A positive eating environment allows children to develop and maintain healthy relationships with food. It's a space where children feel emotionally supported and learn about food and eating. They receive developmentally appropriate food, have enough time to eat, and get the opportunity to explore a variety of foods that broaden their experiences and enhance their school readiness. Explore these resources to learn how to implement positive eating environments during meals.Positive Eating Environment Self-Assessment for ECE Programs
The Positive Eating Environment Self-Assessment for Early Care and Education (ECE) Programs offers a brief, user-friendly way to assess basic mealtime practices. Learn how this assessment can help center-based and family child care programs that serve 3 to 5 year olds. Staff can use this tool to evaluate the availability of healthy nutrition and mealtime environments. It can also be used for staff discussions and policy planning.