Unit 1 – Key role of kindergarten staff for developing food culture und eating habits
In this unit I will learn how to:
- reflect food culture and eating habits in the kindergarten
- challenge existing rules and regulations concerning eating/acting with food
- affect children´s eating habits in a positive manner
Introduction into the topic:
Balanced nutrition makes a vital contribution to promoting health and sustainability. At kindergarten level, the offering, presentation and pedagogical guidance of food can help to path the way for developing healthy eating habits. Tasks and daily routine of pedagogues and kindergarten staff have changed radically in the past years.
The number of hours a child stays in kindergarten and school is increasing. This leads also to an increase of meals taken there, often to a full board service. An increasing number of children of migrants or refugees with various religious and cultural background have to be integrated. Thus, there is an increasing charge for developing healthy and sustainable eating habits in kindergartens. Pedagogues and kindergarten staff play a vital role in this process.
