Rising food prices and kids not wanting to try new foods are big problems when it comes to feeding under-5s healthy meals, as shown in a new report.
Nourishing Our Future is the first study ever to look at food and nutrition in Essex preschools—a place where 21% of young kids are obese or overweight.
The study, done by Anglia Ruskin University and asked for by Essex County Council, also found that many lunchboxes for two- to four-year-olds had pouches of baby food. The results were shown to MPs at the House of Commons on Wednesday by the study's authors, who say we need a national program to help with food for young kids.
59% say food costs are the biggest problem for healthy eating, with kids' food likes and allergies coming next. Most places only have simple ways to make food, like a microwave, and two-thirds of kids in Essex bring their own food to preschool in lunchboxes given by parents.
The nurseries said these have more processed food with less protein and fewer fruits and veggies than meals from preschools.
One preschool said, "Kids are sometimes not used to being pushed to try something new! We see this in some lunchboxes that always have the same thing." The rising cost of food was a common point in the report, with one preschool saying, "Fresh food costs more all the time; buying food has really gone up over the last two years."
Another said it's hard to make food on a budget while dealing with allergies and intolerances. "We really try to handle food allergies, but more and more kids have these issues, and it's making our food costs go up," they said.
The report suggests a national program to help both preschool and lunchboxes from parents. "Although preschools in Essex are doing great work, we need to take action to make things better for young kids' nutrition, including helping kids like food more," said Dr. Kay Agronricks, head of education at ARU.
"We want to see national funds for preschools to let them give all kids healthy food. But just changing lunchboxes with food from the place for one meal a day won't fix bigger problems for the kid or their family, like what they eat on weekends or during holidays."
She also said the workers need to look at bigger society issues, like easy-to-get processed food and ads for foods high in fat, salt, and sugar.
Dr. Agronricks, with Emily Fallon and Susie Threadgold from Essex County Council, showed their findings to MPs at an event by the Food Foundation at the House of Commons.
John Spence, who handles children's services and health at Essex County Council, said the council was happy to work with ARU on this project.
"This has helped us see how food education is already important in places and look at challenges families and early years settings face with kids' nutrition and how to solve them," he added.