A Victorian cook is using native ingredients to help young children learn more about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture, history and food practices.

Richard Read, the service cook at Flemington Street Children's Centre in Melbourne, has introduced ingredients such as warrigal greens, saltbush, pepperleaf, cinnamon myrtle, roasted wattle seed and Kakadu plums to the centre's menu.

Read has worked in the food and hospitality industry for more than 20 years and has developed a strong interest in including First Nations ingredients in everyday meals.

He told the City of Moonee Valley that food could provide children with an opportunity to experience new flavours while also learning about culture.

"I am passionate about celebrating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and introducing children to new food experiences, it helps to bring cultural learning and diverse flavours into centre menus," Read said.

"It's our culture, it's our history, and it shouldn't be left behind - we can easily add traditional foods into everyday menus.

"I am always trying to put as much of the Indigenous ingredients into what I can, where I can."

Read began by experimenting with warrigal greens pasta before using the Healthy Eating Advisory Service's FoodChecker program to adapt the recipe for an early childhood setting.

He has since continued to introduce native ingredients by making small changes to meals that were already familiar to the children.

This has included replacing cinnamon with cinnamon myrtle, nuts with roasted wattle seed, spinach with warrigal greens and regular plums with Kakadu plums.

Saltbush has also been added to salads, vegetables, marinades and pesto, while pepperleaf can be used in soups, stews, breads and damper.

Read said introducing the ingredients gradually allowed children to try something different without completely changing the meals they already enjoyed.

"If I can have a 2% impact on a child... just from them trying it, it's a start," he told the City of Moonee Valley.

The initiative has grown beyond the kitchen.

Parents and caregivers have been given samples of ingredients, while some have also been added to playdough activities to encourage children to explore their different smells and textures.

Families have even shown an increased interest in the meals and have asked for recipes so they can make the dishes at home.

"Introducing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ingredients has increased meal satisfaction and strengthened engagement from children and families," Read said.

"Many now request recipes to recreate meals at home.

"The initiative has supported learning, not only about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ingredients and cooking but also encouraged valuable opportunities to explore Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and history.

"Children really enjoy the food, they demolish it."

Read has also shared his knowledge with other early childhood cooks through Cohealth Cook Network meetings involving services from several local government areas.

His work was recently highlighted in a case study published by the Healthy Eating Advisory Service.

The service encouraged other early childhood centres to begin with simple ingredient swaps, develop relationships with suppliers and record which recipes children enjoy.

It also recommended involving families, connecting with other cooks and taking part in cultural education and professional learning.

Read said the network meetings had allowed cooks to exchange ideas and improve the healthy and culturally inclusive food experiences offered to children.