a better regime, or changed the cook if necessary. Without an interested and informed cook, progress is limited.

* They knew that their food must be enticing to children. They sourced wholesome, straightforward recipes and tried them out. Ones that children liked were retained, the others were changed or discarded.

* They sourced good quality ingredients from local shops and suppliers.

They aimed to buy local produce, and organic wherever possible.

* They involved parents and approached the subject sensitively.

* They introduced healthier items as something special, perhaps 'really for grown-ups'. Undesirable 'treats' were replaced by 'special' new ones.

Knowing that children are born imitators, staff made their own enjoyment in the food clear, and hid any personal dislikes.

* They drew up a food policy, covering meals, snacks, birthdays and every occasion, and posted it up, along with the week's menus. Some added a 'recipe of the month', so that parents could try it at home.

How to begin

Here are some ways to start improving the quality of food that you offer to the children in your setting.

* Don't think that you have to get everything right immediately. You'll pick up more good ideas as you go along. Start slowly, one change at a time. For example, to start, you could:

* offer chips less often and jacket or mashed potatoes more often

* serve sugary desserts less often, gradually phasing in alternatives

* sometimes have fresh fruit pieces or mashed banana on bread and butter as a snack

* introduce one or two new main course recipes.

* Don't worry that your food might be unlike the food that the children have at home. Children know that nursery is often different to home - there are more people, the chairs and tables are lower, and so on. They will accept that the food can be different too - possibly better!

* Make changes quietly. Of course, exclaim how tasty something is. On the other hand, saying 'It's good for you' can put children right off!

* Put the food out in serving bowls in the centre of each table for children (and staff) to help themselves. Apart from remembering 'fair shares', let children take what they want without comment.

* Never pressure someone to eat more than they want; this can encourage overeating later on. Just have a pleasant, chatty mealtime. It's important to avoid any mention of 'slimming', as this can lead children to think that their normal chubbiness is wrong and 'fat'. There have been cases of under-fives who tried to 'slim', with damaging consequences.

* If making changes in your food policy means, for example, that you no longer want parents to bring in birthday sweets or cakes, you will need to write to the parents to explain what you are doing and why.

Winning over parents

* Wait until the children in your setting have accepted a few of the suggested changes, and then explain to parents that you have had a trial run and it went well.

* Briefly say that as part of your duty of care, you need to make some changes. Give examples of your plans, such as cutting down on sugary and fatty food or changing to home-cooked meals.

* Provide facts and figures about obesity and healthy eating to justify your case:

* Nowadays, one child in ten is already obese by the time they start school, and the problem is getting worse

* Overweight children often remain so for life, so prevention is crucial

* Obesity often leads on to other conditions, such as diabetes, which is life-threatening

* It is now urgent that children's eating must change, and in some ways go back to how they ate just a few decades ago

* Exercise is essential, but it takes a lot of it to work off all the calories in very fatty and sugary food and drink

* It's important that children enjoy health-building food, so you are collecting recipes that are both delicious and nutritious. (Parents can be useful sources of recipes, especially of traditional ones from overseas, which can also help your menus to be more multicultural.)

* We will celebrate birthdays with lighting candles and a special fresh fruit treat, and parents are welcome to make contributions.

* Perhaps include a recipe of a new dish that the children have already enjoyed.

* Consider holding a 'tasting' some time, so parents can try a dish 'that our children like'.

* Be careful of any implied criticism of children's eating habits at home.

Nowadays, parents are under enormous pressure to buy undesirable 'children's food'. 'Pester power' is hugely profitable to the food industry and peer pressure is part of the same tactic.

* If necessary, you could explain that it's the fault of our insufficiently regulated food industry, which has invented a huge array of low-quality, high-calorie foods and marketed them relentlessly at children. You could say we are all its victims, but that we must fight back for the sake of our children, because their health is being destroyed.

Most parents will probably support you. Some could be thrilled because your policy helps them with issues that they are struggling with at home. When it's obvious that the children are enjoying the food, any doubters should be appeased. It is immensely satisfying when 'good food' plans win praise from children and parents alike.