Feeding solids at childcare

Working with your childcare provider is crucial to ensure your baby’s feeding needs are met appropriately.

A good partnership between parents and childcare ensures consistency in feeding practices and supports baby’s nutritional requirements as they grow and develop. Review Step 2.3 for a refresher on signs that your infant may be ready for solids foods. In summary they include:

• Showing excitement when observing food preparation.
• Leaning forward while seated in the highchair.
• Opening their mouth when offered food.

Whether your baby is transitioning to or already consuming solid foods regularly, the same advice regarding feeding your baby remain relevant both when feeding at home and when your baby is at childcare. This advice includes:

• Fresh ingredients: Packing fresh, whole foods prepared at home rather than commercial/ packaged products which may contain added sugars, salts, or preservatives.
• Iron-rich foods: Prioritising foods rich in iron, as this nutrient is essential for your baby’s growth and development. Animal-based foods rich in iron include meat, poultry, eggs, and seafood. Plant-based foods rich in iron include nuts, seeds, legumes, beans, and soy foods such as tofu. Alternating between animal and plant-based food options provides a diverse array of essential nutrients crucial for your baby’s growth and development.
• Vegetables: Offering non-sweet vegetables before offering sweeter vegetables and fruits will help your baby develop preferences for a variety of nutritious foods. Non-sweet vegetables include broccoli, spinach, white potato, eggplant, avocados and more. These can be steamed, mashed, pureed or roasted to achieve desired textures.
• Allergies and food intolerances: It is crucial to inform your childcare provider about any known allergies or food intolerances, as well as specific foods to avoid and emergency action plans if necessary. If you wish to introduce potential food allergens for the first time at childcare, as noted in Step 2.4, communicate this with your childcare provider to ensure this is managed safely.
• Baby-led weaning: Speak to your childcare provider about letting your infant explore different foods at their own pace (see Step 2.5 for more about this approach).

What foods to pack for childcare?

When packing food for childcare, regardless of whether your child is practicing baby-led weaning or starting with purees, it’s important to prioritise nutrient-dense foods and include a variety of colours and textures. This will provide a wide range of essential vitamins, minerals, and macronutrients for healthy growth and development.

You will also need to plan for ‘snacks’ (for morning and afternoon times) in addition to the main midday meal (lunch), depending on how long your child spends at childcare. The following are a few time-saving tips help you prepare nutritious foods for your childcare without the last-minute rush:

• Make a little extra: Cook extra portions of meals to use as leftovers for childcare lunches. Cut up leftovers in advance and freeze them in small containers for easy grabbing on busy mornings.
• No-cook options: Convenient no-cook options suitable for childcare can include carrot sticks, cherry tomatoes, soft fruits canned in juice or water, cheese cut into cubes, plain yogurt, diced tofu, wholemeal flatbread/tortillas.
• Quick-cook options: Steam or boil fresh or frozen veggies like broccoli or carrots, microwave sweet potatoes, choose quick-cooking grains like quinoa or couscous. Chop up hard-boiled eggs into small pieces for an easy source of protein.

For more lunchbox ideas for infants, visit the Heart Foundation website and download their poster for details.

If your childcare provider provides food

If your childcare provides food on-site, stay informed about your child’s meals by:

• asking to see the menu and discussing any concerns about cultural/religious feeding preferences and any allergies or food intolerances
• discussing ‘what’ your child ate during the day (types and amounts of foods)
• discussing ‘how’ your child ate at mealtimes (self-feeding, hungry or not).

Whether you provide packed food, or your childcare provider prepares food on-site, it’s important to have the conversation with your childcare provider on how you prefer your infant or toddler to be fed.

Childcare staff play a crucial role in creating supportive mealtime environments by serving as positive role models and encouraging healthy eating habits. Creating calm and communal mealtimes sets the stage for young children to develop healthy eating habits and positive associations with food that can last a lifetime. Sitting with young children during meals, engaging in conversation, and role modelling healthy eating behaviours, provides an opportunity for childcare staff to positively influence children to try new foods and enjoy mealtime experiences. Sitting around a table also encourages social interaction and reinforces the idea of mealtimes as a shared experience.

Young children may eat different amounts on different days due to various factors such as growth, appetite, feeding experience, breastmilk/infant formula intake, or wellness, and this is entirely normal. Knowing this, it’s important that a young child is not pressured to finish all the food on their plate or in their lunchbox.

Open communication is essential for establishing healthy feeding routines for your baby, considering their feeding preferences, dietary restrictions, and any special instructions. While it might feel daunting to communicate your preferences, remember that working together is key.

Tips for effective communication with your childcare provider:

• Be proactive: Initiate conversations with staff before your baby starts childcare to discuss feeding preferences and any specific dietary needs.
• Provide written instructions: Prepare a document outlining your baby’s feeding schedule, preferred foods, allergies, and any special instructions. This ensures clarity and serves as a reference for all staff.
• Be specific: Clearly communicate your expectations regarding feeding practices, such as the use of breast milk or infant formula, preferred feeding positions, baby led weaning and mealtime routines.
• Ask questions: Your childcare provider should have a centre-based nutrition policy and written procedures regarding feeding, including storage and handling of breast milk or formula – ask for a copy.
• Follow up: Regularly check in with staff to ensure that your baby’s feeding needs are being met and address any issues or adjustments promptly. Also listen to any concerns or suggestions raised by staff and be open to discussing potential solutions collaboratively.
• Express appreciation: Recognise and appreciate the efforts of staff in accommodating your baby’s feeding requirements, fostering a positive and collaborative relationship.

Your task

In the comments, share your plans, experiences or concerns about feeding your baby within the childcare setting.

• How did you prepare your baby to move to a ‘sippy’ cup for breastmilk or infant formula feeding? Any challenges or tips to share?
• What are your baby’s favourite foods that would be good ideas to offer as snacks or meals for childcare?