As a childcare professional, you play an important role in helping children develop a lifelong positive relationship with food. When you create inclusive, joyful mealtimes and play experiences, children learn to trust their bodies, connect with others, and feel confident and cared for.
Belonging
Food helps us connect and build relationships. The following will help children feel valued and included:
- Choose foods that reflect the cultures of children and families in menus, books, and play.
- Encourage children and families to share their food traditions and experiences.
- Involve children in mealtime routines like setting the table, serving food when safe and appropriate, or clearing dishes.
Engagement
Children learn best when they explore food with their five senses. Hands-on exploration builds comfort and familiarity with a variety of foods.
- Encourage children to explore and talk about how foods grow, look, feel, taste, smell and sound when eaten (e.g. crunch sound of carrots).
- Offer opportunities to grow, cook, or play with food.
Expression
Food can inspire creativity and communication. Provide experiences that help children express themselves and build confidence in sharing their ideas and needs.
- Provide activities that let children express feelings and ideas about food (e.g., sing songs, look at books and pictures, create drawings and artwork, play farm, or grow vegetables indoors or outdoors).
- Support children to verbalize their food-related needs (e.g. asking for more or saying they are full)
- Encourage table manners and mealtime conversations that build language and social skills.
Well-Being:
Positive experiences around food and mealtimes support children’s physical and emotional health. This helps children build trust in their bodies and develop a positive relationship with food.
- Offer meals and snacks at regular times and provide a variety of nutritious foods.
- Respect and respond to children’s cues of hunger and fullness.
- Let children decide how much to eat from what’s offered.
- Avoid using positive or negative pressure to encourage children to eat.
When food experiences support belonging, engagement, expression, and well-being, children learn that eating is about more than just food; it’s about connection, joy, and care.
