`Eating well for under-5s in child care`

Caroline Walker Trust Guidelines

Content

Comprising 88 page with 6 chapters and 5 appendices, this is one of the most comprehensive reviews of nutrition in the under-5s widely available. Chapters on `why nutrition guidelines are needed` and `nutrition in 1-4 years` review the current state of the diet of under-5`s, provide the basic nutritional information needed to understand the nutrient-based standards, and review the scientific evidence for recommendations. These chapters deal on a `nutrient by nutrient` basis (e.g. fat, protein and minerals) with the science behind healthy eating in the early years (including a chapter on infant nutrition and weaning). Another chapter gives practical advice on how to encourage under-5’s in childcare to eat well including the types of foods, timing of meals and snacks, and how to involve parents. The final chapter gives recommendations for the amount of energy, nutrients and foods that should be provided for children under 5 including 3 menus that give examples of how these nutrient-based standards can be met.

Purpose

The purpose of these guidelines is to help children develop patterns of healthy eating and physical activity from an early age by encouraging early exposure of children to healthy foods and by promoting positive attitudes to good nutrition. They are designed to act as a resource document but also to provide practical advice for parents, local authorities, nursery owners and managers, childminders, cooks/chefs and others responsible for providing food for children under 5 in childcare.

With over 1.5 million registered childcare places in 2005 an increasing proportion of total food eaten by a substantial number of children is out of the home. Given the importance of establishing healthy eating patterns in the early years for optimal growth, development and health in childhood and beyond, these guidelines were developed to provide practical advice for encouraging healthy eating among children under 5 in childcare. This second edition (published in 2006) updates previous guidelines from 1998, is supported by both the Food Standards Agency and the Department of Health, and is aimed at all those involved in the provision, regulation and commissioning of childcare services for children under 5.

Significance

The comprehensive nature of the report, extensive references and detailed index and appendices make the Caroline Walker Trust guidelines an ideal reference to advise on almost all aspects of diet and nutrition in the under-5`s including issues such as `dealing with food refusal` and food allergy. However, for those with limited time, there is a good summary of recommendations. Although these guidelines are specifically aimed at carers in a day care setting, all the nutritional principals and information provided apply equally to children eating at home. Therefore the report will also be very useful reading for healthcare workers advising mothers at home and, perhaps in certain sections, for mothers themselves (e.g. chapter 5, encouraging children to eat well, deals with the difficult issue of providing variety in the diets of children under 5). Overall, the guidelines are essential reading for all those interested in healthy eating in under-5`s.