Nourishing Little Minds® combines early childhood literacy with experiential play-based learning to enrich children’s awareness, interest, and enjoyment of nutritious food.
What is Nourishing Little Minds® all about?
Nourishing Little Minds aims to promote interest, curiosity and acceptance of nourishing foods among children aged 0-5 years, using play-based experiences and positive, low-pressure opportunities.
Nourishing Little Minds is developed on the evidence that introducing young children to unfamiliar foods through play-based activities, can support curiosity, engagement and positive associations with food, inspiring an interest and willingness to try new foods. Building on this knowledge, NLM incorporates sensory-rich food experiences that provide children with opportunities to explore food without pressure. The NLM approach is underpinned by responsive feeding principles and supports children’s autonomy and intrinsic motivation to build positive relationships with food. The interventions are intended to empower parents, educators, and caregivers to integrate positive food experiences into children’s daily lives. This, in turn, supports food acceptance, resulting in healthier eating habits that can contribute to long-term health.
In recognising the role of parents, educators, and other caregivers as key influencers of children’s experiences with food, the NLM approach can be applied across ECEC and community settings.
Nourishing Little Minds® in Community
Nourishing Little Minds in Community brings positive food exposure experiences into familiar and accessible community environments, creating opportunities for young children and their families to explore food together.
Nourishing Little Minds in Community (NLM-C) is designed to be delivered in partnership with existing community organisations and services in welcoming, familiar community spaces such as libraries, playgroups, and community centres. These settings provide an opportunity to combine early childhood literacy, play, and sensory food exploration, helping families discover simple ways to build positive food experiences into everyday life.
Delivered as 4 sessions across a month, sessions are designed to be engaging, practical, and low-pressure. Led by trained facilitators, children are guided to interact with, explore, and learn about food using all of their senses. Meanwhile, parents and caregivers are supported with practical strategies on how they can encourage these positive food experiences at home. Activities feature food-themed stories and books, sensory exploration, food preparation activities, and playful learning experiences, founded on the principles of responsive feeding and positive role modelling.
By connecting with families within trusted community settings, NLM-C provides an opportunity to reach more children and their caregivers, supporting positive food experiences as part of everyday family and community life.
What does the program focus on?
NLM-C sessions focus on:
- Play-based food experiences that encourage children to explore unfamiliar foods.
- Sensory exploration using sight, smell, touch and taste.
- Food-themed books and early literacy to build familiarity and curiosity.
- Positive food language and role modelling to create supportive food environments.
- Responsive feeding principles that respect children’s autonomy and appetite cues.
- Parent and caregiver supports to promote positive food experiences at home.
- Practical activities that families can easily adapt and continue beyond the session.
Program outcomes
NLM-C was originally piloted in the ACT between 2019 and 2022. Evaluation of the program was overwhelmingly positive, including the following key outcomes.
Interested in bringing Nourishing Little Minds® to your community?
We are currently exploring options for upskilling Health Promotion Officers and Community Dietitians to become Nourishing Little Minds facilitators. If you would like to be kept informed about facilitator training opportunites click here to register your interest.