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Free Healthy Nursery Meals

Healthy mealtimes

A healthy balanced plate

For young children, a healthy balanced diet should include:

  • Starchy food: 4 portions per day
  • Fruit and vegetables: 5 portions per day
  • Dairy and alternatives: 3 portions per day
  • Protein: 2-3 portions per day

Portion sizes

Young children have relatively high-energy requirements for their size and have only small stomachs. To make sure young children get the energy and nutrients they need throughout the day it is important that they eat little and often (three snack times throughout the day is recommended by First Steps Nutrition). Good communication with carers and parents is therefore important to help you work in partnership to make sure the needs of the children are met.
Be mindful that the appetites of children during the early years can be very variable so there is no ‘perfect’ portion size. First Steps Nutrition have produced a guide for portion sizes for young children.