Nursery children in Gloucestershire are growing their own food as part of a new health and wellbeing programme.

Children at the Co-op Childcare nurseries on Westward Road, Cainscross, and Woodfield Road, Cam, will tend to a vegetable patch.

They will be planted, tended to and picked by the pupils, helping them to understand the journey food makes from earth to plate.

There will also be a a new, nutritionally-balanced menu created by Startwell, a charity which promotes healthy eating in early years, and endorsed by celebrity doctor, Dr Hilary Jones. It contains suggestions from parents, colleagues and the children, who were asked which foods they would like to see on the menus.

Staff and chefs at the nursery will also undertake specialist nutritional training to ensure colleagues are equipped to support parents with advice on nutrition, and chefs can apply their training when developing new recipes.

Libbie Gardner, nursery manager at the Co-op Childcare nursery in Cainscross, said: “We know that children who understand where food comes from are much more likely to have a positive relationship with healthy eating, so we want to encourage good food habits in children at our nursery from a much younger age.

“We’ve been working closely with our parents, colleagues, and children in Gloucestershire to make sure we help the little ones in our care lead the healthiest lives they can.”

Dr Hilary Jones said: “Co-op Childcare has committed to delivering healthy, wholesome, varied meals to ensure all the children in its nurseries are getting all the nutrients they need, and the education to understand why nutrition is important.

“With this strong foundation, they can continue on to grow, learn, and flourish and maintain a lifelong, positive relationship with food.”