Importance of Nutrition

The provision of nutritious foods at child care centers is important for a number of reasons. Children’s bodies require
energy and nutrients from the food that they eat in order to support growth and development. Children’s bodies also
use nutrients from food in order to support brain development and the children’s immune systems. In addition, the
provision of nutritious foods at child care centers supports children in following daily routines, acting independently,
developing social interactions with others and developing positive relationships with food from many cultures.
🌼All Child Care Centres and Homes use a healthy eating guide. In Ontario the guide that is used is Canada’s Food Guide,
published by Health Canada, for children two years and older. The guide recommends that half of the child’s plate
contain vegetables and fruits, one quarter whole grain foods and the remaining quarter protein foods, with plant-
based foods being chosen more often. Foods with healthy fats are also recommended. The center can also
recommend that children try to avoid highly processed foods (Health Canada, 2019). In the child care program
guidelines, the food and beverages for children one year of age and older are required to be consistent with the most
recent and relevant food guide published by Health Canada (Government of Ontario, 2026c, p. 6). Water is also to be
available to children at all times.