Matomsyn i barnehagemåltidet i eit berekraftig folkehelseperspektiv

The article is about food considerations, as described in key documents such as the Guidelines for Food and Meals in Kindergarten (Norwegian Directorate of Health, 2018) and the Framework Plan for Kindergartens (Ministry of Education and Research, 2017). The authors conduct an empirical investigation on pedagogical leaders’ perceived practices regarding kindergarten meals. The purpose is to find out how pedagogical leaders meet challenges related to food and meals. The research question is: How do pedagogical leaders experience addressing food considerations in kindergarten?

Key findings in the study are food considerations related to medical and non-medical diets, as well as religious regulations. The study shows that pedagogical leaders perceive medical and religious dietary considerations as manageable, with established routines in place for dealing with them. In contrast, non-medical dietary considerations are perceived as challenging, as they are often based on parents’ assumptions and not medical diagnoses, which raise concerns about children’s diets.

The data collection method used in this study is focus group interviews. The sample consisted of 21 pedagogical leaders and two coordinators from six different kindergartens in Norway. The kindergartens were found through searches on the internet and all were located in rural areas with proximity to both towns and natural environments. The interviews were structured according to an interview guide with questions about the organisation and implementation of meals, alignment with national guidelines and annual plans, as well as potential challenges related to working with food and meals.

Ryslett, K., & Håberg, L. I. A. (2022). Matomsyn i barnehagemåltidet i eit berekraftig folkehelseperspektiv. I Bærekraft: Fjordantologien 2022 (s. 128–145). Universitetsforlaget.