Supporting healthy eating and drinking habits
Throughout the day at Talbot nursery, the children have a range of times and opportunities to develop their understanding of healthy eating habits, nutrition and enjoyment and exploration of food. We have a dedicated ‘snack area’, which the children can access when they are hungry and/or thirsty, which has freely available cow’s milk, fresh drinking water and a daily fruit or vegetable snack. The snack table can seat four children and therefore provides a lovely social space for children to chat as they enjoy their snack. Children who may be reluctant to try new fruits and vegetables are often motivated to try unfamiliar ones when they are at the snack table alongside their friends.
For those children who stay for lunch at nursery, enjoying food with friends and alongside supportive and nurturing adults, allows them to settle into the routine and see mealtimes as a positive experience. Having a dedicated dining space, using crockery and cutlery and sitting together, creates a positive and warm environment to encourage children to enjoy their lunch.
The children’s own water bottles are freely available throughout the day, which they can access at any time and the adults remind them to drink at various points in the session.
If you have any concerns about your child’s eating or drinking at nursery, please do speak to a member of the nursery team. If you have any questions about your child’s wider eating habits, please do consider looking at the following website, which is run by a charity called HENRY. They offer support and training to families on a range of ways to create healthy lifestyles:
