ISSN: 2226-6348
Open access
Healthy nutrition during early childhood is crucial for children’s physical growth, cognitive development, and the formation of lifelong eating behaviours. In Malaysia, child nutrition issues remain complex, as undernutrition, overweight, obesity, and micronutrient deficiencies continue to coexist. Although national references such as the Recommended Nutrient Intakes and the Malaysian Dietary Guidelines provide important guidance, they do not yet offer a developmentally sequenced and pedagogically grounded standard for healthy nutrition literacy among preschool children. This concept paper therefore proposes a Standard Framework of Healthy Nutrition Literacy for preschool children in Malaysia. The paper adopts a qualitative conceptual approach based on document analysis and a focused literature review of peer-reviewed studies, policy documents, curriculum-related materials, and theoretical sources in nutrition literacy, food literacy, child development, and early childhood education. The proposed framework is child-centred and ecologically informed, recognising the role of families, teachers, preschool routines, food environments, and wider community influences. Four interrelated domains are proposed: basic knowledge of healthy food, awareness and attitudes towards healthy eating, basic food choice and decision-making skills, and healthy eating practices in daily life. Overall, the framework provides a foundation for curriculum development, pedagogical planning, and future empirical validation in Malaysia.
Ahmadi, F., & Karamitanha, F. (2023). Health literacy and nutrition literacy among mother with preschool children: What factors are effective? Preventive Medicine Reports, 35(102323). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmedr.2023.102323
Aristova, A., Spence, A. C., Irwin, C., Elford, A., Graham, L., & Love, P. (2024). Nutrition environments in early childhood education: do they align with best practice? Public Health Nutrition, 27(1), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1017/S136898002400096X
Billing, A. M., Bjørgen, K., Melis, C., & Wold, P. A. (2025). A comparison of national food and meal guidelines in early childhood education and care (ECEC) institutions in Italy, Norway and Sweden. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 34(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/1350293X.2025.2563857
Carraway-Stage, V., Henson, S. R., Dipper, A., Spangler, H., Ash, S. L., & Goodell, L. S. (2014). Understanding the State of Nutrition Education in the Head Start Classroom: A Qualitative Approach. American Journal of Health Education, 45(1), 52–62. https://doi.org/10.1080/19325037.2013.853000
Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2018). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches (5th ed.; H. Salmon, Ed.). United States of America: SAGE Publishing.
Cullen, T., Hatch, J., Martin, W., Higgins, J. W., & Sheppard, R. (2015). Food literacy: Definition and framework for action. Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice and Research, 76(3), 140–145.
Fraser, K., Vidgen, H., Spence, A. C., Bolton, K. A., Lacy, K. E., Dunn, K., & Love, P. (2026). How do nutrition interventions targeting parents with young children address parental food literacy? A systematic review. Appetite, 217(108361). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2025.108361
Hasmuni Chew, N. H., Mohd Saat, N. Z., Wong, J. E., Lee, S. T., Singh-Povel, C. M., Khouw, I., … Chua, M. (2024). A cross-sectional study on the dietary patterns of multiethnic Malaysian preschoolers and their sociodemographic determinants. Nutrition Bulletin, 49(3), 294–313. https://doi.org/10.1111/nbu.12683
Khor, G. L. (2005). Micronutrient status and intervention programs in Malaysia. Food and Nutrition Bulletin, 26(2), S281–S285.
Mohd Nasir, M. T., Norimah, A. K., Hazizi, A. S., Nurliyana, A. R., Loh, S. H., & Suraya, I. (2012). Child feeding practices, food habits, anthropometric indicators and cognitive performance among preschoolers in Peninsular Malaysia. Appetite, 58(2), 525–530. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2012.01.007
National Coordinating Committee on Food and Nutrition. (2017). Recommended Nutrient Intakes for Malaysia: A Report of the Technical Working Group on Nutritional Guidelines. Retrieved from http://nutrition.moh.gov.my
National Coordinating Committee on Food and Nutrition. (2021). Malaysian dietary guidelines 2020.
Neuman, W. Lawrence. (2014). Social research methods?: qualitative and quantitative approaches (7th ed.). United States of America: Pearson.
Poh, B. K., Ng, B. K., Siti Haslinda, M. D., Nik Shanita, S., Wong, J. E., Budin, S. B., … Norimah, A. K. (2013). Nutritional status and dietary intakes of children aged 6 months to 12 years: Findings of the Nutrition Survey of Malaysian Children (SEANUTS Malaysia). British Journal of Nutrition, 110(SUPPL.3), S21–S35. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007114513002092
Poh, B. K., Wong, J. E., Lee, S. T., Chia, J. S. M., Yeo, G. S., Sharif, R., … Khouw, I. (2023). Triple burden of malnutrition among Malaysian children aged 6 months to 12 years: Current findings from SEANUTS II Malaysia. Public Health Nutrition, 27(1). https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980023002239
Rani, I. F. A., Jamil, N., Abdul, M. A., Zain, A., Basir, J. M., Mohamad, I., & Risad, W. N. A. W. (2025). Development and validation of a nutritional education model for malnourished preschool children in Malaysia. International Journal of Advanced and Applied Sciences, 12(6), 190–198. https://doi.org/10.21833/ijaas.2025.06.018
Rapson, J., Conlon, C., & Ali, A. (2020). Nutrition knowledge and perspectives of physical activity for pre?schoolers amongst early childhood education and care teachers. Nutrients, 12(7), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12071984
Resor, J., Dixon, J. B., Wu, Q., Hegde, A. V., Lee, T. D., Goodell, L. S., … Stage, V. C. (2024). Associations between Preschool Teachers’ Food-Based Learning Frequency, Level of Personal Priority and Identified Resources and Challenges: A Needs Assessment. Nutrients, 16(13). https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16132140
Saipudin, N. A., Suhairom, N., Husna, N., & Wahid, A. (2022). Family Food Choices Motive Among Malaysian Preschool Children’s Parents. Malaysian Journal of Public Health Medicine, 22(3), 272–282.
Schunk, D. H. . (2012). Learning theories?: an educational perspective (6th ed.; P. Smith, Ed.). United States of America: Pearson.
Stage, V. C., Dixon, J. B., Grist, P., Hegde, A. V., Lee, T. D., Lundquist, R., & Goodell, L. S. (2025). More PEAS Please! Process Evaluation of a STEAM Program Designed to Promote Dietary Quality, Science Learning, and Language Skills in Preschool Children. Nutrients , 17(11). https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17111922
Tan, P. Y., Chan, C. L., Som, S. V., Dye, L., Moore, J. B., Caton, S., & Gong, Y. Y. (2025). Prevalence and key determinants of the triple burden of childhood malnutrition in Southeast Asian countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis within an adapted socio-ecological framework. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 65(28), 5683–5697. https://doi.org/10.1080/10408398.2024.2419539
Vidgen, H. A., & Gallegos, D. (2014). Defining food literacy and its components. Appetite, 76, 50–59. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2014.01.010
Husin, A., & Bakar, K. A. (2026). Proposed Standard Framework of Healthy Nutrition Literacy for Preschool Children in Malaysia: A Concept Paper. International Journal of Academic Research in Progressive Education and Development, 15(2), 1059-1071.
Copyright: © 2026 The Author(s)
Published by HRMARS (www.hrmars.com)
This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this license may be seen at: http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode