Keywords
chronic disease
DISEASE, SECONDARY, CHRONIC DISEASE
A nutritious diet supports health, growth and development. Diet is a modifiable risk factor for chronic disease and can prevent the burden of disease later in life. Early intervention is key to developing healthy habits, especially as behaviours developed in childhood often carry through to adolescence and adulthoodIn Australia, over half of children under 5 years old attend ECEC servicesWithin Australian LDC centres that provide meals onsite, centre cooks are typically responsible for menu planning, food purchasing and food preparation. While centre cooks are not required to undertake formal nutrition training, they are expected to provide a healthy, nutritious menu to children in careAnalysis of childcare menus both in Australia and internationally shows that centres typically do not meet menu guidelines, particularly for vegetablesMeal kit subscription services have been growing in popularity across many countries including Australia and the United States of AmericaTherefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of a meal kit-style intervention tailored to the LDC setting, compared with standard practice, on child food provision and dietary intake of the five food groups (vegetables and legumes; fruit; cereals and breads; dairy and alternatives; meat and alternatives) for preschool children, particularly vegetables, while in LDC. The secondary aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of the intervention on menu compliance with menu planning guidelines. Centre cook, director acceptability and cost were also assessed.