Free toolkit helps early childhood services improve nutrition and reduce food waste

A free toolkit developed with service directors, cooks and educators brings together guidance on menu planning, food purchasing, preparation and waste management.

The National Nutrition Foundation and Deakin University’s Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition have developed a new resource to help early childhood education and care services provide nutritious food while reducing waste.

The Sustainable and Nutritious Food Environments in Early Childhood Education and Care Toolkit draws on five years of research and was co-designed with the people responsible for food practices inside services.

National Nutrition Foundation Nutrition Lead Ricky Gelman said the partnership aimed to connect research with everyday practice.

“By combining evidence with practical guidance, we’re helping early childhood services support children’s nutrition and creating sustainable food environments,” Mr Gelman said.

Guidance from menu planning to waste management

The toolkit covers decisions made throughout a service’s food operations, including:

• Planning menus.
• Purchasing food.
• Preparing meals.
• Managing food waste.

Its guidance is intended for directors, cooks and educators, recognising the different responsibilities each holds in planning, preparing and supporting children’s meals.

The resource considers nutrition alongside the environmental impact of how food is purchased, prepared and managed. It also encourages involving children in conversations and activities about food and sustainability.

Developed with early childhood teams

The toolkit combines research evidence with the perspectives of service directors, cooks and educators who shape children’s food experiences.

Its development brought together early childhood education, public health nutrition, environmental sustainability and food systems research. The partnership aimed to produce guidance that services could apply in their own settings.

Dr George Pittas, Director at Alto Montessori Early Learning and Kindergarten, said collaboration was important to improving food environments for young children.

“This toolkit can help us work together, children, families, centres, scientists and governing bodies. We need to combine our skills and knowledge to support this most important stage of life.”

Access the free toolkit through the National Nutrition Foundation here.