Sefton council devised the Appetite for Life awards to recognisechildcare providers' competence in the food they serve children.
The award is open to private, voluntary and independent settings thatare not part of a chain.
Seven nurseries were presented with the award by the Mayor of SeftonPaul Tweed and assistant environmental protection director Peter Mooreat Southport Town Hall earlier this month.
Mr Moore said, 'The challenge for those providing food for theunder-fives is to help children to achieve good health while stillproviding tasty enjoyable food.'
The nurseries had been invited to apply for the award by the council'senvironmental protection department in partnership with Sefton EarlyYears, Sefton and Liverpool Primary Care Trusts and the Heart ofMersey.
Nurseries took part in a training course on nutrition, food allergiesand menu planning organised by the council, for which they had to meetstrict criteria.
They were assessed on children's dental health, how they produced foodplans for children with allergies, how they ensured good practice inpersonal hygiene, food hygiene and healthy eating.
Patricia Haines, manager of Gingerbread House Pre-school, one of theaward winners, said, 'The scheme was hard work in one sense, but veryeye-opening and rewarding, being able to provide the children with ahealthy diet.'
She added, 'The hardest part was getting rid of birthday cakes, but nowwe make more of a fuss of the children's birthdays. We have anartificial cake, the child gets a special snack and we have balloons andbanners.'
The council will continue to promote the scheme to the nurseries whofailed to gain the award and re-assess settings who were successful aspart of their environmental health inspection.