Ofsted to inspect food in nurseries?

Food in nurseries to be inspected by Ofsted

Food in School and the Teaching of Food’ have recently suggested that Ofsted should inspect food and nutrition in nurseries to promote healthy lifestyles and reduce childhood obesity. The inspection process would be carried out by registered public health nutritionists or dieticians.

Written by the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on A Fit and Healthy Childhood, the report argues that the Government has a brilliant opportunity to help children and families get the best start in life by monitoring their diets from an early age. It also allows parents to become educated on what their child’s dietary needs are. .

The report also recommends:

• More national evidence about the provision of food and drink in early years settings is gathered as an integral component of the EYFS;
• A new specific nutritional standard for the Early Years Teacher qualification is introduced;
• That early years workers are given training to enable them to help families provide children with appropriate evidence-based food and nutrition advice;
• Early Childhood nutrition indicators are embedded into key developmental checks.

Sharon Smith, senior lecturer in child health and early years at the University of Northampton and a member of the APPG on A Fit and Healthy Childhood, said, ‘Evidence based food and nutrition advice should be integral to all early years qualifications and degree courses. All early years students at the University of Northampton study a child health module which incorporates a holistic approach to child health including nutrition.

If children learn right from the beginning about healthy lifestyles then it will have more of a positive outcome later in life. Children and parents just need to be shown healthy ways of living.