Healthy eating in early years settings
As an early years setting, you can help raise awareness of healthy eating and positive eating habits within existing practice and promote, educate and encourage families to provide healthy, nutritious food within the home.
Children's eating habits are formed early in life, and therefore their early years are a crucial time to support them to develop these. Eating more fresh fruit and vegetables can also help us address the climate and nature emergency. Eating meat less often and choosing meat that is produced in the UK to higher welfare standards (eg red tractor) can reduce carbon emissions and support a healthy diet. Choosing seasonal fruit and vegetables is great for people and the planet.
You can support by:
- promoting healthy eating messages in the setting and with staff and families
- providing children in the setting with healthy, balanced and nutritious food, snacks and meals
- training your staff to ensure they can provide healthy eating messages to children and their families
- promoting and displaying the Healthy Start voucher scheme in the setting and with families - see Healthy Start Scheme (get help to buy food and milk)
- engaging and working with external partners and agencies
Training and resources
You can access the training and resources below to support you in promoting healthy eating and improving eating habits, and to support you in achieving the pledge.
Training
Anaphylaxis
The information and training section has AllergyWise training and there is an accredited module for pre school carers and early years. Training is free (a certificate on completion is available for £5).
Visit Aanaphylaxis UK for more information.
Level 2 Understanding Nutrition Healthy Eating and Weight Management (free)
This is a two day course aimed at practitioners wanting to develop their knowledge further around nutrition and weight management.
For more information on how to access a place, see Wellbeing for Life: training opportunities.
Resources
Healthy eating
- NHS: The Eat Well Guide
- Foundation Years: Eat Better, Start Better
- NHS: About Better Health
- NHS: Change4Life food facts
- NHS: Change4Life recipes
- Gov.uk: Example menus for early years settings in England
- First Steps Nutrition Trust
- Better Health Food Scanner
Feeding support
- Child Feeding Guide: tips and tools
- Infant and Toddler forum
- Gov.uk: food safety
- Better Health Start for Life Weaning
Food poverty
- Food Foundation: New data show 4 million children in households affected by food insecurity
- The Trussell Trust: Stop UK hunger
- Gov.uk: Check benefits and financial support you can get
- Durham Locate
- Gov.uk: Childcare you can get help paying for
- World Cancer Research Fund: budget-friendly recipes
Food and health concerns
Local information
- Email eywfd@durham.gov.uk
- Telephone 03000 268 917