The matter in summary According to the Norwegian Directorate of Health, kindergarten children eat 40-60 per cent of their food intake in kindergarten, which makes it important what they are served there. Parents can influence the food choices in the kindergarten by getting involved in the Cooperation Committee (SU). A survey by the Consumer Council in 2018 showed that one in four parents believe that the nurseries do not offer a good selection of healthy food. There is an increasing focus on ultra-processed food, says the nutritionist. Many parents want more raw material-based food in the nursery. Parents can discuss the food situation with others, raise the matter in SU and discuss proposals for alternatives. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAI. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. – The children eat 40-60 per cent of their food intake in the nursery, and then it is clear that what they ingest there has something to say, says Elise Hansen Norheim. At home, she is very focused on giving her one-and-a-half-year-old son as much raw food as possible. When her son was about to start kindergarten, she felt that it was challenging to relinquish control. – When I entered the nursery and saw that little of the food there was raw material-based, I wanted the opportunity to be able to influence a little, says Hansen Norheim. At the bottom of the case, you can read about how you yourself can influence the choices regarding diet in the nursery. Elise Hansen Norheim picks up her son from the nursery just after lunch on a Friday. Photo: Elise Pedersen / news Taking action In a survey by the Consumer Council in 2018, it was found that one in four parents believe that kindergartens do not offer a good selection of healthy food. Hansen Norheim is not directly dissatisfied with the offer at the kindergarten. – But I am interested in the debate about ultra-processed food, and think you should try to make the food as raw-based as possible. Hansen Norheim prefers to give his son homemade rolls. Photo: Elise Pedersen / news Examples of ultra-processed food in the nursery can be tube cheese, caviar and salami. Ultra-processed food Industrial bread and pastries: Industrial bread Hamburger bread Cakes Biscuits Donuts Other pastries containing flavourings, hydrogenated oils and colourings. Breakfast cereals: Cheerios Weetabix Cornflakes Similar products made from corn. Also includes muesli and granola mixes with added flavor enhancers, preservatives or other industrial ingredients. Meat and milk substitutes: Beyond burger and equivalent Soya milk Oat milk Almond milk Rice milk Sugary snacks: Chocolate Soda (also sugar-free) Ice cream Snacks Ice cream Desserts Meat, fish and dairy products Salami Bacon Fish sticks Crabsticks Caviar Tube/ cream cheese Protein powder Margarine Sources: NOVA/ Idunn Now has Hansen Norheim decided to try to make a difference. – I signed up for the Cooperation Committee (SU) in the kindergarten. In any case, it is a way of trying to create a change. I am certainly not categorical, but I believe that limiting ultra-processed food, or increasing raw food will benefit all the children. Unprocessed or minimally processed food Unprocessed food: Fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds Raw, cooked or dried fruit and vegetables. Freshly squeezed juice made from these (without added salt or sugar. Unsalted nuts Milk and natural yogurt All types of milk and yogurt without flavorings. Quark Kefir Milk powder Pasteurization, enrichment and the use of preservatives are not considered modifications of these products. Potato, pasta and grains Potato and sweet potatoes All types of pasta without filling All types of grains and their flours Unsweetened granola and muesli Beans, lentils and peas Cooked, dry or frozen beans, lentils and peas Also includes tofu and soy meat Natural animal ingredients Boiled or fried: Eggs Poultry Meat Fish Seafood Not canned, smoked or salted Coffee and tea Instant Filter Espresso Mocca Caffeine-free varieties Minimally processed food: Cheese All types of cheese Cottage cheese Cheeses made from milk from animals other than cows Salted, smoked or canned meat and fish Can be canned in vinegar, vinegar and oil Not with sauces/purées or with flavorings Homemade bread and other pastries Alcoholic drinks Does not include non-alcoholic varieties. Preserved vegetables, fruits and legumes Canned in brine or oil. Canned corn Bamboo shoots Sauerkraut Tomato juice (with salt) Olives Fruit in syrup Jams Canned legumes Salted nuts and nut butter Salted nuts Peanut butter Other nut butters Nut mix (with raisins) Sources: NOVA/ Idunn Increased focus on ultra-processed food Maja Skogstad has a master’s degree in social nutrition, and runs The Instagram account “Nutrition mom”. She believes more parents are concerned with ultra-processed food now than before. “Nutrition mom” Maja Skogstad. Photo: Christian Breidlid – The questions I get have changed from questioning whether this is something to worry about at all, to greater acceptance of the term and requests for specific product tips for food that is not ultra-processed. Barnematbyen, which helps parents, schools and kindergartens with nutrition guidance, has grown from having 200 members in 2021 to 1,700 members in 2024. Findings from a research from JAMA Pediatrics suggest that higher intake of ultra-processed food is associated with a greater increase in obesity from childhood to early adulthood. In a poll by news, 81 percent of the 29,040 voters answered that they think it is important to avoid ultra-processed food, despite the fact that we buy more soft drinks and soft drinks than cheese and milk in Norway. Do you think it is important to avoid ultra-processed food? Yes No I don’t care Show result – Parents experience not being heard Organizational secretary in the municipal parents’ committee in Stavanger municipality, Therese Utkilen, experiences that kindergarten parents can become frustrated when it comes to the food service. – There are probably many parents who have not been clear about the proceedings, and have made comments about the food to a nursery manager, but then it never becomes a case. Then parents may misunderstand it as not being heard. She encourages parents to choose a more strategic approach when they want to see if it is possible to change the diet in the nursery. Organizational secretary in the municipal parents’ committee, Therese Utkilen. Photo: Elise Pedersen / news Skogstad points to several obstacles for parents. – They often do not get good enough information about what is served. They do not have enough knowledge to indicate that they feel they have a “right to”, and should influence. And then perhaps the biggest obstacle is that they are afraid of appearing hysterical. The Kindergarten Act §2 There is no specific legislation regarding food in the kindergarten, but the Kindergarten Act section 2 states that: “The kindergarten must have a health-promoting and a preventive function and contribute to equalizing social differences.” The Norwegian Directorate of Health has drawn up recommendations for food and meals in kindergartens. Among other things, it includes a recommendation that meals served in the nursery should be varied and in line with the Norwegian Directorate of Health’s dietary advice. This is how you go about influencing the food supply Utkilen points to actions that can be taken by parents to influence the everyday diet. Discuss the food situation with others – Here you need to get confirmation that there are many parents who want changes. If it is a long time until the next parents’ meeting, we recommend doing it online. Utkilen also recommends creating a survey. – On “Google forms” you can ask parents what changes you want, and how much you are willing to increase the cost price. If many people support the proposal, you have greater power to implement the matter when it comes up in the Cooperation Committee (SU). Facts about food money in kindergartens Photo: Ruth Barsten / news Kindergartens can choose to have a food offer and charge for it. The kindergartens can take as much food money as they want, as long as the money is actually used for the food offer. The average in Norway is NOK 322 in food allowance per month. 2,693 kindergartens are above the national average. 362 kindergartens charge NOK 500 or more. There is little supervision of what the money is actually used for. The municipalities often have a fixed rate for all their kindergartens, and this is politically agreed. The private nurseries set their own rates for food allowance in their nurseries. The municipalities are not allowed to place limits on what the food money should be in the private kindergartens. Take up the matter – If there is no FAU board in the kindergarten that forwards the matter to SU, you report the matter directly to SU, says Utkilen. Maja Skogstad says parents can also enroll in SU and provide food and meals as part of the educational program. – Participating in cooking can train both gross and fine motor skills. It also helps less picky children, and they can learn about different shapes, tastes, colors and textures through food. Gross and fine motor skills are developed through play, such as with the toy excavator at Hansen Norheim. But it is also developed with the help of involvement in cooking, believes Skogstad. Photo: Elise Pedersen / news Discuss proposals – During SU meetings, new proposals can be discussed and examined. You have to find out which framework you have to deal with. It is important that the representatives from the nursery point out the limitations, and that the parents are realistic in relation to the framework the nursery owner has to deal with, says Utkilen. Skogstad points to several advantages of involving children in cooking. Elise Hansen Norheim often involves her son in cooking at home. Photo: Elise Pedersen / news Case processing – Now the case can be processed in SU. In the end, it is the manager or board of the nursery who decides whether the proposals are to be implemented, or whether they cannot be implemented, says Utkilen. Hello! Welcome to dialogue at news. Since you are logged in to other news services, you don’t have to log in again here, but we need your consent to our terms of use for online dialogue Professionals disagree about how much processing has to do with how healthy the food is.
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This is how you can influence what children eat in kindergarten – news Rogaland – Local news, TV and radio
