Junk diet for kindy kids,
Children at preschools are being fed too much junk food, and not enough fruit and vegetables, university research has found.
A survey of childcare centres across Auckland and Waikato revealed half of the menus supplied did not have enough grains or dairy to meet half of a preschooler’s daily requirements, and were not meeting Ministry of Education guidelines about nutrition.
Study lead author Sarah Gerritsen, a PhD student at Auckland University, also said there was a lack of vegetables on the menus, compared to fruit.
The research, the first of its kind in New Zealand, showed menus contained too many of what were called ‘‘occasional’’ foods: deep-fried foods, cakes, confectionery, and soft drinks, Gerritsen said.
‘‘We know that centres are serving cakes and sausage rolls on special occasions [like birthdays] ... we wouldn’t expect them to appear on the menu.’’
She also found only 18 per cent of the childcare centre cooks in her study had any nutritional training.
ChildForum chief executive Sarah Alexander said the research was significant.
Early childhood education (ECE) providers were taking on parents’ responsibility when it came to providing food, and so should be concerned about nutrition, she said.
Parents working long days and leaving their children in services for eight to 10 hours relied on them to provide healthy food.
Gerritsen said she expected the issues she found in Waikato and Auckland would be repeated in services across the country.
Healthy Food Guide nutritionist Claire Turnbull said good nutrition for young children was absolutely fundamental.
It helped them concentrate, ensured they had good brain development, and taught them habits that would stay with them for life.
‘‘In Japan most schools have nutritionists, they see the value of good nutrition. It’s a fundamental part of their philosophy.’’
She created meal plans for ECE centres, which included a lentil bake or a fish pie as examples of what children were getting for lunch.
Ministry of Education deputy secretary sector enablement and support Katrina Casey said the licensing criteria for ECE services included food that met children’s nutritional needs.
If children brought in food from home in lunch boxes, the service had to encourage and promote healthy eating guidelines.
Guidance was also provided for ECE centres online.
Education Review Office (ERO) reviews were done to make sure centres were meeting licensing requirements.