Fuel for Life: Elevating Nutrition and Development from Birth
3 July 2025
Providing children with the right nutrition from birth is vital for development and growth. But what does it even look like at that age? Continue reading for our full breakdown.👇
Did you know that the early years of a child’s life lay the foundations for lifelong health and development? Eating patterns are established from the minute a child is born and continue all the way into adulthood.
As such, providing a child with balanced sustenance from birth supports their development and sets them up for joyful eating as toddlers and as they enter adulthood.
However, raising a young child and providing them with the right nutrition to encourage development is no easy feat.
Given this, we’ve broken down everything you need to know about elevating nutrition for your child.
Why is Nutrition Important for Development?
Research consistently supports the critical role nutrition plays in a child’s growth, particularly during the first 1,000 days – from conception to a child’s second birthday.
This is an important window for establish thing healthy eating habits that support cognitive and physical development.
During this period, a child’s brain, body and immune system develop significantly more than any other stage of their life. Throughout this time of swift growth, providing children with the right nutrition is vital to support their overall development.
A research paper published by the Centre for Community Health at The Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne, outlines how satisfactory nutrition reduces the risk that a child will develop health complications later in life.
Health difficulties that have a greater chance to arise when a child’s nutritional needs are not met includes:
- Asthma
- Type-2 diabetes
- Coronary heart disease
- Osteoporosis
- Lung disease
- Allergies
What Does Good Nutrition Look Like During the First 1,000 Days?
During the first six-months of a child’s life, breastmilk and formula contain the bulk of nutrients required to optimise growth and reduce allergy rates, an expanding health issue and concern throughout Australia.
Once the six-month mark is reached, children then need additional nutrition to further support their maturation. Fibre, vitamins and minerals are amongst the most important nutrients for infants and their development.
These can be best found in:
- Fruits
- Vegetables
- Meat (or alternatives)
- Diary
- Grains
The introduction of solid foods opens your child up to a whole new world of textures, smells and of course, tastes. As such, it’s important to be patient as your baby begins to adapt to their new, varied diet and explore different types of nutrition.
If you have any concerns about you baby’s eating habits during this important period of growth and development, it’s important to consult your GP or paediatrician regarding specific dietary needs, allergens, or intolerances.
While providing the right type of nourishment for a child is important, so too is ensuring that unhealthy foods, or those that contain high levels of salt and sugar, are avoided.
Nutrition at Explorers
Given the integral role nutrition plays in the growth and development of children, particularly during the first 1,000 days, it is now a requirement in Australia that early childhood services actively promote healthy eating and physical activity as part of their programs.
At Explorers Early Learning, we pride ourselves on not just meeting these nation-wide standards but in going the extra mile to provide a variety of delicious and nutritious seasonal food for children to support their development.
We cater to a range of allergies and intolerances, ensuring that every child’s dietary needs are met thanks to our joyful menu that has been approved by Nutrition Australia.
Our partnership with award-winning chef, Karen Martini, will help us innovate and stretch our thinking when it comes to mealtimes and ensure all children at Explorers are provided the nutrition they need for their cognitive and physical growth.
🍃 To tour one of our beautiful Centres, please click here. Otherwise, check out our website to register your interest at Explorers Early Learning today!