Foodtalk

Many Early Years Practitioners receive no nutrition training, yet many children spend most of their day and eat most of their meals in a childcare setting. The Foodtalk Game is designed to help early years staff improve their understanding of children’s nutritional needs, enabling them to better support the children and families they work with.

It is a fun and cost-effective approach to nutrition training and can also be used to engage with parents and families to help them understand their children’s nutritional needs. In a trial in Brent, London, 100% of nursery and children’s centre staff said they would recommend the game to others!

The Foodtalk Game can also be used with parents and families, to help them better understand their child’s nutritional needs. Families could be invited to a nutrition and health day, with the game as an educational activity. It can also be used to support conversation with families in obesity prevention, nutrition or oral health interventions.

Topics covered by the game include:

• Food groups
• Managing fussy eating
• Nutritional considerations (including anaemia and obesity)
• Encouraging healthy habits

Audience

Suitable for anyone working in early years with children and families such as:

• Nursery/children’s centre staff
• Childminders
• Health visitors
• Family support workers
• Dietetic assistants
• Students on early years, child health or diet & nutrition courses