Introduction
Since the end of the twentieth century, children have been faced with a rapidly changing world that is having a significant influence on their health and wellbeing, including alterations to our food supply, marketing and other lifestyle factors that influence children's food consumption. The early years are a pivotal period for the establishment of food and nutrition literacy – that is, dietary education, behaviours and preferences – when children are forming their tastes and food preferences, and are most receptive to health messages. Schools and caregivers are ideally placed to assist early years learners to develop positive attitudes towards, and knowledge of, healthy food. This is also of relevance to schools because healthy children are better learners, and evidence suggests that a holistic approach to education that includes health and nutrition has wide-reaching benefits for children and staff.
Furthermore, lifestyle factors – including diet – are critical issues in developed countries that are facing alarming rates of childhood obesity, earlier onset of chronic diseases, and learning and behaviour problems. A good supply of essential nutrients from fresh, minimally processed whole foods, is a major contributor to optimal development of children's growing bodies and brains. Importantly, food preferences and dietary patterns established at this time can track into adolescence and adulthood, having a significant influence on children's physical and psychological health and wellbeing throughout life. The seriousness of the problem of child obesity was recently addressed by a citizens’ jury run by researchers at the University of Adelaide (2016), who made 10 major recommendations. Although they acknowledge that the problem is complex and call for multi-level government intervention, their recommendations include school-based nutrition education and health promotion and nutrition education programs targeted to new parents.
Early childhood educators and carers, teachers and parents can play a key role in influencing children's knowledge about healthy foods and food choices by creating a positive food environment with healthy food options, involving children in gardening and food preparation, role-modelling healthy food choices and contextualising the adoption of healthy eating habits within a warm, encouraging approach to education and child-rearing with clear healthy boundaries – thereby contributing to a healthy start to life for children.