Food Literacy in Child Nutrition and AÇEV and Humm Organic Collaboration

When we want our children to eat healthy, the first thing we often think about is "What did they eat today?" It's happening. Did he eat his vegetables, did he get enough protein, did he consume too much sugar? All of this is important, of course. But as a dietitian who has been working with child nutrition for many years, one of the issues I focus on the most is this: We should look not only at what he ate today, but also at what kind of relationship he has with food. Because this relationship established in childhood forms the basis of nutritional behavior in the following years.

A child's taste begins to take shape from the day he is born, even from the womb. Over time, children create their own world of taste with the foods they see, smell, touch and taste. For this reason, it is necessary to give time to a child who refuses a new food at the first time, instead of immediately saying "He does not eat this". A much better approach is to re-offer the same food at different times, in different ways and without applying pressure.

Diversity is also very important here. A child who sees different foods such as vegetables and fruits, grains, quality protein sources, milk and dairy products or suitable alternatives, not only eats more diversely; He is also learning about different tastes, smells and textures. Even the child's entering the kitchen, washing the vegetables, mixing the salad, and helping to prepare the table are all part of this learning.

Another important issue is our behavior. Children learn about nutrition by watching us rather than what we tell them. If we tell our child to eat vegetables and there are no vegetables on our plate, or if we always have a sugary drink on hand while asking our child to drink water, the message we give is not very strong. This is where the importance of the family table emerges. Eating together is not just about filling your stomach; A learning area where the child observes food, portions, table manners and even the emotional relationship with food.

We need to avoid pressure in child nutrition as much as possible. Very familiar sentences such as “Eat one more spoon,” “If you finish this, there is dessert,” “If you don't eat your vegetables, you won't grow,” can make it difficult for the child to listen to his own hunger and fullness signals, even if they are said with good intentions. Our duty as adults is to offer appropriate food, at the appropriate time and in the appropriate environment; The child should also be left with a space where he can listen to his own body.

I think today we need to add another title to all of these: food literacy. As the child grows up, he should learn not only to distinguish between "healthy and unhealthy" but also to understand what he eats. What does it say on the label of a product, what does the ingredients list say, what does it mean to eat in season, are "natural" and "organic" the same thing? It is very important for the parent to know these first and then pass them on to the child in an age-appropriate manner over time.

A meeting I attended recently made me very happy. I was at the launch where the new step of the "Organic Support for a Healthy Future" project, carried out jointly by Humm Organic and AÇEV, was introduced. The cooperation actually started in Diyarbakır in October 2025. In the first phase of the project, a portion of the income obtained from the Strawberry and Ginger Cookies that Humm Organic offered for sale in Migros was transferred to AÇEV, and with this support, it has contributed to the provision of educational materials for 1,380 children through AÇEV's Preschool Education Program and A Reading Future Project reading groups.

Now the project is expanding from children to parents. At the launch, we met with Humm Organic co-founders Damla Şener Akkaynak, Hale Şener and Aslı Acundaş, Humm Organic General Manager Melek Soklangıç ​​Dinçer, AÇEV Resource Development and Communication Director Asu Sanem Kaya and the author of the book, Dietician and Gastronomy Specialist Yasemin Güzel. The eating habits that children develop at an early age, the role of parents in this process, and how children's relationship with food are shaped were discussed.

I also found the book titled "Every Parent is Their Child's First Nutrition Guide", prepared in this second step of the collaboration, very meaningful. Guide written by Yasemin Güzel; It covers many topics, from food literacy and reading labels to distinguishing between organic and natural concepts, from seasonal nutrition to introducing children to different tastes and communication at the family table. It is also nice to have practical recipes that can be prepared with children and a "flavor map" approach that will help them discover different tastes, smells and textures, in terms of bringing the knowledge into daily life.

I find it valuable that a food brand's approach to child nutrition is not limited to just producing products, but also includes providing parents with accurate and understandable information. Because at the end of the day, no matter what product we choose for the child, one of the strongest determinants is still the table we set at home and the example we set for him.