Children's daycare centers in no rush to introduce new nutritional guidelines

Many children's daycare centers and food suppliers are not rushing to change their menus after the National Institute for Health Development (TAI) issued new nutritional guidelines last month. Changes are likely to lead to price increases, they believe.
TAI recommends children under the age of two are not given foods with added sugar. It recommends removing added sugars from menus in daycare, including honey, syrup, and berry juice concentrates, which contain naturally occurring sugars.
Desserts should be removed from menus, and added sugar in savory dishes should also be avoided, the institute says.
"The goal is to help children get used to eating a variety of other foods. The broader issue is that childhood obesity starts at a very young age and is influenced by our preferences and eating habits. /.../ In daycare, children may get five to 10 servings of desserts, pastries, or curd snacks, which have a very high sugar content. Fruits are the easiest option to offer children, and why not make smoothies, for example?" explained TAI senior specialist Tuuli Taimur.
However, several daycare centers and food suppliers told Saturday's "Aktuaalne kaamera" they are not rushing to change their menus. They plan to wait until a legal requirement is introduced before making changes.
"This should come from the parents — whether they want their child to have dessert or not. We would not change it on our own initiative. I suspect that every child needs a little sugar, and I cannot imagine completely eliminating sugar from children's diets, as we do not give it in excessive amounts anyway," said Anu Kaljuraag, head of the Lepatriinula daycare center.
"If added sugar is reduced to zero, then we are essentially telling the cook not to season the food, which means taking away their tools. The expectation is that children in daycare should get tasty food. Tasty food means seasoned food. If we remove that possibility by decree, then the food will go uneaten, and we will have completely failed in our responsibility," commented Jaanus Pulles, head of the food supplier Toidutorn.
The Väike Päike daycare centers support removing added sugar from menus but say it could create additional challenges. Staff also believe changes in children's eating habits must take place in cooperation with families.
"Just as parents who want to wean their child off a pacifier expect us to do it, they should also do the same at home. That means they should not be giving out sweets at home either," said Kaljuraag.
"It will definitely take time for children to get used to new foods — for example, having fruit instead of dessert after soup. Another issue is how this will be regulated for children aged 1.5 to 3 years in daycare. Will all children receive the same reduced-sugar meals, or will there be exceptions? It would be logical to offer the same food to everyone," explained Janne Ojanurm, regional manager of Väike Päike daycare centers.
Both food suppliers and daycare providers believe healthier alternatives would result in higher costs. However, the exact price increase is still unclear.
It also remains to be seen to what extent TAI's recommendations will become mandatory. This will be determined once the updated regulation on catering in childcare institutions is finalized.
Ministry of Social Affairs advisor Ingrid Põldsaar said the guidelines will be adopted later this year.
"We are also taking into account the new dietary recommendations from the National Institute for Health Development. The regulation is still being drafted and is not yet finalized. The final wording and agreements will be settled in February. The requirements of the regulation will take effect on September 1, 2025," she said.
--
Follow ERR News on Facebook and Twitter and never miss an update!
Editor: Merili Nael, Helen Wright
Source: Aktuaalne kaamera