Depending on how the early years setting runs it sessions the children may be required to stay for a meal, some may close over the lunch period; some offer a separate lunch hour where children can stay or leave, and other settings may require parents to send their children in with a packed lunch. However, some would argue that every child who attends an early years setting should receive one hot meal a day while in the setting. There are many benefits to a child staying in the setting for a meal, and this is something which should be carefully considered by settings when considering session times and lunch policies.
Why should early years settings provide a hot meal?
As stated above there are many benefits and reasons that children should have one hot meal while in a childcare setting these include:
Concentration – Studies show that children need to have a good diet to have enough energy to concentrate and learn. If a child is provided with one hot meal this will give them all the energy they need to concentrate, play and learn throughout the remainder of the day
Socialising – Meal times are an excellent time for learning social skills and communicating with other peers and practitioners. Lots of valuables and educational talk happens around the table as well as learning other social skills such as how to use cutlery, sit nicely around the table, and use manners, etc.
Healthy eating – If a homemade hot meal is provided to every child it will encourage healthy eating and balanced diets. Parents may not have the access or the knowledge about healthy eating, so this is a good way to teach children and allow them to try new foods, flavours and textures.
Obesity – Teaching children about a healthy diet and ensuring they have at least one balanced meal in an early years setting may prevent the increasing levels of childhood obesity
Fussy eaters – By all children staying for a hot meal, it can help fussy eaters overcome their food issues as they see others eating and realise it isn’t so bad and want to join in.
Consistency – Children can sometimes feel uneasy when they are unsure of their routines or the routines of those around them. This can happen when settings run a separate lunch hour where some children stay, some go home, and some arrive depending on the wishes of their parents. This can sometimes leave children feeling lost and upset when they are unsure which days they are staying or leaving and struggling to understand why some of their friends are going or coming. This has been highlighted in the ‘am I staying for lunch today?’ report (Williams, L, 2010). This can be avoided and create a stronger sense of security and consistency for the children by making children have a hot meal in the setting over the lunch period compulsory.
Some settings to not feel that meal times are beneficial enough and can often put an extra strain on parents to pay lunch fees. It could, therefore, be suggested that this is something which needs to be considered by government and the free school meals ethos should begin when a child claims their early years’ funding. If lunch times are not made compulsory, then children can gain all of the benefits suggested above in other ways such as stories about healthy eating and the setting providing a fruit snack to support concentration. Making children aware of their own routines will help with the consistency and is a challenge that many settings who do not offer lunch can overcome. However providing a meal is something that all settings should take into careful consideration before any decisions are made.
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