REVISE EASY

Level 3 Diploma Early Years Educator


Unit 1.1: Support healthy lifestyles for children
through the provision of food and nutrition


This unit is essentially about understanding the importance of eating a healthy diet before pregnancy, during pregnancy and throughout a child's early years.

The unit helps you to gain knowledge on the nutritional value of food and the impact of healthy and poor diet has on infants and children's growth and development. The unit also addresses individual dietary requirements and preferences. In addition the unit covers the EYFS framework supporting healthy diet and provides information on the local and national initiatives that promote healthy eating.


Healthy eating before and during pregnancy

Eating healthy before becoming pregnant is essential for building up reserve of nutrients vital to unborn baby in the first 3 months.

Guidelines for a healthy eating before pregnancy (pre-conception)


Everyday meal should include something from the four main food groups every day:

potato and cereals
fruit and vegetables
milk or dairy products
high protein food

- Avoid soft or blue-veined cheeses, pate, liver and raw meat as they carry risk of salmonella or listeria

- Take folic acid tablets or include food like broccoli, nuts and whole grain cereals as these are rich sources of folic acid which help the development of the brain and spinal cord, and prevents defects such as spina bifida.

- Avoid overeating and do not go on a slimming diet

- Cut down on sugary foods and eat fresh foods where possible.

- Vegetarian diets should include milk, fish, cheese and eggs provide the vital protein the baby needs.

- Vegans should eat soya products and nuts and pulses to supply protein, and vitamin B12 may need to be taken as a supplement.


During pregnancy

During pregnancy, mothers should eat good quality of food that is well-balanced nutritionally to support mother and growth of unborn baby.

Guideline: healthy diet in pregnancy

- Eat some food containing protein everyday: lean meat, fish, eggs, cheese, beans and lentils.

- Eat some starchy food that forms main part of meal: bread, potatoes, rice, pasta and breakfast cereals.

- Include vegetable in everyday meal.

- Eat citrus fruits as they contain vitamin c needed to help the absorption of iron from non-meat meals: oranges, grapefruit, tomatoes blackcurrants and broccoli.

- Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables that provide vitamins, minerals, and fibre. Eat them lightly cooked or raw.

- Consume dairy product, nuts, sardines (with edible bones), bread and green vegetable which are rich in calcium essential for bone and teeth formation.

- Consume margarine or oily fish (tinned sardines) containing vitamin D to keep bones healthy.

- Consume Green leafy vegetables, lean meat, dried fruit andnuts contain iron, which is important for preventing anaemia.

- Include plenty of fibre in the daily diet to prevent constipation

- Reduce intake of sugary foods: chocolates, sweets, fizzy drinks, biscuits and cakes



Foods to avoid during pregnancy

Avoid food Reason


Soft and blue-veined cheese:
Camembert, Brie, stilton and chevre, goat's cheese

Pate:
liver pate and vegetable pate

Prepared salads:
potato salad and coleslaw

Ready-prepared meals or reheated food, unless they are piping hot all the way through.

 Listeria - a bacteria that causes Listeriosis infection which can affect unborn child: miscarriage, stillbirth meningitis or pneumonia


Raw or partially cooked eggs:

home-made mayonnaise, some mousses and sauces

Unpasteurised milk: goat's and cow's milk
 Salmonella

Unpasteurised milk, raw eggs and raw egg products, raw poultry and raw meat.

Eggs should only be eaten if they are cooked until both the white and the yolk are solid. Salmonella food poisoning could cause: miscarriage and premature birth.
Some types of fish, such as shark, swordfish and marlin, must be avoided altogether High levels of mercury High levels of mercury can harm a baby's developing nervous system. Women should eat no more than two tuna steaks a week (or four cans of tinned tuna). High levels of mercury can cross the placenta and may cause delayed development
Unwashed raw fruit and vegetables:

Raw or undercooked meat, unpasteurised goat's milk or goat's cheese, 		Toxoplasmosis

Toxoplasmosis is an infection caused by a parasite found in cat faeces. It can also be present in raw or undercooked meat, and in soil left on unwashed fruit and vegetables. Although rare, the infection can occasionally be passed to the unborn baby, which can cause serious problems: stillbirth, eye damage, hydrocephalus.
Liver and liver products (e.g liver pate) Too much vitamin A Women should avoid eating liver and liver products such as pate and avoid taking supplements containing vitamin A or fish liver oils (which contain high levels of vitamin A). If high levels of vitamin A build up in the body it can cause serious problems, including birth defects.
Peanuts and foods that contain peanuts Peanut allergy Avoiding foods like peanuts and foods that contain peanuts. They may reduce the baby's chances of developing a potentially serious peanut allergy. This is especially true if there is a history of allergies, such as hay fever or asthma, in the family


Feeding babies

Breast milk is the perfect food for new born babies as it contains colostrum which is high in antibodies that protect babies from infection. However, mothers unable to breast feed can bottle feed their babies using formula milk that is commercially modified to suit babies digestion system and they are fortified with vitamins.

Cow's milk should not be given to babies under 1 year old as their digestion system cannot cope. Babies who are lactose intolerant can be fed using soya based milk.


Advantages of breastfeeding

- Human breast milk provides a balanced nutrients for human growth.

- Breast milk has maternal antibodies that helps protect the child from infection, e.g. against illnesses such as diarrhoea, vomiting, chest, ear and urine infections, eczema and nappy rash.

- The milk is sterile and at the correct temperature; there is no need for bottles and sterilising equipment.

- Breast milk is considered cheaper despite the extra calorific requirement of the mother.

- Sometimes it is easier to promote mother-infant bonding by breastfeeding, although this is certainly not always the case.

- Some babies have an intolerance to the protein in cow's milk (which is the basis of formula milk). The health visitor and National Childbirth Trust can

If parents do choose to introduce solid foods before 26 weeks, they should consult their health visitor or GP first. There are also some foods they should avoid giving their baby which include:

- foods containing gluten, which is in wheat, rye, barley, oats
- eggs
- fish and shellfish
- liver
- citrus fruit juices
- nuts and seeds.


NB. Babies under the age of one year should not be given honey because it is not pasteurised and can cause infant botulism - a rare but very serious illness, which occurs when Clostridium botulinum or related bacteria produce toxins in the intestines of babies under one year old.

Weaning

Solid food should be gradually introduced in babies diet around the age of 6 months.

Signs showing babies maybe ready for weaning:

- able to hold spoon
- teeth coming through
- demand for food increases


Healthy balanced diet

A healthy diet consists of balanced nutrients:
  • Protein

  • Vitamins

  • Minerals

  • Carbohydrate

  • Fats

It is important to gain knowledge of the benefits of healthy eating and the negative consequences of poor eating habits. Factors such as medical conditions, allergies, cultural and religious dietary needs should also be considered when planning children's meals.

The table below illustrates the natural source of the nutrients, function of the nutrients, and the consequences of its deficiency.

Five main food groups

Nutrient Food Function Deficiency
Protein Meat: lamb, beef, veal and pork
Poultry: chicken, turkey, duck
Fish: salmon, sardines, cod, tuna
Pulses/lentils: beans, dal
Nuts: almonds, cashew, peanuts
Cottage cheese, milk, eggs, dates
 Needed for growth and tissue repair. Slow growth in children.
Muscle weakness.

Wasting and shrinkage of muscle tissue.
Carbohydrates Potatoes: chips, mash, roast, Pasta: macaroni, noodles, spaghetti, lasagne.
Rice: fried, biryani, kedgeree
Flour: bread, chapatti, cakes
Cereal: porridge, cornflakes
 Provides energy. Fatigue
Loss of concentration
Mood swings
headaches
Fats Butter, oil, ghee, margarine, cream cheese, fried food, cakes, biscuits Provides warmth and energy.

Helps the brain and nervous system develop correctly.

Necessary for insulating all nervous system tissues in the body.

Helps the body absorb vitamins A,D, and E.

Are the building blocks of hormones. 		Cause hair and skin to become flaky.

Lowers IQ and cause mental illnesses.

Too much fat: can lead to overweight / obesity.

Can raise cholesterol and increase risk of heart disease
Fibre Cereal, beans, lentils, fruits, vegetables, nuts, rice, couscous, pasta, bread Helps to keep a healthy bowel. Lack of fibre in diet may cause constipation.

Vitamins for a healthydiet

Vitamin Food Function Deficiency
Vitamin A Carrots, cabbage, spinach, aubergine, okra, eggs, liver, milk and dairy products. Counteracts night blindness / weak eye sight.
Builds resistance to respiratory infections.
Promotes strong bones, healthy skin, hair, teeth /gums.
 Night blindness
B1, B2, B6, B12 Beef, pork, liver, kidney, milk, eggs, cheese, leafy green vegetables wheat bran, rice, husk, oatmeal, Needed for the formation of red blood cells and antibodies.
Keeps normal function of nervous system, muscles and heart.
B12 promotes growth and Increase appetite in children. Increase energy.
Beriberi Anaemia, dermatitis
C Mangoes, oranges, grapefruit, strawberries, pears and apples, guava, tomatoes green and leafy vegetables, and potatoes. Prevents scurvy (skin condition).
Heals wounds, burns and bleeding.
Aids in treatment and prevention of common colds.
 Scurvy ( skin condition)
Common colds
D Milk, cheese, cream, yogurt sardines, salmon, eggs Formation of healthy bones. Rickets and arthritis in adulthood.

Essential minerals

Mineral Food Function Deficiency
Calcium Milk, cheese, yoghurt, sardines, salmon, nuts, green vegetables, dried beans , soya beans Maintain strong bones and healthy teeth.

Alleviate insomnia
Rickets, brittle bones, osteoporosis, tooth decay.
Magnesium Green leafy vegetables, nuts, beans, lentils, bananas, yogurt Keeps healthy immune system.
Maintain normal muscle and nerve function

Promotes a healthy heart		 Tiredness, weakness, loss of appetite, arrhythmia, anaemia, cramps, mood swings, irritability,
Potassium Bananas, potatoes, citrus fruits, green vegetables. Reduces blood sugar / blood pressure.
Helps dissolve body waste.		 Oedema (swelling caused by fluid in body tissues:
feet, ankles and legs.

Hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar level)
Iron Beef, lamb , liver, fish , eggs, pulses Carries oxygen to the cells.
Necessary for the production of haemoglobin in red blood cells.

Prevents fatigue.
 Lack of iron may cause fatigue or anaemia.
Zinc Prawns, round steak, lamb chops, pork loin, eggs , spinach, blueberry Maintains a healthy immune system.

Accelerate healing time for internal and external wounds. 		Lack of zinc may cause more colds and weak in fighting off infection.

Allergies and food intolerances

Click on the links below to access information on:

Food allergy

Food intolerance

Healthy meals

Nutritional guidance for early years


Food policies in the setting

  • Children and staff must wash hands before and after mealtimes and snack times. Children must learn about good hygiene at meal times.

  • Tables must be cleaned and all children must be seated when they are eating or drinking to avoid choking.

  • All children must be supervised at all meal and snack times. Children with allergies need to sit separately and must have staff sit next to them.

  • Food temperature should always be tasted before feeding children. Staff members are not allowed to blow on children's food.

  • Children are not allowed to bring packed lunches.

  • All foods must be labelled and check children's special dietary needs before serving.

Find out about the food policies in your work setting
that you can add to the list above.


Ways to make food appealing to children

  • Use imagination - cutting pizza into different shapes such as star, heart or animal shapes

  • Present food on the plate in the form of a face.

  • Use bright colour vegetables to brighten the dish.

  • Give children healthy food such as raisins and other dried fruit as a treat.

  • Introduce a variety of food from different cultures.

  • Provide variety of foods and give children freedom to choose the quantity.

  • Sit and eat with the children so that you can encourage them to eat vegetables.

    • Can you think of other ways you can make food
    more attractive to children?


    How to encourage children and young people
    to make healthier food choices

    • Present food in bite size so it is easier to eat.

    • Present food in creative and interesting way.

    • Use favourite cartoon character to make it look fun.

    • Be a role model so that they will copy what you eat.

    • Involve children in cooking and kitchen preparation.

    • Teach them about the goodness of eating healthy: makes them grow and gives energy.

    Benefits of healthy eating

    • Prevents obesity

    • Reduces risk of diabetes

    • Promotes fitness

    • Provides energy

    • Sleeps well

    • Optimizes brain function

    • Promotes fitness

    Consequences of unhealthy diet