Diet, meals and food pedagogy in childcare

From breakfast to afternoon meal – meals structure much of a day in nursery and kindergarten. For many children, the institution's food is a significant part of their total diet, and for educational staff, meals are both a nutritional and educational task.

§Food Authority nutrition advice for daycare facilities

The Food Authority has developed nutrition advice specifically for meals in daycare facilities, building on the official nutrition advice for the entire population. The advice contains principles, ingredient lists and suggested portion sizes that the institution's kitchen — or the adults making food — can use as a basis when putting together healthy, varied meals for children.

§Meal rhythm during the day

The Food Authority recommends that the smallest children in the nursery get a meal approximately every other hour, while kindergarten children typically need a meal approximately every third hour. A typical day thus includes several meals: breakfast for those arriving early, mid-morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack and possibly a late snack for children picked up late.

• 01Breakfast – for children arriving early at the facility.
• 02Morning snack — a smaller meal mid-morning.
• 03Lunch – the day's main meal.
• 04Afternoon snack – fruit, bread, or the like after midday nap/afternoon activities.
• 05Late meal — for children picked up late in the day.

§Meals as an educational space

A good meal is about more than nutrition. It is a social event where children practise waiting their turn sharing food pouring for themselves and where they develop food culture and sensory experiences with taste smell and texture. As a pedagogical assistant you help create calm around the table support self-sufficiency — let the children butter pour and eat as much as they can — and make the meal a pleasant community rather than just a feeding task.

§Your duties around mealtime

• 01Prepare the table setting and a calm frame around the meal.
• 02Guide children to butter, pour and eat according to their ability.
• 03Observe appetite and wellbeing—changes can be signs to pass on.
• 04Cooperation with kitchen/colleagues on allergies and special diets.

“A good meal satisfies both with good food and with community rest and practice in managing more themselves.”