Early childhood is a foundational time for growth and development, with nutrition playing a vital role in shaping a child’s physical and emotional wellbeing. Promoting a healthy relationship with food goes beyond offering nutritious meals—it’s about fostering body trust and avoiding patterns that can contribute to disordered eating later in life. How children learn about food in their early years has a lasting impact on how they view both food and their bodies as they grow.
In Australia, many children consume up to a third of their weekly meals at Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) centres. With so much time spent in these environments, it’s essential for centres to nurture positive, supportive relationships with food.
The National Quality Standard (NQS) Element 2.1.3 for ECEC’s states ‘Healthy eating and physical activity are promoted and appropriate for each child’ and encourages eating with children and engaging in conversations about food during mealtimes.
As health promotion practitioners, we work with centres to support these food environments and meet element 2.1.3. But what we often hear from educators is a sense of uncertainty about how to talk to children about food, how to promote healthy eating, and how to navigate experiences like picky eating. Many educators bring their own experiences with food which can influence how they approach food learning and mealtimes with children.
So, how do we promote healthy eating appropriately to children?
First, it’s important to recognise how children learn about food. Young children, particularly those aged 2-5 years, are in the preoperational stage of development. They best grasp concrete, sensory information. Abstract concepts—like nutrients or food groups—are harder for them to understand because they can’t see, touch, or taste them. They’re also encountering the wonderful world of food for the very first time.
Much like learning to count before tackling algebra, children need to learn about food in ways that align with their developmental stage. Expecting preschoolers to understand that milk has calcium for strong bones isn’t developmentally appropriate. Instead, we should focus on sensory exploration—letting them touch, smell, and taste food—while supporting their natural pace of learning. Educators can encourage sensory engagement during mealtimes by asking questions like:
This approach allows children to build familiarity with different foods without pressure, helping them develop a positive relationship with food over time.
We often hear from educators that they don’t know what to do when a child shows picky eating behaviours.
Just like learning to read or ride a bike, eating is a skill that develops gradually, and every child progresses at their own pace. It’s also important to remember that children are born intuitive eaters. This means they instinctively know how much food they need for growth, learning, and play.
The Division of Responsibility in Feeding is the gold-standard model for nurturing children into confident and competent eaters. Developed by Ellyn Satter, a registered dietitian and family therapist, this approach can be effectively applied in early childhood settings to create a supportive environment for eating.This model recommends the following…
Adults’ Responsibilities in Feeding:
Skill Development: Educators assist children in practicing new food skills, like using different forms or cutlery or independence with opening lunchboxes, and role-modeling good table manners like turn-taking.
Children’s Responsibilities in Feeding:
By making sure that food and safe drinking water are always available, and offering appropriate meals regularly, educators can foster a trusting and respectful environment around food, allowing children to listen to their hunger cues and make empowered choices about their eating. This approach supports the development of a healthy relationship with food that can last a lifetime.
The NQS also suggests involving children in decision-making about healthy food choices, such as helping with food preparation. Educators can incorporate this in simple, fun ways, like letting children select ingredients for meals or rotate their favorite dishes into the menu. This can help children feel more empowered without placing pressure on them to eat.
Promoting healthy eating in early childhood education is about more than just providing nutritious food. It’s about creating an environment that encourages curiosity, exploration, and respect for each child’s individual development. By understanding how young children learn about food and respecting their natural pace of eating, educators can lay the groundwork for a lifetime of positive eating experiences.
Early childhood educators can learn more about how to support the children in their care to develop a positive relationship with food and their bodies by completing the free Body Blocks by Embrace Kids program.
