Nursing Strategies To Encourage Healthy Snacking Habits In Early Childhood Care Settings

Abstract

Early childhood is a critical period for establishing lifelong dietary patterns, with snacking contributing significantly to daily nutritional intake. Nurses in community and childcare settings are pivotal in shaping these habits through targeted interventions. This systematic review aimed to synthesize and evaluate the evidence for nurse-led or nurse-designed strategies that promote healthy snacking in children aged 2-5 within formal care environments. A comprehensive search was conducted across PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and ERIC for studies published between 2013 and 2023. The methodology focused on identifying interventions implemented in daycare, preschool, and kindergarten settings that targeted fruit, vegetable, or healthy snack consumption, with explicit nursing involvement in their design, delivery, or evaluation. Out of 1,250 identified records, 15 studies met the inclusion criteria. The results consistently demonstrated that structured, multi-component interventions led by trained personnel, including nurses, significantly increase children's willingness to try, preference for, and consumption of healthy snacks. Key effective strategies identified include repeated exposure to target foods, positive role modelling by adults and peers, gamified nutrition education, and environmental modifications like convenient access to fruit bowls. The conclusion affirms that nurses are highly effective agents of change in early childhood nutrition. Success is maximized when interventions are participatory, integrated into standard childcare routines, and supported by parallel education for parents and staff to ensure consistency between the care setting and home. Future work should focus on the long-term sustainability and broad implementation of these evidence-based nursing practices.