Nourishing Little Minds® in Early Childhood Education and Care (NLM-ECEC) is an evidence-informed professional learning program that supports early childhood educators to build positive food experiences into everyday play-based learning.
NLM-ECEC equips educators with practical knowledge, strategies and resources to help children develop familiarity, confidence and positive relationships with 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 eating patterns that 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 ECEC
Building educators’ knowledge, confidence and practice
NLM-ECEC equips educators to create positive food environments that support children’s lifelong food preferences and eating patterns. Aligned with the Early Years Learning Framework, NLM-ECEC enhances children’s awareness, interest and enjoyment of nourishing foods while recognising the influential role educators play in shaping positive food experiences.
Outcomes for this program include:
- improved understanding of language and role modelling that supports children’s positive relationship with food
- improved awareness of service-wide positive eating culture and food environment
- improved ability to integrate play-based learning activities that enhance children’s awareness, interest and enjoyment of nourishing food
- improved understanding of food-based experiences that can influence children’s eating preferences.
NLM-ECEC supports early childhood educators to build a positive eating culture in their services and to promote nutritious eating practices in children. Aligned with the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) and the National Quality Standards (NQS), NLM-ECEC empowers children to become confident food explorers, while building healthy food relationships for life!
Nourishing Little Minds® Educator Training- The ACT pilot program
The NLM-ECEC pilot program in the ACT provided educators with practical knowledge, resources and strategies to help them embed positive food experiences into everyday ECEC programming. The program explored:
- the evidence behind strategies that support positive food practices in early childhood
- positive food exposures through play-based learning and early childhood literacy
- positive food language and role modelling
- responsive feeding principles, including the Division of Responsibility in Feeding
- building children’s engagement and autonomy through food preparation and sensory food experiences
- working collaboratively with families to support healthy behaviours at home.
The program was intentionally designed in collaboration with ECEC expert consultants, to complement existing ECEC curriculum and practice with resources aligned to the Early Years Learning Framework and National Quality Standards.
From professional learning to everyday practice; the demonstrated impact
The NLM-ECEC pilot program in the ACT was delivered as a two-hour, face-to-face professional learning session with 79 participating ECEC services. In funding support provided by the ACT Government under the ACT Health Promotion Grants Program. Between 2021 and 2023, NLM was delivered through professional development sessions, reaching over 1,000 educators across the ACT.
Sessions were delivered after hours to maximise opportunities for educators to participate as a team. Educators were introduced to the NLM approach and NLM-ECEC manual, and participated in practical, creative activities to develop resources they could use directly with children. Each participating service received an educator manual and resource kit containing children’s literature, customisable resources and ready-to-use templates.
Evaluation measured the impact for educators and services immediately following participation in the professional learning session, and then again at 3-months and 6-months after the session. Educator feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with strong intentions to use NLM resources and strategies within their services.
A program designed for sustainable implementation
NLM-ECEC is designed to move beyond one-off professional development. By providing educators with practical resources, implementation guidance and activities that can be incorporated into existing curriculum, the program supports services to make positive food experiences part of everyday practice.
The program also provides an opportunity to build consistent approaches across educator teams and strengthen conversations with families about children’s developing relationships with food.
Accessing NLM in ECEC
Nourishing Little Minds® in ECEC Digital Educator Manual
- The Nourishing Little Minds® Digital Educator Manual featuring purpose-designed activities, songs, recipes, parent resources and a detailed guide linking each aspect to the EYLF outcomes to assist in programming is available as part of Nutrition Australia’s Food Foundations subscription program.
Nourishing Little Minds in ECEC Training Workshops
- Originally developed and funded for implementation across the ACT, NLM-ECEC has demonstrated strong outcomes in educator knowledge, confidence and practice. The program is now available for delivery within early childhood education and care services and organisations across Australia, subject to program capacity and funding arrangements.
- If you would like to arrange a NLM-ECEC staff professional learning session at your service, please contact us.
Preschool Boost- South Australia
- Preschool Boost is a funded program designed to help Flying Start partner services in South Australia address developmental vulnerability and improve outcomes for children, their families and communities. Partner services can use their Preschool Boost funding to purchase a range of evidence informed programs and supports to improve outcomes for children, including Nourishing Little Minds in ECEC.