High-quality nutrition isn’t just about full tummies — it’s about full minds, meaningful moments, and lasting development. In this article, we explore why food is a powerful curriculum tool and how tiney childminders are using mealtimes to spark learning, independence, and joy.
Why nutrition deserves a place in your curriculum
At tiney, we believe powerful early education starts with the everyday — few parts of the day are as full of potential as mealtimes. Beyond meeting basic needs, food offers rich opportunities for communication, independence, social development, and learning across the EYFS.
The updated statutory EYFS Nutrition Guidance, effective from September 2025, calls on all early years providers to offer balanced, nutritious meals, to limit sugar, salt, and processed foods, and to engage families in supporting healthy habits. But it’s about more than compliance — it’s a chance to embed meaningful, life-enhancing practices into your daily rhythm.
"What we put on the plate matters — not just for health, but for confidence, connection, and learning."
Earlier this year, we explored this theme in our CPD session with Nutritional Therapist Louise Mercieca, who shared powerful evidence linking early nutrition to lifelong outcomes in brain development, emotional regulation, and learning. The message was clear: great food habits in the early years build a foundation for long-term success.
Everyday practice, lasting impact
You don’t need themed days or big budgets to build nutrition into your curriculum. Many tiney childminders already use food and mealtimes as a seamless part of their educational approach.
When I was a childminder myself, children under two in my setting prepared their own breakfast using a visual menu and child-sized utensils. With small cereal boxes, measured milk, and time to choose, children gained real independence. Yes — sometimes there was spilt milk. But with it came developing motor skills, decision-making, and growing confidence.
At lunchtime, shared dishes encouraged self-serving, turn-taking, and conversation. These weren’t just meals — they were lessons in fine motor control, language relating to numeracy, and social awareness.
“By expecting more from our youngest children, I was constantly reminded of how capable they are. Mealtimes weren’t just routine — they were times to enhance the curriculum.”
Mealtimes as a language-rich experience
Food is also a powerful trigger for talk. Whether you’re slicing apples or sharing rice, the table becomes a place for storytelling, reasoning, and relationship-building. It’s where children practice the vocabulary of shape, quantity, and emotion — and where practitioners can listen, guide, and assess learning in real time.
“Can you cut the cheese in half?”
“How many pieces do we need for everyone?”
“What shapes will you cut your sandwich into? Squares or triangles?”
By framing food preparation and eating as collaborative, hands-on learning, we create confident speakers and thinkers.
Ideas to enrich your curriculum with nutrition
Here are a few ways you can meaningfully connect food to your learning offer:
Outdoor & Nature Learning
- Grow herbs or vegetables, even in small pots or window boxes
- Visit a local allotment or community garden
- Pick seasonal fruit and explore how food grows
“The value isn’t in growing a perfect carrot — it’s in the hands-on process of discovery.”
Exploring the community
- Plan trips to a local market or supermarket
- Let children choose ingredients and prepare snacks back at home
- Visit a bakery or restaurant kitchen to see food being made
“Food and community have always been close friends.”
Sensory & messy play
- Bake simple recipes together and explore textures, smells, and tastes
- Use flour, oats, or lentils in sensory trays
- Incorporate measuring and time-keeping to support maths learning
“What activates our senses more widely than food?”
Culture and Identity
- Explore different foods from around the world as part of cultural identities
- Try breads, dips, rice dishes or fruit from different countries
- Talk about food traditions in children’s homes and communities
“Food is a gateway to identity. When children share and explore the foods of others, they develop empathy, curiosity, and pride in their own backgrounds.”
Let’s hear from you
Are you already using food and nutrition to bring learning to life in your tiney setting? Share your ideas and photos in the tiney Community Hub — we’d love to spotlight more of your brilliant work.
Not yet a part of tiney and interested in joining? Book a call to train as a childminder with us, or find childcare for your family.
