Have you ever seen posters encouraging you to eat more healthily? Or heard that children in the UK are increasingly overweight? In this section, we look at what is meant by healthy eating and the advice and legal requirements that early years settings have to follow

Do you remember adults telling you to eat up your greens? You might have wondered what all the fuss was about. In this section, we look at the importance of a balanced diet for children of all ages, including weaning babies and why it is important to make sure that children are given fruit and vegetables.

Have you ever heard of rickets? Rickets is a bone disease that used to be quite rare but has come back because of a lack of vitamin D in the diet. It is a good example of what happens if the body does not get sufficient nutrients. In this section, we look at the impact of a poor diet on children’s health and overall development.

Have you noticed in your setting that some children are not allowed certain foods? There is a range of reasons why this might be the case. In this section, we look at the different reasons why children may need special diets or have certain requirements. We will also look at the importance of keeping records of children’s dietary needs.

Do you tend to snack or do you eat properly at meal times? Ideally, you should aim to eat healthily when you are with children. In this section, we look at how you can support healthy eating in the setting where you work.