Fostering healthy habits through a whole service approach to nutrition and physical activity
Guest article by the Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition at Deakin University. The Institute’s research focuses on public health approaches to promote nutrition and active living during early childhood.
Healthy eating and physical activity contribute to children’s ability to socialise, concentrate, cooperate and learn. Learning about healthy lifestyles is integral to wellbeing and self confidence (The Early Years Learning Framework V2.0; Framework for School Age Care in Australia V2.0).
Early childhood education and care is crucial in shaping children’s healthy eating and physical activity habits. Creating a high quality health promoting environment requires collaboration among educators and service leaders within a supportive system.
In accordance with Element 2.1.3: Healthy lifestyle, education and care services are required to promote healthy eating and physical activity for children and young people. However, recent evidence indicates that the quality of health promotion environments varies widely. This includes the comprehensiveness of policies and procedures, and the implementation of effective practices.
To support children in developing healthy habits, a whole service approach is essential. This involves integrating effective strategies for promoting healthy eating and physical activity into every aspect of service delivery, including the policies, procedures and program.
Is your service:
- investing in professional development opportunities for educators and staff so that they can promote children’s healthy eating and physical activity?
- identifying barriers to quality nutrition and physical activity through collaboration between service leaders, educators, cooks/chefs, children and families?
- working with local health promotion agencies?
- implementing learning experiences that promote healthy eating and physical activity, for example, using storybooks, games, cooking experiences, songs and gardening?
- engaging your families in promoting healthy behaviours at home?
Some professional development options include:
- The Northern Territory Government Department of Health’s Nutrition in Early Childhood Education and Care Urban areas. This is a self-directed online course designed to educate early childhood education and care staff about the nutritional requirements of young children, developing nutritional policy and planning a healthy menu. This resource is particularly relevant for services in the NT or services educating and caring for First Nations children.
- The Telethon Kids Institute’s Play Active program. This is a national initiative providing professional development, resources and support to help ECEC services promote physical activity.
Further Deakin University resources
INFANT program My Baby Now app
Further resources
ACECQA: Element 2.1.3: Healthy lifestyle
ACECQA: Nutrition, food and beverages, dietary requirements policy and procedure guidelines
Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care: Get Up & Grow: Healthy eating and physical activity for early childhood
Eat for health: Australian dietary guidelines
NSW Government: Healthy Beginnings information sheets; Healthy Beginnings parenting booklets
Nutrition Australia: Fact Sheets
University of Queensland: Grow & Go Toolbox