Nursery World - Nursery Food: Quality

What advances have been made in nursery food since the launch of
the nutrition guidelines in 2013? Hannah Crown looks at new
research.

Nursery nutrition was a little-visited topic until 2008, when a report by the Soil Association provided the first detailed investigation into the state of food given to nursery-age children in England and Wales. The Georgie Porgy Pudding and Pie study found that 30 per cent of private, voluntary and independents (PVIs) regularly served biscuits, while 5 per cent regularly served ready meals and fizzy drinks.

Since then, the need for one set of universally accepted guidelines to raise quality and standardise good practice has been a clarion call for the sector. The Department for Education commissioned the Children's Food Trust to produce the Voluntary food and drink guidelines for early years settings in England, published in January 2013. They were based on the EYFS recommendation that any food given to children should be 'healthy, balanced and nutritious'.

Register now to continue reading

Thank you for visiting Nursery World and making use of our archive of more than 35,000 expert features, subject guides, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:

What's included