Nursery World - Opinion: To the point

Nurseries should shop around for healthy eating, says Alan Bentley.

Whether the next 20 years will bring forth a generation of slothful Teletubbies is a matter of both conjecture and opinion, but most of us recognise that it is all too easy to give in to children over bad eating habits.

Although I rarely find reason to compliment the Government over its childcare policy, recent changes on food made available during the school day, especially fried food, are undoubtedly a step in the right direction. But what more could be done?

We would probably all agree that children are keen to follow adult role models, especially if they are associated with sport or television. Nursery operators could seek the support of such personalities in their area, such as a local football team, to help them introduce a new attitude to food for the pre-school age group. Given that many such players are likely to be family men themselves, I am sure they would welcome the opportunity for a photo-shoot with the local newspaper encouraging children to eat more greens and fish, and less chips and chocolate.

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