Promoting healthy eating habits in preschool education through experiential learning

Abstract

This study reports on an educational intervention developed during a supervised internship in a preschool setting in Portugal, aiming to promote healthy eating habits and environmental awareness among children aged three to six years old. The project, titled “Hands-on Food: Promoting Healthy Eating Habits in Preschool Education”, was implemented at a preschool in northern Portugal between February and June 2025. It adopted a qualitative, descriptive, and participatory approach, using experiential and play-based methods to engage children in activities such as building a food pyramid, planting seeds, preparing simple recipes, and participating in games and discussions about food and nature. Data was collected through observation, field notes, and feedback from the classroom teacher, and analyzed thematically. The findings indicate that the intervention increased children’s understanding of food groups and healthy dietary choices, fostered their autonomy in food-related tasks, enhanced their curiosity about food origins and environmental sustainability, and improved social interaction and cooperation. Although the project was of limited duration, it provided meaningful evidence that early childhood education can be an effective setting for promoting health literacy and encouraging lifelong healthy eating habits.