Dietary Environment in Early Care and Education Settings and Young Children's Eating Behavior: A Systematic Review of Literature

Abstract

Objectives: An increasing number of young children spend time and eat at least one meal per day in childcare programs, highlighting the significance of early care and education (ECE) settings in promoting children's healthy dietary behaviors. The purpose of this review was to summarize quantitative studies on the relationship between the dietary environment in ECE settings and the eating behaviors of children aged 0-6 years. Methods: We consulted Web of Science, PsycInfo, ProQuest, and Emerald electronic databases, searching for empirical studies from 2000 to 2022. Results: Ultimately, we included 38 studies. Measures of the dietary environment varied considerably across studies. Following healthy diet regulations and nutrition-related activities were positively correlated with children's intake of healthy foods. Strategies such as serving fruits and vegetables in advance, serving small portion sizes, and providing children a variety of vegetables increased children's intake of healthy foods. Results on caregivers' feeding practices remained mixed. Conclusions: These findings reveal the necessity and importance of paying attention to different aspects of the dietary environment and to take a comprehensive approach to understanding the role that environment plays in cultivating children's dietary behaviors.