TWICE as many child care centres here are now feeding their wards healthier food, compared to a year ago.

To recognise them, 206 child care centres have been given an award from the Health Promotion Board (HPB) for serving healthy food and teaching children how to eat right, almost double the 111 last year.

These centres get to display the Healthy Eating in Child Care Centres Programme logo for a year if they follow HPB's guidelines.

This means ensuring that the children get enough nutrition daily: at least a glass of milk and half a serving of fruit and vegetables each. They must also control the children's intake of sinful stuff.

The desserts they dish out cannot contain more than 8g of sugar in each 100ml, only lean and skinned cuts of meat and poultry can be served, and processed and deep-fried food can be given just once a week.

When they join the programme, the HPB conducts a two-hour culinary workshop for the principals and cooks. The entire certification process takes about nine months.