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Voluntary Food and Drink

Guidelines for Early Years

Settings in England

A Practical Guide


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The Childrens Food Trust would like to thank allthose involved in the development of this practicalguide, for volunteering their time and sharing theirexperience and expertise:

4 Children Strategic Partnership

Acorn Grove Nursery, Manchester

Ashby Nursery, Clinic and Childrens Centre,Scunthorpe

Ashton Vale Pre-school, Bristol

Bristol University Day Nursery, Bristol

Busy Bees Nurseries

The Childrens House, North East Lincolnshire

Claire Knight, Childminder, Bristol

Daycare Trust

Department for Education

Department of Health

Donna Caddick, Childminder, Bristol

Early Education

Early Years and Family Support,Blackpool Council

Emma Cronly-Dillon, SEPT CommunityHealth Services, Bedfordshire

The Fields Childrens Centre, Cambridge

Fiona Nave, Royal Borough of Kensington andChelsea PCT

Gerry OBrien, Gloucestershire PCT

Helen Crawley, Centre for Food Policy,City University

Ilminster Avenue Specialist Nursery Schooland Childrens Centre, Bristol

Jessica Williams, NHS Bristol

Julia Deakin, Childminder, Doncaster

Julie Akerman, Childminder, Bristol

London Early Years Foundation (LEYF)

Marjon Willers, Whittingdon Health

Marsha Mclarty, Childminder, Bristol

National Childminding Association (NCMA)

National Childrens Bureau

National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA)

The Old School House Day Nursery,Cambridgeshire

People 1st

Pollyannas Nursery, York

Pre-school Learning Alliance

Rebecca Spencer, NHS South East London

Sandra Cook and Siobhan Crate,Childminders, Retford

Sharon Taylor, Childminder, Bristol

Sheri Akambi, Childminder, Cambridgeshire

Soe Ball, NHS Redbridge

Staffordshire Public Health Team

Sue Smith, Childminder, Cambridgeshire

St Pauls Nursery School and ChildrensCentre, Bristol

Photos of children by Karla Gowlett, with thanks toKatharine Bruce Community Nursery, part of theLondon Early Years Foundation. Additional photosof children with thanks to NCMA, NDNA andPre-school Learning Alliance.

Meals and snacks prepared and photographed byHelena Little (Brave Design) and Erica Hocking.Additional photos with kind permission from theCaroline Walker Trust.

Eat Better, Start Better: acknowledgements

Acknowledgements


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Page 4 Foreword

Page 5 Section 1 Eat better, startbetter: why healthy eatingmatters for young children

Page 6 Why has this guide been developed?

Page 6 Who is this guide for?

Page 7 Why is a healthy, balanced andnutritious diet essential for young

children?

Page 7 What is the current health status ofyoung children in England?

Page 7 What is a healthy, balanced,

nutritious diet for children agedone to ve years?

Page 8 How does a healthy, balanced diet

for children aged one to ve yearsdiffer from that needed by older

children and adults?

Page 8 What about food and drink for childrenfrom birth up to 12 months old?

Page 8 Breastfeeding

Page 9 Healthy startPage 9 Nursery milk scheme

Page 9 Physical activity

Page 10 Section 2 Planning menus

Page 11 Seven steps for planning healthymeals, snacks and drinks

Page 12 Section 3 The food anddrink guidelines

Page 13 The food and drink guidelines

Page 14 Understanding the food and drink

guidelines

Page 14 How to use the portion sizeinformation

Page 15 Summary of the four food groups

Page 16 Guidelines for starchy foods

Page 18 Guidelines for fruit and vegetables

Page 20 Guidelines for meat, sh, eggs, beansand other non-dairy sources of protein

Page 22 Guidelines for milk and dairy foods

Page 24 Guidelines for desserts,puddings and cakes

Page 26 Guidelines for drinks

Page 27 Guidelines for fat, salt and sugar

Page 30 How to read food labels

Page 31 Iron and zinc

Page 32 Food additives

Page 33 Ready-made meals and take-aways

Page 33 Fortied foods

Page 34 Section 4 At a glance: foodand drink guidelines for eachmeal and snack

Page 35 Balancing lunch and tea

Page 36 Breakfast at a glance

Page 38 Mid-morning and mid-afternoon snacksat a glance

Page 40 Lunch at a glance

Page 42 Tea at a glance

Page 44 Section 5 How to encouragechildren to eat well

Page 45 Developing a food policy and puttingit into practice

Page 45 Communicating with children and families

Page 46 The eating environment and socialaspects of meal times

Page 47 Celebrations and special occasions

Page 48 Providing food for all

Page 51 Encouraging fussy eaters to eat well

Page 52 Food brought in from home

Page 53 Learning about and through food

Page 54 Cooking with children

Page 55 Food safety and hygiene

Page 55 Sustainability

Page 55 Protecting childrens health maintaining a healthy weight

Page 56 Section 6 Practical toolsand resources: putting theguidelines into practice

Page 57 Evaluating and showing others yourapproach to food and drink provision

Page 58 Early Years Code of Practice for Foodand Drink

Page 59 Code of Practice Checklist

Page 61 Menu Planning Checklist

Page 66 The nutrient framework

Page 69 Example spring/summer menu

Page 70 Example autumn/winter menu

Page 71 Sizes of plates and bowls

Page 74 Glossary

Page 76 Section 7 Where to ndadditional information

Page 77 Where to nd additional information

Page 78 References

Eat Better, Start Better: contents

Contents

Printed October 2012.This publication will periodically update as Government policy changes.


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Eat Better, Start Better: foreword

The under-ves are a unique agegroup in that their nutritional needschange quite rapidly, and guidanceregarding food groups and portionsizes is a particular area of need.Nurseries are passionate abouthelping children get the best start inlife, and this guidance will help themdo this consistently throughout theirday-to-day practice.

Claire Schoeld, Directorof Membership, Policy andCommunications, National DayNurseries Association (NDNA)

We have long campaigned for clearguidance on early years nutritionand providers have been crying outfor direction for several years now.Practitioners are well aware that whatmakes up a healthy, balanced andnutritious diet for young children differsfrom that of adults. However, with somuch conicting advice around its nowbecome a mineeld to decipher whatis appropriate for young children, sothe timing of the voluntary guidelinescouldnt be better.

Neil Leitch, Chief Executive,Pre-school Learning Alliance

Daycare Trusts work with parentssuggests that there is widespreadsupport for improving the quality

of food provided by nurseries andchildminders. Parents are also keenfor their children to learn healthyeating habits. These guidelineshave a key role to play in advancingnutritional standards in the early years.

Anand Shukla, Chief Executive,Daycare Trust

We are passionate about reducinginequalities in childhood. Thenational food and drink guidelines

will help to ensure that all youngchildren have access to a healthy,balanced, nutritious diet whileattending early years settings.

Joyce Connor, ProgrammeDirector, Early Years, NationalChildrens Bureau

One of the most important ways to help children to eat more healthily is by establishing good foodhabits in their early years. National standards for school food have transformed the way children eatin school, but with almost a quarter of children overweight or obese by the time they reach even theirreception year, its clear that supporting healthy eating can never begin too early. These guidelines willbe invaluable for everyone working with children in their early years as the rst, nationally-recognisedsource of practical advice for all early years settings in England.

Judy Hargadon OBE, Chief Executive, Childrens Food Trust

This guidance has been tried andtested by NCMA childminders, andoffers home-based practitioners

some great practical tips and toolsfor helping children to eat healthily.

Stuart Turner, NCMA Directorof Professional Standards

4Children welcomes thiscomprehensive guidance tosupport those delivering in

Foundation Years in ensuring thatthe nutritional needs of youngchildren are met. A much welcomeresource!

Anne Longeld,Chief Executive, 4Children

Eat Better, Start Better is supportedwith a grant under the Departmentfor Educations Improving Outcomesfor Children, Young People andFamilies fund.

The food and drink guidelinesoutlined in this practical guidereect current Department ofHealth food and nutrition advice forchildren aged one to ve years.

Foreword


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01Eat better, Start better: why healthyeating matters for young children

Page 6 Why has this guide been developed?

Page 6 Who is this guide for?

Page 7 Why is a healthy, balanced and nutritious diet

essential for young children?

Page 7 What is the current health status of youngchildren in England?

Page 7 What is a healthy, balanced, nutritious diet forchildren aged one to ve years?

Page 8 How does a healthy, balanced diet for childrenaged one to ve years differ from that needed byolder children and adults?

Page 8 What about food and drink for children from birthup to 12 months old?

Page 8 Breastfeeding

Page 9 Healthy Start

Page 9 Nursery Milk Scheme

Page 9 Physical activity


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Why has this guide been developed?

This guide has been developed to help early years

providers and practitioners to meet the Early YearsFoundation Stage (EYFS) welfare requirement forthe provision of healthy, balanced and nutritiousfood and drink.1Encouraging children to eat welland learn about food in their early years not onlyprotects their health when they are young, butalso sets the foundations for their future healthand wellbeing.

Early years settings provide an ideal opportunityto help every child eat well, enjoy a varied diet andestablish healthy eating habits to take with theminto their school years.

Early years providers, practitioners and parents

have called for clear, national guidelines on whatchildren under the age of ve should eat and drinkwhile attending early years settings.2

This guide sets out the food and drink guidelinesfor early years settings in England. Followingthe advice in this practical guide when providingfood and drink will help you to meet the nutritionalrequirements of young children in your care.

Who is this guide for?

This guide is for early years settings providing

meals, snacks or drinks to children from the ageof one up to ve years.It can be used by allregulated providers, regardless of the length oftime that children spend in the setting, including:

childrens centres

registered childminders and nannies

private, voluntary and independent nurseries

local authority maintained nursery schools

nursery classes within primary schools

pre-schools

sessional settings, such as playgroups.

Non-regulated settings, such as parent and

toddler groups, are also encouraged to use thisguide when planning and providing food and drinkfor children.

Parents and carers may nd this guide useful tohelp them to understand the types and amountsof food and drink that they should expect theirchild to be offered whilst attending an early yearssetting. Involving parents and their children in foodand drink provision is an important aspect of theEarly Years Foundation Stage3framework, as ithelps to reinforce good eating habits for life.

This guidance has been written to ensure the nutritionalrequirements of children aged from one up to five years aremet. These requirements have been derived from the DietaryReference Values (DRVs) for children aged one to four years.This includes children up to their fifth birthday.

The food and drink guidelines within this guide apply only

to nursery classes within primary schools. Food and drinkprovided to registered pupils at local authority maintainedprimary schools is required to meet the Education (NutritionalStandards and Requirements for School Food (England)Regulations 2007, as amended 2008, 2011. Food provided tochildren attending nursery units of primary schools is requiredto meet schedule 5 of these regulations; meeting the food anddrink guidelines in this document will meet these requirements.

01 Eat Better, Start Better: why healthy eating matters for young children

Early years settingsprovide an idealopportunity to helpevery child eat well,enjoy a varied diet

and establish healthyeating habits to takewith them into theirschool years.

This guide sets outthe food and drinkguidelines for earlyyears settings inEngland. Followingthe advice in thispractical guide when

providing food anddrink will help you tomeet the nutritionalrequirements ofyoung children inyour care.


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What is a healthy, balanced, nutritiousdiet for children aged one to ve years?

A healthy balanced diet for children aged one tove years is based on the four food groups listedbelow, which provide a range of essential nutrientsthat children need to grow and develop.

Starchy foods

Fruit and vegetables

Meat, sh, eggs, beans and othernon-dairy sources of protein

Milk and dairy foods

One of the basic principles of healthy eating isvariety, as eating a wider range of different foods

provides a better balance of nutrients. Planningmeals and snacks to include a variety of food anddrinks from these four food groups each day willprovide children with the good balance of nutrientsthey need.

Foods and drinks high in fat,sugar (and/or salt)

Young children need fat in their diet to ensure theyget enough energy. However, if they eat too muchfat, they may consume more energy (calories)than they need, and may gain excess weight. Thetypeof fat that children eat is also important, and

the amount of saturated fat, found in foods suchas meat and meat products, butter, cakes andbiscuits, should be limited.

It is also important that children do not eat toomuch sugar and salt. Eating sugary food anddrinks too often can lead to tooth decay andprovide empty calories which ll children up butdo not provide other essential nutrients. Too muchsalt can give children a taste for salty foods, andeating a diet high in salt can cause serious healthconditions in later life.

To establish good eating habits, make sure thefood and drink you provide for children is not

high in saturated fat, sugar and salt. Limiting oravoiding some foods, ingredients and cookingpractices will help to ensure that an appropriateamount of fat, sugar and salt is provided forchildren, and will also help encourage diversity inchildrens diets. Foods, ingredients and cookingpractices to limit or avoid are highlighted in thefood and drink guidelines.

Children are unlikely to take in more energy thanthey need if they are offered a range of healthymeals and snacks that meet the food and drinkguidelines. Conversely, foods that are high in fat,sugar and salt are unlikely to provide the balanceof energy and nutrients that young children

need and including them in the diets of veryyoung children may contribute to them becomingoverweight and having a poor nutrient intake.

Further guidance on fat, sugar and salt can befound on pages 2729.

Why is a healthy, balanced andnutritious diet essential foryoung children?

A healthy, balanced diet and regular physicalactivity are essential for childrens health andwell-being. Research conrms that healthyeating habits in the years before school arevery important because they inuence growth,development and academic achievement inlater life.4, 5, 6

A recent review of health inequalities by Marmot7

identies the early years as a crucial time tointervene to reduce health inequalities across thelife course. Quality of early years experiencescan have a fundamental impact on all aspects ofhuman development, physically, emotionally andintellectually.

Encouraging breastfeeding and ensuring thatchildren eat well in their early years are key toensuring that they achieve their potential, and helpprevent them becoming overweight and obese.This approach also helps to reduce the risk ofserious diseases such as heart disease, diabetes,stroke and cancers in later life.

Good nutrition is important for children aged underve to:

ensure that they get the right amount of energy(calories) and nutrients needed while they aregrowing rapidly

ensure that they do not consume too muchenergy (calories), which may lead to childrenbecoming overweight or obese

encourage them to eat a wide variety of foodsand develop good dietary habits to take withthem into later childhood and beyond.

What is the current health statusof young children in England?

Over a fth of children are either overweightor obese by the time they join reception classin primary school (their nal year in the EYFS).8

Type II diabetes, which usually appears inadulthood, is starting to be seen among someoverweight children.9

Dental health is poor in many young children.10

Cases of rickets are appearing morefrequently.11

More than one in four young children in theUK may be at risk of iron deciency,12which islinked to slower intellectual development andpoor behaviour in the longer term.13

In recent years, changes in childrens diets haveaffected their nutrient intakes with some childreneating foods that are low in energy, iron, zinc and

vitamin A, and high in saturated fat, sugar14andsalt.15In addition, many young children also eatfewer than the recommended ve portions of fruitand vegetables each day.16

The wider the varietyof food and drinkseaten, the better thebalance of nutrients

provided.


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How does a healthy, balanced diet forchildren aged one to ve years differfrom that needed by older childrenand adults?

Healthy eating advice for children aged ve andover and for adults is illustrated by the eatwellplate, which shows the types of food to eat, andin what proportions, for a well balanced andhealthy diet.17

Young children are growing quickly and have highenergy and nutrient requirements for their size.They also eat smaller amounts than older childrenand adults, so it is important for them to eatregular meals and snacks that contain sufcientenergy and nutrients for their needs. A low-fat,high bre diet based on the proportions set out bythe eatwell plate is therefore not appropriate foryoung children, particularly children aged undertwo years, as it may not provide enough energy,fat, iron or zinc, and is too high in bre.

Between the ages of two and ve years,children should gradually move towards the dietrecommended for older children and adults, withless energy provided from fat, and more bre.

What about food and drink forchildren from birth up to 12months old?

In the rst 12 months of life, babies nutritionalrequirements differ from those of children agedover one year. Detailed guidance on how toprovide food and drink for this age group is notincluded within this guide.

For more information on providing healthy foodand drink to children from birth up to 12 monthsrefer to the Department of Healths Birth toFive,18the resources developed by the Start4Lifecampaign,19or the Caroline Walker Trust practicalguide Eating Well in the First Year of Life.20

BreastfeedingEncouraging breastfeeding is a priority.

Exclusive breastfeeding is recommended foraround the rst six months of a babys life and,after that, giving breast milk alongside solid foodwill help them to continue to grow and develop.18Breastfeeding also has signicant short and longterm benets for both mothers and their babies.It helps to protect children from gastroenteritis,ear and respiratory infections, eczema,asthma,diabetes and obesity in later life. 18, 21, 22

Mothers who return to work but wish to continue tobreastfeed should be encouraged and enabled to

do so.23 Expressed breast milk provided for babiesin early years settings should be labelled, storedsafely and used only for that child.

Advice on expressing and storing breast milk canbe obtained from a health visitor or online fromNHS choices24or the Association of BreastfeedingMothers.25


Young children aregrowing quicklyand have highenergy and nutrientrequirements fortheir size.


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Healthy Start

As a precaution, the Department of Health26

recommends that from six months to ve yearsof age, children should be given a vitaminsupplement containing vitamins A, C and Dunless they are drinking 500ml of infant formulaa day or are eating a varied diet with a wide rangeof foods to provide an adequate intake of vitaminsand minerals.

In 2006, the Healthy Start Scheme27replaced theWelfare Food Scheme. Families receiving HealthyStart vouchers can use them to purchase plaincows milk, fresh or frozen fruit and vegetables,or infant formula suitable from birth. Thescheme also provides free Healthy Start vitaminsupplements for pregnant women and women with

a child aged under 12 months. Children receivingHealthy Start vouchers qualify for free childrensvitamin drops containing vitamins A, C and D fromaged six months until their fourth birthday.

The scheme aims to engage with parentsfrom early pregnancy to ensure that they areprovided with information on healthy eating andthe appropriate use of vitamin supplementsfor children. It is the responsibility of parentsto administer these supplements. Early yearssettings can, however, encourage parents who areeligible, to apply for vouchers to help pay for foodprovided at home.

Nursery Milk Scheme

The Nursery Milk Scheme enables registered

early years settings to claim reimbursement for thecost of a third of a pint (189 ml) or, where suppliedin 200ml containers only, with 200ml of milk foreach child aged under ve years who attends fortwo or more hours a day. For more information,visit the Nursery Milk Scheme website.28

Physical activity

Regular physical activity during the early yearsprovides immediate and long-term benets forphysical and psychological well-being. Physicalactivity has very low risks for most under ves,whereas the risk that childhood inactivity will lead

to poor health in later life is high.

29

All childrenaged under ve years should minimise the amountof time spent being sedentary (being restrainedor sitting) for extended periods (except time spentsleeping).

Physical activity includes all forms of activity, suchas walking, active play and active games. Childrenare more likely to maintain a healthy weight ifthey are physically active for at least 180 minutes(three hours) each day, as recommended forchildren aged under ve years in the UK.29


All children underve should minimisetime spent beingsedentary.


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02 Planning menusPage 11 Seven steps for planning healthy meals,

snacks and drinks


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02 Eat Better, Start Better: planning menus

Seven steps for planninghealthy meals, snacksand drinks

It is important that the food and drink provided forchildren is balanced across each day, and thatchildren eat regularly, with breakfast, lunch, tea,and two or three snacks provided daily (eitherwithin an early years setting or at home).Using these food and drink guidelines to planmeals and snacks for children will help to makesure that all children eat a healthy, balanced diet,whether they attend full-day care in one setting,or attend several settings throughout the week.

Step 1. Plan menus for all the meals and snacks you provide for children.

This will help you to check that food and drink provision across the day is balanced andincludes variety, and also helps planning for shopping and food preparation.

Step 2. Plan menus lasting at least one week.

In practice, a menu that covers between one and four weeks will give children lots of variety.Try to make sure that children who attend your setting on the same day each week are not

always provided with the same meal.

Step 3. Plan each mealand snack menu to meet the foodand drink guidelines in this guide.

This means that children attending yoursetting for sessional care or who move

between different settings will still meet theirnutritional requirements overall.

Step 4. Plan menus to include a varietyof foods, tastes, textures and colours.

This will give children opportunity to try awide range of foods, and make meals and

snacks colourful and tasty.

Step 6. Introduce new menucycles at least twice a year.

This will incorporate seasonality and givechildren the chance to try different foods.

Step 5. Make sure you cater for thecultural and dietary needs of all the

children in your care.

You can also plan your menus to enablechildren to experience food from different

cultures. You will nd more information aboutthis on page 49.

Step 7. Share menus for meals and snacks with parents

This can help parents to balance meals and snacks with the food they provide at home.For example, if children are having a light meal at teatime and you expect them to eat again

at home, make sure that parents are aware of this.

Practical tools for menu planningIn section 6, you will nd practical tools to help you plan menus for meals and snacks, including:

a menu planning checklistto evaluate menus against the food and drink guidelines

example spring/summer and autumn/winter menusmeeting the food and drink guidelines.

The Childrens HouseNursery uses a 12 daymenu cycle, whichmeans that childrenattending on one ortwo days a week

receive a wide varietyof different meals.

Childminder SandraCook found thatintroducing a rollingthree week menuinstead of planningmenus each weeksaves her time.


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03 The food and drink guidelinesPage 13 The food and drink guidelines

Page 14 Understanding the food and drink guidelines

Page 15 Summary of the four food groups

Page 16 Guidelines for starchy foods

Page 18 Guidelines for fruit and vegetables

Page 20 Guidelines for meat, sh, eggs, beans and othernon-dairy sources of protein

Page 22 Guidelines for milk and dairy foods

Page 24 Guidelines for desserts, puddings and cakes

Page 26 Guidelines for drinks

Page 27 Guidelines for fat

Page 28 Guidelines for salt

Page 29 Guidelines for sugar

Page 30 How to read food labels

Page 31 Iron and zinc

Page 32 Food additives

Page 33 Ready-made meals and take-aways

Page 33 Fortied foods


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The food and drink guidelines in this sectiondescribe how often, how much, and which typesof food from each of the four food groups shouldbe provided for children aged one to ve years.**Following these guidelines will help to make surethat the food and drink you provide is healthy,balanced and nutritious.

The food and drink guidelines are underpinnedby a nutrient framework, which includes energyand key nutrients: protein, fat, carbohydrate, non-milk extrinsic sugars, vitamin A, vitamin C, iron,zinc, calcium and sodium. Providing the typesand amounts of food and drink outlined by the

guidelines will ensure children receive appropriateamounts of energy and these nutrients. For furtherinformation about the nutrient framework, seepage 66.

Use the guidelines to plan which food and drinksto provide as part of meals and snacks for childrenin your care.

The food and drink guidelines are also listed foreach separate meal (breakfast, lunch and tea)and snack in section 4. This information can beused to check that the guidelines are met foreach mealtime.

Information included in this section explains:

The types of food and drink included ineach food group. This will help you to choosea variety of food and drinks for childrens mealsand snacks.

Why each food group is important. Thisoutlines the key nutrients each food groupprovides and explains their importance forchildrens health.

Guidelines for planning menus. These outlinehow frequently to provide foods from each foodgroup, how to limit saturated fat, salt and sugar,and food safety considerations.

Average portion sizes for children aged oneto ve years**. Typical portion sizes are givenas a range:

the smaller portion sizes are appropriatefor children aged one to two years

the larger portion sizes are appropriatefor children aged three to four years

However, remember that the appetite ofyoung children will vary, and they should beencouraged to eat healthy food according totheir appetite.

03 Eat Better, Start Better: the food and drink guidelines

** Portion sizes are typical example portion sizes for childrenaged one to five years and are not suitable for children underthe age of one year.

The food and drink guidelines

Providing the typesand amounts of foodand drink outlinedby the guidelines willensure children receiveappropriate amounts ofenergy and nutrients.


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** Portion sizes are typical example portion sizes for children aged one to five years and are not suitable for children underone year of age.

The following symbols and terms are used throughout the guide to highlight points to follow whenplanning menus for meals, snacks and drinks. Limiting or avoiding some foods, ingredients and cookingpractices will help to ensure that menus are healthy, balanced and nutritious.

Understanding the food and drink guidelines

Food and drink guidelinesuse these to plan your mealsand snacks.

Good practice consider thesewhen planning your meals and

snacks.

Food safety follow this foodsafety advice for young children.

Limit Where the guidelines advise that food or drinksshould be limited, these should be providedno more than once a week. This will helpto decrease the amount of salt, sugar andsaturated fat in childrens diets and increasethe variety of food and drinks they are offered.

Avoid Where the guidelines advise that food ordrinks should be avoided, these should notbe provided as part of any meals or snacks.

How to use the portion size information

The nutrient content of food and drink providedfor children depends on the portion size of thefood and drink that is offered. The food and drink

guidelines in section 3include examples of typicalportion sizes of different food and drink for childrenaged one to ve years.** The typical portion sizesgiven are for food as served. In some cases thiswill be cooked food. It is important to note that theweight of many foods can change during cookingdue to water loss or gain. For example 35g of rawpasta will weigh approximately 80g once cooked,and 35g of minced beef will weigh approximately30g once cooked.

The food photos illustrate typical portion sizes forone to ve year olds. The actual portion size ofeach food is specied under the photograph.

The actual sizes of the plates and bowls includedin pictures throughout section 3are listed below:

Small bowl: 8cm

Large bowl: 12cm

Plate: 20cm

These diameters have been listed to help you tovisualise the actual size of the portions shown;the full size plates and bowls are pictured onpage 7173.

Note: the bowls and plates are not to scale andthe colours of the small bowl, large bowl andplate vary in the photographs.

Plate: 20cm Large bowl: 12cm Small bowl: 8cm

Key to symbols


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The table below gives an overview of the four food groups.You will nd detailed information about each food group on pages 1623.

* Be allergy aware information about food allergies and developing an allergy plan is available from www.allergyuk.org

Food groupsExamples offood included

Main nutrientsprovided

Recommended servings

Starchy foods

Bread, potatoes andsweet potatoes, starchyroot vegetables, pasta,noodles, rice, othergrains, breakfast cereals

Carbohydrate, bre,B vitamins and iron

Four portions each day

Provide a portion as part ofeach meal (breakfast, lunchand tea) and provide as part ofat least one snack each day

Fruit andvegetables

Fresh, frozen, canned,dried and juiced fruit andvegetables, and pulses

Carotenes (a form ofvitamin A), vitamin C,zinc, iron, and bre

Five portions each day

Provide a portion as part ofeach main meal (breakfast,lunch and tea) and with somesnacks

Meat, sh, eggs,beans and non-dairy sourcesof protein

Meat, poultry, sh,shellsh, eggs, meatalternatives, pulses, nuts*

Protein, iron, zinc,omega 3 fatty acids,vitamins A and D

Two portions each day

Provide a portion as part oflunch and tea

(Two to three portions for

vegetarian children)

Milk anddairy foods

Milk, cheese, yoghurt,fromage frais, custard,puddings made from milk

Protein, calcium, andvitamin A

Three portions each dayprovided as part of meals,snacks and drinks

Summary of the four food groups

and the nutrients they provide


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Starchy foods

Limiting saturated fat, salt and sugar

Some processed starchy foods can be high in salt,saturated fat and sugar. Use the guidelines belowand the information about food labelling on page30to limit these products, and choose versionswhich are lower in salt, saturated fat and sugar.

Choose breakfast cereals with low or mediumsugar content. Avoid provision of cereals thatare high in sugar, such as sugar-coated orchocolate-avoured cereals.

Choose bread and bread products with a lowsalt content where possible.

Limit starchy foods which have been fried (inthe kitchen or during manufacture), such aschips and roast potatoes, to once a week atlunch and once a week at tea, as these can behigh in fat.

Limit canned pasta in sauce (such asspaghetti hoops).

Avoid avoured dried rice, pasta and noodleproducts, as these can be high in salt.

What does thisfood group include?

Bread, potatoes and sweet potatoes, starchy rootvegetables, pasta and noodles, rice, other grainsand breakfast cereals.

Wholegrain starchy foods include wholemealbread and bread products, wholewheat pasta,brown rice, oats and wholegrain breakfast cereals.

Why is this foodgroup important?

Starchy foods provide energy, carbohydrate,bre and B vitamins.

Fortied breakfast cereals can also be a goodsource of iron.

Guidelines for planning menus

How frequently should foodsfrom this group be provided?

Provide a portion of starchy food as part ofeach meal.

Provide a starchy food as part of at leastone snack each day.

Provide at least three different varieties ofstarchy food across each day, and acrosseach meal and snack every week.

Provide a variety of wholegrain and whitestarchy foods each week.

It is good practice to provide wholegrainstarchy foods for at least one breakfast,lunch and tea each week. Young childrencan have some wholegrain starchy foods,but should not eat only wholegrain options,as they can ll up before they have taken inthe energy they need.


REMEMBER

Provide a variety of starchy foods.

Check typical portion sizes in the table onpage 17.

Choose products lower in salt, saturatedfat and sugar.

Food and drinkguidelines

Good practice

Food safety


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Starch

yfoo

ds

Portionsizesaretypicalexampleportionsizesforchildrenaged

onetofiveyears,andarenotsuitableforchildre

nunderoneyearold.

Goodchoicesoffoodstoserve

Typicalp

ortionsizesasserved(cooked)

Portionsizesinpractice,imagesnottoscale

Bread:includeswhite,wholemeal,

granary,

brown,wheatgermand

multigrainbreads,sodabread,potato

bread,chapattis,plainbakednaan

bread,plainbakedrotis,rolls,plain

bagels,pittab

read,wraps,

tortilla,

breadsticks,c

rackersandoatcakes.

1smallslicesor1largeslicebread

(2030g)

1mufn,

breadrollorpittabreador

1minive

rsion(2550g)

24mini

breadsticks(810g),12crackers

(816g)o

r12oatcakes(1020g)

Potatoesors

weetpotatoes:

includesboiled,mashed,

jacket

andbaked.

1smallb

akedor12boiledpotatoes(80100g)

23table

spoonsmashedpotato(80100g)

Otherstarchyrootvegetables:

includesboiled,mashedorbaked

yam,plantain,cocoyamandcassava.

1smallb

akedrootvegetable(80100g)

23table

spoonsmashed,

dicedstarchy

vegetables(80100g)

Pastaandno

odles:includesboiled

whiteandwholemealspaghetti,

noodlesandp

astashapes.

34table

spoonspastaornoodles(80g100g)

Rice:includesboiledwhiteand

brownrice.

23table

spoonsrice(80g100g)

Othergrains:includescouscous,

bulgurwheat,

maize(polenta)

andcornmeal.

23table

spoonsgrains(80g100g)

Lowormediumsugarbreakfast

cerealsinclud

esporridge,cornakes,

wheatbiscuits

andricecrispies.

35table

spoonsbreakfastcereal(20g30g)

11wh

eatbiscuits(20g30g)

bow

lporridgemadewithmilk(100110g)

Wholemealtoast(25g)

Pittabread(35g)

Ricecakes(16g)

Newpotatoes(90g)

Jacketpotato(90g)

Mashedsweetpotato(90g)

Whitespaghetti(90g)

Brownrice(90g

)

C

ouscous(90g)

Ricecrispies(25g)

Porridge(100g)

Cornakes(25g)



18/8018



Fruit and vegetables in all forms, including fresh,frozen, canned, dried and juiced.

Fruit juice can count as only one portion of fruit

each day however often you provide it.

Pulses, such as beans and lentils, can be servedas a vegetable alongside meat, sh or a meatalternative.

Potatoes are classed as a starchy food and aretherefore not included in this food group.


Fruit and vegetables are an important sourceof vitamins including vitamin A and C, mineralssuch as zinc and iron, and dietary bre.



Children should have ve portions of fruit andvegetables across each day (including thoseprovided at home).

Provide a portion of fruit and/or vegetables ateach meal and with some snacks.

Provide a variety of fruit and vegetables,aiming to offer at least four different typesduring full day care, and two different typesduring sessional care.

Provide fruit juice at meal times only and diluteit (half juice, half water) as it contains sugarsthat may damage childrens teeth.

Provide dried fruit at meal times only ratherthan as a snack, as it contains sugars that canstick to and may damage childrens teeth.


Some canned fruit and vegetables contain addedsalt and sugar. Use the guidelines below andinformation about food labelling on page 30tochoose varieties that are lower in salt and sugar.

Choose canned vegetables and pulses withoutadded salt and sugar.

Choose fruit canned in natural juice withoutadded sugar or syrup.

Provide fruit canned in natural juice atmealtimes only.

Choose reduced salt and sugar baked beans,and avoid baked beans containing articialsweeteners (see page 29). Baked beans canonly count as a vegetable once each week.

Preparing and cookingfruit and vegetables

Cut up fruit and vegetables just beforeyou serve or cook them to minimise thevitamins lost.

Do not overcook vegetables, as this willreduce the vitamin content.


REMEMBER

Provide a variety of fruit and vegetables.


Provide diluted fruit juice, dried fruit andcanned fruit at meal times only.

Check labels and choose:

vegetables and pulses canned withoutadded salt and sugar

fruit canned in natural juice not syrup.

Food safety

All fruit andvegetablesshould bewashed

thoroughly.

To reduce therisk of choking:

remove anystones and pipsbefore serving

halve small fruitand vegetableslike grapesand cherrytomatoes

cut large fruits,like melon,

into slicesinstead of smallchunks.


Good practice

Food safety


19/80


20/8020

Meat, fish, eggs, beans and

other non-dairy sources of protein


Fresh or frozen meat and poultry, fresh, frozen

or canned sh, shellsh, eggs, meat alternatives(such as Quorn or soya mince), pulses (suchas beans, chickpeas and lentils) and nuts*.


Food from this group provides protein, iron andzinc. Oily sh provides omega 3 fatty acids,vitamin A and vitamin D.


How frequently should foods

from this group be provided?

Provide a portion of meat, sh, meatalternative, eggs or pulses as part of lunchand tea each day.

Food from this group can be provided as partof snacks once or twice each week.

Provide a variety of foods from this group aspart of lunches and teas every day and acrossthe week.

It is good practice to provide a portion each ofred meat, poultry, sh and meat alternatives orpulses each week as part of lunch and tea.

Each week provide one lunch and one tea forall children, which uses a meat alternative orpulses as the protein source.

Provide vegetarian or vegan children with twoor three portions of meat alternatives, pulsesor nuts*each day.

It is good practice to provide vegetarian or veganchildren with a variety of meat alternatives, pulsesand nuts each week as part of lunch and tea.

Provide oily sh (such as salmon, sardines orpilchards) at least once every three weeks,but not more than twice each week, as it cancontain low levels of pollutants. Note: cannedsalmon counts as an oily sh but canned tunadoes not, as the omega 3 fatty acids in tunaare removed during the canning process.

Guidance on choosing sh from sustainable

sources can be found on page 55.


Choose canned pulses with no added saltor sugar.

Choose reduced salt and sugar baked beansand avoid baked beans containing articialsweeteners.

Meat and sh products, and products made frommeat alternatives can be high in salt and saturatedfat. Making homemade versions of these productscan ensure that the fat and salt content is lower,

but it is important that children get used to havingfood which looks and tastes different. Limiting bothbought and homemade versions of these productshelps give children the opportunity to try foodsof other textures and tastes. Use the guidelinesbelow and the information about food labellingon page 30to limit these products and chooseversions that are lower in saturated fat and salt.

Limit bought and homemade meat productsto no more than once a week. These includesausages, burgers, nuggets, sausage rolls,individual pies and canned meat. If you doprovide them, choose good quality productswith a high meat content.

Limit bought and homemade sh products tono more than once a week. These include shngers and other coated sh products.

Limit bought and homemade products madefrom meat alternatives to no more than oncea week. These include vegetarian sausages,burgers, nuggets and pies.


REMEMBER

Provide a variety of foods from this food group.

Check typical portion sizes in the table on

page 21. Limit provision of bought and homemade

meat, sh and meat alternative products.

* Be allergy aware information about food allergiesand developing an allergy plan is available fromwww.allergyuk.org

Food safety

Make sure shdishes are freeof bones.

Avoid shark,swordsh andmarlin as the levelsof mercury in these

sh can affect achilds developingnervous system.

Avoid raw shellshto reduce the riskof food poisoning,and make sure anyshellsh you use isthoroughly cooked.

Avoid raw eggs,or food containingpartially cookedeggs, for exampleuncooked cakemixture and runnyboiled eggs.

Do not give wholenuts to childrenunder ve yearsold, as they canchoke on them.

Nuts, especiallypeanuts, cancause severeallergic reactionsin some childrenand all settings

should have anallergy plan inplace. You can ndinformation at:www.allergyuk.org


Good practice

Food safety


21/8021



nunderoneyearold.

*Beallergyaware

informationaboutfoodallergiesanddevelopin

ganallergyplanisavailablefromwww.a

llergyuk.org


Typicalportionsizesasserved(cooked)

Portionsizesinpractice,imag

esnottoscale

Meat:includesbeef,lamb,pork,

muttonandve

nison.

Meatandpoultryservedbyitself:

1slice

or12tablespoonschoppedmeat

(3040g)

Meatandpoultryinsaucesandstews:

23ta

blespoons(90g120g)

Poultry:includeschicken,

turkey

andduck.

Whitesh:in

cludescod,

haddock,

plaice,coley,pollack,

halibut,hake

andcannedtu

na.

Fishs

ervedbyitself:

1slice

orlletor12tablespoons(3040

g)

Fishinsaucesandstews:

23ta

blespoons(90g120g)

Oilysh:includessalmon,mackerel,

trout,herring/kippers,sardines,pilchards,

whitebaitand

freshtuna.

Shellsh:includesprawns,mussels,

shrimpsandc

rab.

Prawn

sservedbythemselves:

12ta

blespoons(3040g)

Eggs:include

sboiled,scrambled

andpoached.

Eggsservedbythemselves:1egg(50g)

Meatalternatives:includessoyabean

productssuch

assoyaminceandtofu,

texturedvegetableproteinandQuorn.

Meatalternativesservedbythemselves:

12ta

blespoons(3050g)

Meatalternativesinsaucesandstews:

23ta

blespoons(90120g)

Pulses:includesbeans(suchaskidney

beans,

haricotbeans,

butterbeans,pinto

beans,

broad

beans),chickpeas,redand

greenlentils,splitpeas,processedpeas

andbakedbeans.

Pulsesservedbythemselves:

12ta

blespoons(3050g)

Pulsesinsaucesandstews:

23ta

blespoons(90120g)

Groundnuts* andnutbutters:includes

groundalmon

ds,

hazelnuts,

brazilnuts,

peanuts,pean

utbutterandcashewbutter.

Groun

dnuts/peanutsservedbythemselves

:

12ta

blespoons(3050g)

Beefbolognaise(110g)

Chicken(40g)

Whitesh(40g)

Salmon(40g)

Tuna(40g)

Boiledegg(50g)

Kid

neybeans(40g)

Bakedbeans(5

5g)


Meat,

fis

h,

eggs,

beansan

do

thernon-da

irysourceso

fpro

tein

Pork(40g)


22/8022

Milk and dairy foods

Avoid skimmed milk and skimmed milkproducts, as these are low in fat and do notprovide enough energy for childrenunder ve.

Use full-fat yoghurts, fromage frais, cheeseand cream cheese for children up to the ageof two. Children over the age of two who aregrowing well and eating a healthy balanceddiet can have low-fat varieties.

Goats and sheeps milk can be provided forchildren over the age of one year.

Unsweetened calcium fortied soya milk canbe used as a non-dairy alternative to cows

milk for children aged over one year, and canbe given as a main drink from two years.


Some dairy products can contain added sugar.Use the guidelines below and the food labellinginformation on page 30to choose products thatare lower in sugar.

Choose yoghurt and fromage frais with alower sugar content (products with more than15g sugar per 100g are high in sugar) or usenatural (plain) yoghurt and plain fromage fraisand add fruit to sweeten.

Avoid ice cream and sweetened frozenyoghurt between meals. Limit ice creamto once a week with fruit-based desserts atmeal times.

Choose dairy ice cream, as it contains morecalcium than non-dairy varieties.

Avoid canned milks, sweetened milk drinksand sweetened milkshakes, as these containadded sugar.

Be allergy aware: goats and sheeps milk are not suitablealternatives for children with an allergy or intolerance tocows milk.

Be allergy aware: soya milk is not a suitable alternative for allchildren with an allergy or intolerance to cows milk.


REMEMBER

Children should have three portions of milkand dairy foods each day.

If only one type of milk or dairy foods areavailable, or if you are catering for childrenunder two years old, use whole milk and fullfat dairy foods to make sure that youngerchildren or those who do not eat well do notmiss out on important nutrients.


Choose yoghurt and fromage frais that arelower in sugar. Further information aboutreading labels is on page 30.


Milk, cheese, yoghurt, fromage frais, custard,puddings made from milk and milk-based sauces.

Butter and cream are not included as part of this

food group as they are classied as foods high infat. There is further guidance on foods high in faton page 27.


Foods from this group are a good source ofenergy, protein, calcium and vitamin A.



Children should have three portions of milk anddairy foods each day, from meals, snacks anddrinks (including those they have at home).

Which milk and dairy productsshould be provided?

Full fat milk should be given to children agedfrom one to two years as their main drink,to make sure they get enough energy andnutrients.

Children over the age of two can havesemi-skimmed milk if they are growing well

and eating a healthy, balanced diet. Referto guidance on page 55about childrengrowing well.

Food safety

Avoidunpasteurisedmilk, milk drinksand cheese,

mould-ripenedcheeses (suchas brie orcamembert) andsoft blue-veinedcheeses (such asDanish blue orgorgonzola) asthese may causefood poisoning inyoung children.

Children agedunder ve yearsshould not begiven rice milkas it has beenfound to containsmall amounts ofarsenic.


Good practice

Food safety


23/8023


Typicalportionsizesasserved

Portionsizesinpractice,image

snottoscale

Milk:includes

pasteurisedcows,

goatsorshee

psmilk.

Milkdrinks:cup(100ml150ml)

Milkalternatives:includesplainsoya

milkdrinksen

richedwithcalcium*.

Cheese:inclu

deshardandsoftcheeses.

Usecheesethatislabelledasvegetarian

forchildrenwhoavoidanimalproducts.

Ha

rdcheese:

1

2tablespoonsgrated(1520g)

So

ftcheese:(20g25g)

Yoghurtand

fromagefrais:includes

natural(plain)

yoghurtandfromagefrais,

andyoghurtd

rinks.

Sm

allpot(60g)or

largeindividualpot(halfof125140g),

or

12tablespoons(5075g)

Un

sweetenedyoghurtdrinks(60g)

Custardand

milk-basedpuddings:

includescusta

rdmadewithmilk,

ricepuddinga

ndsemolinapudding.

Cu

stard:34tablespoons(5075g)

Ricepudding:34tablespoons(7090g

)

Se

molina:34tablespoons(85110g)



nunderoneyearold.

*Beallergyaware:soyamilkisnotasuitablealternativeforallchildrenwithanallergyorintolerancetocowsmilk.

Forinformationa

boutprovidingfoodanddrinkforchildrenwithfo

odallergiesandintolerances,pleaserefertopage48.

Gratedcheddar(15g)

Mo

zzarella(17g)

Who

lemilk(100ml)

Cheesespread(1

8g)

Yoghurt(60g)

Custard(60g)

Rice

pudding(75g)


Milka

ndda

iry

foods


24/8024

Avoid all sweet foods (including cakes, biscuits,sweet mufns, cookies, apjacks, pastries,chocolate and sweets) as snacks betweenmeals as these can damage childrens teeth.

Limit confectionery such as chocolate chips andhundreds and thousands and use only as part of

cakes or desserts. Avoid articial sweeteners when choosing or

preparing desserts, puddings and cakes.

Fruit contains sugar and can be used tosweeten desserts, puddings and cakes.Some sour fruits, such as stewed rhubarb orgooseberries, may need a small amount ofsugar added to make them less sour.

Desserts which include fruit should aim toinclude 40g of fresh fruit or 20g dried fruitper portion.

If providing ice cream, choose dairy icecream as it contains more calcium than

non-dairy ice cream, and limit to once aweek with fruit-based desserts at meal times.

Guidelines for desserts, puddings and cakes


Why and how to providedesserts, puddings and cakes

Desserts, puddings and cakes made withcereals (such as rice or oats), milk and fruit canbe included as part of a healthy, balanced diet

for young children. Desserts and cakes provide energy (calories)

and essential nutrients such as calcium and iron.


A dessert should be provided as part of lunchand tea each day.

Vary the desserts you offer with main mealseach week. Provide one dessert from eachof the following groups each week to ensurechildren are getting a variety of differentdessert types:

hot fruit-based desserts such as crumblesor baked apples

milk-based desserts such as semolina,rice pudding or custard

yoghurt or fromage frais

cakes and biscuits containing fruit,such as carrot cake or fruit apjack

cold desserts such as fruit salad.

REMEMBER

Provide a dessert as part of lunch andtea each day.

Provide a variety of different dessertseach week.

Avoid sweet foods such as cakes, biscuitsand confectionery between meals.


Good practice

Desserts, puddingsand cakes madewith cereals, milk orfruit can be includedas part of a healthy,balanced diet foryoung children.


25/8025

Examples of desserts, puddings and cakes

Portion sizes are typical example portion sizes for children aged one to five years, and are not suitable for children under one yearold.


Type of dessertTypical portion sizes(as served; cooked)

Typical portion sizes in practice, images not to scale

Hot fruit-baseddesserts

Apple and rhubarbcrumble (60g) withcustard (60g)

Crunchy summercrumble (60g) and

yoghurt (60g)

Milk-baseddesserts

Rice pudding (75g) withsultanas (25g)

Semolina (85g) withblackberry compote(40g)

Yoghurt orfromage frais

Yoghurt (60g) anddates (25g)

Fromage frais (60g) andraspberry pure (40g)

Cakes orbiscuitscontainingfruit

Blueberry mufn (50g)

Banana and raisinapjack (50g)

Cold desserts

Seasonal fruit salad(40g)

Winter fruit salad (40g)

with vanilla sauce (60g)


26/8026

Why and how to provide drinks

Children must have access to drinking waterthroughout the day and be encouraged to helpthemselves to water.

Children need six to eight drinks (each of

100150 ml) each day to make sure they getenough uid.

Children may need more drinks in hot weatheror after extra physical activity as they candehydrate quite quickly.

Offer children their drinks in open cups. Ifusing a lidded cup, it should be a free-owcup without a valve, to encourage childrento sip rather than suck, as this is better fortheir teeth.

Guidelines for drink provision

Water and milk are the only drinks that should be

provided between meals and with snacks as theydo not damage teeth or increase childrens risk ofdental decay. You will nd guidance on which milkto provide onpage 22.

Fruit juice (including fruit juice fromconcentrate) provides nutrients such as vitaminC, but it also contains large amounts of fruitsugar (fructose), and is acidic. Fruit sugar andacid can cause tooth decay in children. Fruitjuice should be provided only at meal times(not with snacks) and should be diluted (halfjuice and half water).

Avoid fruit juice drinks these are not the

same as fruit juice. Products labelled as fruitjuice drinks generally contain only a smallproportion of fruit juice with water and addedsugar, and provide little nutritional value. Checkthe ingredient list on product labels and avoidproducts containing added sugar.

Guidelines for drinks

REMEMBER

Ensure children have access to drinkingwater throughout the day.

Offer only water or milk as drinksbetween meals.

Offer fruit juice at meal times only,and dilute it (half juice and half water).

Avoid fruit juice drinks, squash, zzydrinks, avoured water and drinkscontaining added caffeine or otherstimulants.

Avoid all soft drinks such as squash,zzy drinks, energy drinks and avouredwater, even if they are labelled sugar-free,no-added-sugar or reduced sugar.These drinks can contribute to toothdecay and provide little nutritional value.

Avoid tea, coffee, cola and other drinks orfoods with added caffeine or other stimulants.These are not recommended for youngchildren, as caffeine is a stimulant whichcan disturb childrens sleep, behaviour andconcentration. Tea and coffee also containtannins which can interfere with a childsability to absorb iron.

Alcohol should never be given to childrenunder ve years old. It is illegal in the UK togive an alcoholic drink to a child under ve.30



Good practice

Children must haveaccess to drinkingwater throughoutthe day and beencouraged to helpthemselves to water.

Water and milk arethe only drinks thatshould be providedbetween meals andwith snacks as theydo not damage teethor increase childrensrisk of dental decay.


27/8027

Why do young childrenneed fat in their diets?

Fat provides:

a concentrated source of energy (calories).Some fat in the diet is important to ensure that

young children get all the energy they need togrow and be active

vitamins A, D and E, which are important forgrowth, a healthy immune system, and healthybones and teeth

essential fatty acids (including omega 3 fattyacids found in oily sh), which our bodies cannotmake, and are needed for the development ofour brains and other tissues.

How much fat doyoung children need?

Young children, especially children under twoyears old, need more energy from fat than olderchildren and adults.

However, if children regularly have foods highin fat (such as fried foods, biscuits, cakes,pastries or savoury snacks), they may beconsuming more calories than they need andmay gain excess weight. Offering the sortsof meals and snacks suggested in this guidewill ensure that children have the appropriateamount of fat in their diet.

Between the ages of two and ve, childrenshould gradually move towards the dietrecommended for older children and adults,

with less energy provided from fat.

Providing the right type andamount of fat to young children

The type of fat that young children eat isimportant. There are two types of fat:

saturated fat which comes mainly from animalsources (including cheese, meat and meatproducts like sausages, butter, cakes andbiscuits)

unsaturated fat which comes mainly from plantsand sh (including vegetable oils such assunower or olive oils, fat spreads and oily sh).

A diet high in saturated fat can, over time, cause

high cholesterol levels and increase the riskof coronary heart disease, diabetes and somecancers. This is why it is best to limit the amountof saturated fat that children eat, and providesome fat as unsaturated fats instead.

Limiting saturated fat

Limit bought and homemade meat productsto no more than once a week. If you do servemeat products, choose good quality versionswith a high meat content.

Limit starchy foods which have been fried (inthe kitchen or during manufacture), such as

chips and roast potatoes, to once a week atlunch and once a week at tea.

Limit the use of pastry to once a week, as itcan be high in fat and saturated fat.

Use as little oil in cooking as possible, andchoose a cooking oil high in unsaturated fats,such as vegetable, rapeseed, sunower orolive oil.

Grill or bake food instead of frying.

If food is deep-fried use an unsaturated oil andchange it regularly.

Choose lean cuts of meat, and remove visiblefat and skin from poultry.

For sandwiches and toast, use fat spreadsmade from vegetable oils which are high inunsaturated fats such as olive oil.

Guidelines for fat

REMEMBER

Young children need more energy from fatthan older children and adults.

Limit the amount of saturated fat childreneat, and provide some unsaturated fat.



Good practice


28/8028

Why is it important to limitthe amount of salt that youngchildren eat?

Salt is needed to maintain uid balance in thebody and for nerve and muscle function.

Having too much salt can give children a tastefor salty foods and could lead to high bloodpressure in later life, which may cause moreserious conditions such as stroke, heart diseaseand kidney problems.

The maximum amount of salt that childrenshould have each day is:

How to limit the amount of saltthat children eat

Most salt that young children eat is found inprocessed foods. Using the food and drinkguidelines to limit these foods, and checkingproduct labels to choose products lower in salt,will help to reduce the salt content of the foodyou provide.

Do not add salt when cooking for youngchildren. Instead, avour savoury dishes usinga variety of vegetables, herbs and spices.

Do not provide salt for children to add to

their food. Limit the use of ready made sauces (dried

or liquid), soups, stocks and gravy granules.Instead cook sauces from raw ingredients,and thicken sauces with cornour instead ofgravy granules.

Limit bought and homemade meat products tono more than once a week.

Limit the use of condiments such as ketchup.

Avoid salty snacks such as crisps.

Cook from raw ingredients. Meat, poultry, sh,eggs, pulses, fruits, vegetables and manystarchy foods are naturally low in salt.

When choosing bought foods, such as breadand bread products, crackers, and meatproducts, check the label and choose varietiesthat are lower in salt. Use the labellingguidance on page 30of this guide to help youdo this.

Flavour enhancers

Flavour enhancers are used to bring out theavour in foods, and can be high in sodium. Acommonly used avour enhance is monosodiumglutamate (E621; also known as MSG).

Monosodium glutamate is used in processedfoods such as soups, sauces and sausages. Tond out if a product contains MSG (E621) readthe ingredient list on the label.

Avoid providing food containing avourenhancers by checking the label. This willalso help to reduce the amount of salt.

Guidelines for salt

REMEMBER

Limit the amount of salt that youngchildren eat.

Do not add salt when cooking for young

children. Limit the use of processed foods, and cook

food from scratch wherever possible.

Check labels on packaging and chooseproducts lower in salt.

Recommendations for maximumsalt/sodium intakes for young children31

13 years 46 years

Salt (g) 2.0 3.0

Sodium (g) 0.8 1.2

Sodium (mg) 800 1200

Salt and sodium are not the same.To convert sodium to salt, multiply by 2.5.To convert salt to sodium, divide by 2.5.



Good practice


29/8029

Guidelines for sugar

Why is it important to limit theamount of sugar that youngchildren eat?Young children are particularly vulnerable to toothdecay, because the enamel on their teeth is not as

strong as on adult teeth. Decay in childrens rstteeth can affect the development of theiradult teeth.

Tooth decay is caused by having sugary food anddrinks too often. Bacteria in the mouth consumethe sugar and produce acids, which attack thesurfaces of the teeth. If this happens frequently,holes form in the teeth. Limiting the amount ofsugary food and drinks that children have, andhow often they have them, reduces their risk oftooth decay.

Food such as fruit and milk contain sugars, butthese sugars are not as damaging to childrens

teeth as the sugar in food such as sweets, cakes,chocolate, zzy drinks, fruit juice, fruit juice drinks,added sugar and honey.

Limiting the sugar that candamage teeth

Avoid sweet foods such as cakes, biscuits andconfectionery between meals.

Limit confectionery such as chocolate chipsand hundreds and thousands and use only aspart of cakes or desserts.

Offer only water or milk as drinks betweenmeals.

If you provide fruit juice offer this at meal timesonly and dilute (half juice and half water) toreduce the risk of tooth decay.

Choose fruit canned in juice, without addedsugar or syrup.

Provide dried fruit at meal times only, aschewing dried fruit releases sugar whichcan stick to childrens teeth and lead totooth decay.

Choose breakfast cereals with a low ormedium sugar content. Avoid cereals thatare high in sugar, such as sugar-coated orchocolate-avoured cereals.

To sweeten meals, use foods that are naturallysweet like fruit, carrots and sweetcorn.

Articial sweeteners

Food and drinks labelled as low sugar, reducedsugar, sugar free, no added sugar or low fatare often sweetened using articial sweeteners.

Examples of articial sweeteners include:

aspartame (E951)

saccharin (E954)

sorbitol (E420)

acesulfame K (E950)

sucralose (E955).

Avoid foods and drinks containing articialsweeteners. They may encourage childrento prefer very sweet foods.

Articial sweeteners are not permitted to be addedto foods designed for infants and young children.Food and drinks containing articial sweetenerscan include:

fruit juice drinks and squash

yoghurt and fromage frais

baked beans

sauces and dressings

avoured crisps and other savoury snacks.

To nd out if a product contains articialsweeteners, read the ingredient list on the label.

REMEMBER

Eating sugary food and drinks too oftencan lead to tooth decay.

Avoid sweet foods such as cakes, biscuitsand confectionery between meals.

Provide dried fruit and diluted fruit juiceat meal times only.

Avoid food and drinks containing articialsweeteners.



Good practice


30/8030

When planning meals and snacks it is a goodidea to look at the ingredients list and thenutritional information on product labels. Thiswill help you to choose products which are lowerin saturated fat, sugar and salt.

Nutrition labels are often displayed as a panelor grid on the packaging, but may sometimesappear simply as text.

The label usually includes information on energy(calories), protein, carbohydrate and fat. It mayalso provide additional information on saturatedfat, sugar, bre, sodium and salt.

Nutrition information is normally given per 100

grams (100g) of the product, and sometimes perportion (such as one slice).

Remember that the portion size given on theproduct label may not be appropriate for youngchildren. The portion size will affect how muchfat, saturated fat, sugar and salt a child willconsume.

How do I know if a food is high in fat,saturated fat, sugar or salt?

The Department of Health32has producedguidelines to help all of us compare the fat,saturated fat, sugar and salt content of food.Try to choose products which are low ormedium in saturated fat, sugar and low in salt(sodium), and limit those that are high.

How to read food labels

Guidelines for fat, saturated fat, salt and sugar per 100g

Nutrient What is Low per 100g? What is Medium per 100g? What is High per 100g?

Fat 3.0g or less 3.020g More than 20g

Saturated fat 1.5g or less 1.55g More than 5g

Sugar 5.0g or less 5.015g More than 15g

Salt 0.3g or less 0.31.5g More than 1.5g

Sodium 0.1g or less 0.10.6g More than 0.6g

Using food labels to identify baked beans lower in salt and sugar

Brand 2 baked beans contain less sugar and less sodium/salt than brand 1,and are therefore a better choice than brand 1.


The Old SchoolHouse Nursery hasfound that readinglabels is veryuseful as it acts asa reminder aboutwhat you need tobe looking for whenbuying products.


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Iron and zinc are needed for growth, healingwounds, and for a healthy immune system. Ironis also needed to make red blood cells, whichcarry oxygen around the body.

Children aged one to ve years require a lot ofiron because they are growing quickly, and alsoneed to build up their iron stores.

One in four young children in the UK may be atrisk of iron deciency, which can have lastingeffects on their health and development.12Irondeciency in children may be linked to slowerintellectual development and poor behaviour inthe longer term.13

All children who are vegetarian should be offereda wide range of meat alternatives, pulses andeggs to ensure they get all the iron and zincthey need. More information on vegetarian dietscan be found on page 49. Examples of goodvegetarian meal choices are included in theexample menus in section 6on pages 6970.

The recipes for these meal choices can bedownloaded from the Childrens Food Trustearly years web page.36

To ensure that young children get enough ironand zinc, it is important that foods containingthese nutrients are provided on your menu eachday. Use the table below to help you identifygood sources of iron and zinc to include as partof your breakfast, lunch, tea and snack menus.

Iron from vegetables and cereals is not aseasily absorbed into the body as iron from meat.However, providing foods containing vitaminC (such as green leafy vegetables and citrus

fruits) with foods containing iron (such as cerealfoods) may help to increase the amount ofiron absorbed.

Some drinks, such as tea and coffee, containtannins which can interfere with a childsability to absorb iron, so these drinks shouldnot be provided.

Iron and zinc

Good sources of iron and zinc in each food group

Food groups Iron Zinc

Starchy foods

Wholemeal bread

Wholewheat pasta

Brown rice

Fortied breakfast cereals

Wholegrain and wheat germ breads

Fortied breakfast cereals

Plain popcorn

Fruit andvegetables

Dark green leafy vegetablese.g. broccoli, spinach, cabbage

Dried apricots, raisins

Red kidney beans

Green and red lentils

Chickpeas

Meat, sh,eggs, beans andnon-dairy sourcesof protein

Red meat e.g. beef, lamb

Canned oily sh e.g. sardines,pilchards

Eggs

Soya beans, tofu

Pulses e.g. chick peas, lentils,baked beans

Lean meat, and dark poultry meatCanned oily sh e.g. salmon, sardines

Eggs

Tofu and Quorn

Peanuts/ground nuts*

Pulses e.g. beans and lentils

Sesame seeds

Milk and

dairy foods

Whole and semi-skimmed milk

Other dairy products e.g. yoghurt

Cheese

* Be allergy aware information about food allergies and developing an allergy plan is available from www.allergyuk.org



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Food and drinks contain additives for a numberof reasons: to stop food changing colour or goingrancid; as a thickener or a preservative; or toenhance the avour or colour of a product.

Legally, manufacturers must state on the label if aproduct contains additives. These are listed eitheras the name or the E number, as in the exampleslisted below. Products developed specically forinfants and young children are not permitted tocontain articial sweeteners or colours.33

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) advisesthat the colours and preservatives listed belowmay affect behaviour in some children, and thateliminating certain articial colours from theirdiets might have some benecial effects on theirbehaviour.34Where products contain any of thecolours listed below, they are required to carrythe warning may have an adverse effecton activity and attention in children. Somemanufacturers have already removed thesecolours from their products.

Food additives

Preservatives to avoid

Sodium benzoate (E211)

Colours to avoid

Tartrazine (E102)

Quinoline yellow (E104)

Sunset yellow (E110)

Carmoisine (E122)

Ponceau 4R (E124)

Allura red (E129)

The colours listed above are generallyfound in brightly coloured products.For example:

confectionery such as fruitavoured sweets

cakes

soft drinks such a squash andfruit juice drinks

ice cream

food colourings.

Example of product packaginglisting colours to avoid



Good practice


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Children should be able to get all the energyand nutrients they need from a balanced diet,containing foods that are readily available andeasy to prepare from scratch.

Avoid off-the-shelf ready meals and snackfoodsdesigned for young children, as theseare often high in fat, saturated fat, sugar andsalt. In addition, off-the-shelf ready mealsdesigned for older children and adults shouldalso not be given to children of this age.

Avoid take-away foodsas these are often

high in salt, saturated fat and sugar. Avoid functional foodssuch as cholesterol-

lowering or very high bre products as theseare designed for adults and should not beprovided to young children.

Ready-made mealsand take-aways

Fortication means adding extra nutrients tofoods. By law, some foods have to be fortied inthe UK. For example, white and brown our arefortied with calcium, iron and B vitamins (thiaminand niacin) to replace the nutrients that are lostwhen our is processed.35Margarine also has tobe fortied, with vitamins A and D.

In addition to those required by law,manufacturers can also choose to fortify otherfoods. Breakfast cereals are commonly fortiedwith nutrients such as iron and B vitamins. Thesecereals provide an important source of iron foryoung children, who have high requirements and

commonly do not have enough iron in their diets.12

Fortication is also important where children donot consume food or drinks which provide certainnutrients. For example, if children do not drink milkor eat dairy products, they may not have enoughcalcium in their diets. Fortifying soya products(such as soya milk), which some children maydrink as an alternative, can help to ensure thatthey receive an adequate source of calcium.

It is important to note, however, that someproducts fortied with added ingredients andnutrients are designed for adults, and may containamounts of particular nutrients which are too highfor young children. This is why functional foods

and fortied foods designed for adults should notbe provided for young children.

Making sure, whenever possible, young childrenget the nutrients they need from the foods thatcontain them naturally can also help children todevelop good eating habits. For example, the foodand drink guidelines recommend including oilysh in menus at least once every three weeks,as these contain omega-3 fatty acids. Offeringomega-3 fortied white sh instead will notencourage children to eat oily sh in the future.

Fortified foods

Be allergy aware: soya milk is not a suitable alternative for allchildren with an allergy or intolerance to cows milk.



Good practice


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0404At a glance: Food and drink guidelinesfor each meal and snack

Page 35 Balancing lunch and tea

Page 36 Breakfast at a glance

Page 38 Mid-morning and mid-afternoon snacks

at a glance

Page 40 Lunch at a glance

Page 42 Tea at a glance


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At a glance: food and drink guidelinesfor each meal and snack

This section lists the food and drink guidelinesincluded in section 3, for each meal and snack.The At a glance information can be used to checkthe food and drink guidelines are met for breakfast,lunch, tea and snacks provided in your setting.

It is important that the food and drink provided forchildren is balanced across each day.

The food and drink guidelines divide energyand nutritional requirements across meals andsnacks provided during full day care in thefollowing proportions:

breakfast 20%

mid-morning snack 10%

lunch 30%

mid-afternoon snack 10%

tea 20%.

This leaves 10% for an additional drink or drinkand snack at home in evening.

Balancing lunch and tea

Meals provided to children can vary betweendifferent early years settings, with some servingchildren a main meal at lunchtime and a lightmeal at teatime, and others providing a lightmeal at lunchtime and a main meal at teatime.The guidelines for main and light meals are thesame, and the difference is the amount of energyprovided; main meals provide about 30% of energyand light meals provide about 20% of energy.The amount of energy provided can be varied by

the type and overall amounts of food provided atthe meal.

The above proportions are based on theassumption that lunch is a main meal and tea isa light meal. Where settings provide tea as a mainmeal and lunch as a light meal, these proportionsshould be reversed.

For main meals(whether provided for lunch or tea) follow theguidelines for lunches on page 40.

For light meals(whether provided for lunch or tea) follow theguidelines for teas on page 42.

04 Eat Better, Start Better: food and drink guidelines for each meal and snack


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Breakfast at a glance

Menu planning adviceBreakfast is an important meal for young children. Settings shouldliaise with parents to make sure that children always eat breakfast,whether at home or when they arrive at the setting.

Food Group Food and drink guidelines

Starchy foods

Provide a portion of starchy food as part of breakfast each day.

Provide at least three different varieties of starchy food acrossbreakfasts each week.

Provide a variety of wholegrain and white starchy foods as partof breakfast each week.

It is good practice to provide wholegrain starchy foods for atleast one breakfast each week.

Choose breakfast cereals with low or medium sugar content.Avoid cereals high in sugar such as sugar-coated orchocolate-avoured cereals.

Choose bread and bread products with a low salt contentwhere possible.


Provide a portion of fruit or vegetables at breakfast each day.

If you offer fruit juice at breakfast, this should be unsweetenedand diluted (half juice and half water).

Meat, sh, eggs, beans andnon-dairy sources of protein

Food from this group provides a useful source of iron and zincand can be provided as part of breakfast.

Milk and dairy foodsChildren should have three portions of milk and dairy foodseach day (including those provided at home); one of these canbe provided as part of breakfast.

Drinks

Children must have access to fresh drinking water.

If you offer fruit juice at breakfast, this should be unsweetenedand diluted (half juice and half water).



37/8037

Rice crispies (25g) with whole milk (100ml) and

dried apricots (25g) and half a banana (40g) witha cup of water (100ml).

Examples of breakfasts meeting the food and drink guidelinesusing average portion sizes for children aged one to ve years

Cornakes (25g) with whole milk (100ml) andraisins (25g) with half a toasted crumpet (20g) andspread (4g) and a cup of water (100ml).

A slice of malt loaf (35g) and spread (4g) and aplain full-fat yoghurt (60g) with a cup of dilutedapple juice (100ml).

A hardboiled egg (50g) and wholemeal bread(25g) with spread (4g) with quarter of a pear (40g)and a cup of whole milk (100ml).

Wheat biscuits (25g) and whole milk (100ml) withhalf a toasted teacake (35g) and spread (4g) andmixed berries (40g) with a cup of water (100ml).

For more examples of breakfasts meeting the food and drink guidelines, see the example menus andrecipes on the Childrens Food Trust website.36

http://www.childrensfoodtrust.org.uk/http://www.childrensfoodtrust.org.uk/


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Mid-morning and mid-afternoon snacks at a glance

Menu planning advice

Plan menus for snacks to ensure that they are varied across the weekand that the food provision across the day is balanced.

Avoid sweet foods such as cakes, biscuits and confectionerybetween meals.


Starchy foods

Provide a starchy food as part of at least one snack each day.

Provide at least three different varieties of starchy food acrosssnacks each week.

Choose bread and bread products with a low salt contentwhere possible.


Provide fruit or vegetables as part of some snacks.

Provide a variety of fruit and vegetables across the day,and each week.

Dried fruit should not be provided as part of snacks.

Meat, sh, eggs, beans andnon-dairy sources of protein

Foods from this group provide a useful source of iron and zinc andcan be provided as part of snacks once or twice each week.

Milk and dairy foodsChildren should have three portions of milk and dairy foods eachday (including those provided at home); a portion of milk or dairyfood can be provided at snack time.

Drinks

Children must have access to fresh drinking water.

Water and milk are the only drinks that should be providedbetween meals and as part of snacks.



39/8039

Tomato (40g) and full fat mozzarella cheese (17g)with low salt breadsticks (7g) and a cup of wholemilk (100ml).

Banana (40g) and rice cakes (16g) with a cup of

water (100ml).

Examples of snacks meeting the food and drink guidelines using averageportion sizes for children aged one to ve years

Sugar snap peas (40g) and houmous (40g) with acup of water (100ml).

Peach (40g) and full fat fromage frais (60g) with2 rice cakes (16g) and a cup of water (100ml).

Melon (40g) and half a toasted mufn (30g) withspread (4g) and a cup of water (100ml).

For more examples of snacks meeting the food and drink guidelines, see the example menus and recipeson the Childrens Food Trust website.36

http://www.childrensfoodtrust.org.uk/http://www.childrensfoodtrust.org.uk/


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Lunch at a glance

Menu planning advice Each lunch should include a main course and a dessert.


Starchy foods

Provide a portion of starchy food as part of each lunch.

Provide at least three different starchy foods as part oflunches each week.

Provide a variety of wholegrain and white starchy foodseach week.

It is good practice to provide wholegrain starchy foods forat least one lunch each week.

Limit starchy foods which have been fried to once a weekat lunch.

Limit canned pasta in sauce.

Avoid avoured dried rice, pasta and noodle products.


Provide a portion of fruit and/or vegetables as part of lunchevery day.

Provide a variety of fruit and vegetables across the week atlunchtime.

Check product labels

early years guide_food toddler

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