One of the questions we are often asked by families is, “How do you get children to try foods at nursery that they won’t eat at home?” or “I can see on their daily diary they have eaten this food but they will not eat it at home. What do you do differently?”
The answer is simple: we don’t force children to eat anything.
At Safari Childcare, we believe that developing healthy eating habits starts with creating positive experiences around food. Rather than focusing on how much a child eats, we focus on helping children feel confident, curious and comfortable exploring new foods in a pressure-free environment.
Research shows that children may need many opportunities to see, touch, smell and explore a food before they feel ready to taste it. That’s why our approach is centred around encouragement, exploration and enjoyment rather than pressure or rewards. Children often have to try different foods 10 times before they decide whether they like them, yes, 10!
Food Is More Than Just Eating
Food provides wonderful opportunities for learning.
Children are naturally curious, and we use this curiosity to help them become food explorers. Before a child even considers tasting a food, they may:
- Look closely at its colours and patterns
- Feel different textures
- Smell it
- Listen to the sounds it makes – yes, all food makes a sound!
- Talk about what it reminds them of
- Compare it to foods they already know
These experiences help children become familiar with foods in a safe and enjoyable way, reducing anxiety and building confidence over time.
TastEd as part of our Signature Sessions
As part of our commitment to supporting children’s nutrition and wellbeing, Safari Childcare proudly delivers TastEd sessions as one of our Safari Signature Sessions.
TastEd is an evidence-based programme that encourages children to explore food using all their senses before tasting it. Rather than asking children to simply “eat their vegetables”, TastEd helps children become food detectives, investigating foods through play, conversation and discovery.
During a typical TastEd session, children may:
- Examine the shape, size and colour of different fruits and vegetables
- Compare textures
- Listen for crunchy sounds
- Discover where foods come from
- Learn new vocabulary
- Share their thoughts and observations
- Taste foods if they choose to
Importantly, tasting is always optional. The two main rules remain the most important part of the TastEd session. 1- no one has to try it, and 2 no one has to like it. Simple!
Supporting the National Nurseries for Food Programme
Safari Childcare is proud to be involved with Nourishing Our Future (NOF). The programme aims to improve children’s understanding of food and nutrition and to help them form healthy eating habits from an early age.
Through our involvement, we continue to strengthen our practice, ensuring that food education is embedded throughout our curriculum and daily experiences.
Being part of this programme allows us to remain at the forefront of research and best practice, helping us provide children with positive food experiences that can influence healthy habits for years to come and give them the best start in life.
Encouragement Without Pressure
Research consistently shows that pressure to eat can actually make children less willing to try new foods.
That’s why at Safari Childcare, you will hear practitioners use phrases such as:
- “Would you like to explore this?”
- “I wonder what it smells like?”
- “What do you notice about it?”
- “You can have a look if you’d like to”
Rather than:
- “You must eat it”
- “Just try one bite”
- “You can’t leave until you’ve finished.”
Our aim is to help children feel safe around food and to trust their own bodies while remaining open to new experiences.
Our Healthy and Balanced Menus
Food exploration is supported by our carefully planned nursery menus.
Our menus have been carefully curated by Katie’s Life Kitchen, a certified nutritionist designed to provide children with a wide range of nutritious foods, flavours and textures, helping to broaden their experiences over time. Also, ensuring that children have the right nutritional balance at every meal supports development, concentration, and happiness.
Children regularly encounter:
- Fresh fruit and vegetables
- Whole grains
- Dairy products
- Protein-rich foods
- Foods from different cultures and traditions
- Seasonal ingredients
Repeated exposure helps children become familiar with foods, even if they choose not to eat them immediately.
We understand that every child is unique. Some children may happily try a new food the first time they see it, while others may need many opportunities before they feel ready. Both responses are perfectly normal.
Working Together With Families
We know that families play the most important role in shaping children’s lifelong eating habits.
By working together, we can create consistent messages around food and help children develop confidence without pressure.
Whether a child is tasting a new fruit during a TastEd session, helping to prepare a snack, growing vegetables in our garden and tasting them as part of our Plant to Plate initiative, or sitting with friends at mealtime, every experience contributes to building a positive relationship with food.
Growing Confident Food Explorers
At Safari Childcare, our goal is not simply to encourage children to eat more vegetables or finish their plate.
Our goal is to help children become confident, curious and adventurous food explorers, building healthy eating habits which stay in place for life.
Through our healthy menus, involvement in NoF, and delivery of TastEd, we are helping children develop the skills, confidence and positive attitudes towards food that can support their health and wellbeing long into the future.
When children feel safe exploring food, amazing things can happen.
Interested in learning more about our curriculum, nutrition programme and enrichment opportunities? Contact Safari Childcare to arrange a visit and discover how we support children’s learning, wellbeing and healthy development every day.