Nudging in daycare catering

Peer reviewed / Manuscript (original) submitted: 13 March 2023 / Revision accepted: 27 June 2023

An overview of interventions to promote healthy eating

Introduction

Currently, there are more than 2.6 million children between the ages of 3 and 6 cared for in daycare centers in Germany. About every third child (34%) spends more than seven hours a day in a childcare facility [1]. With increasing care time, the need for adequate catering and the responsibility on the part of the responsible parties (daycare staff, daycare provider, catering companies) to meet a health-promoting diet and eating culture also increases. Foods high in energy, sugar, and fat as well as unfavorable dietary habits are significant predictors for the development of overweight and obesity in childhood [2]. According to a survey conducted by the Robert Koch-Institute, 2 million children in Germany are overweight, 800,000 of them obese [3].

Although a good third of daycare centers take nutritional standards such as the DGE quality standard into account when implementing the meals offered, 36.4% and 42.3% of the daycare centers do not have a catering concept yet [4, 5]. Meals often do not meet the nutritional needs of children and the proportion of vegetables, salad and raw foods is not sufficiently covered [6, 7]. Thereby the offered foods and beverages as well as the eating environment influence and shape children's eating behavior. In addition to genetic factors, learned eating habits in particular contribute which preferences children develop and maintain into adulthood. This makes the daycare center an educational and formative place for the child and its future nutritional behavior [8, 9]. Examples from company and school canteens show that small, targeted impulses, so-called nudges, can be used to support a health-promoting diet [10, 11]. It seems logical to integrate such actions into the daily eating routine at an early stage and to use the advantages of the daycare setting. ...

Abstract

The importance of catering in daycare setting in terms of shaping nutrition and eating habits is increasing and is of key importance for the prevention of obesity and nutrition-related health consequences. Nudging activities are an effective tool to support healthy food choices. A compilation and recommendations on nudging in daycare centers are lacking so far. An analysis of existing nudging concepts and their transfer to the daycare setting, taking into account all parties involved (daycare staff, daycare provider, catering companies) and the simple implementation in everyday (daycare) life, shows that both food-related and environment-based nudges can positively influence food choices and acceptance as well as the amount of health-promoting food such as fruit and vegetables consumed. Furthermore, participatory approaches and the involvement of peers and daycare staff have great potential.

Keywords: daycare setting, communal catering, daycare catering, nudging, nutritional behavior

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