Updated guidance on portion sizes for pre-school children released

The British Nutrition Foundation (BNF) has published its updated 5532 guide, a resource about portion size and healthy eating for children aged between one and four.

The updated resource, developed by the BNF’s team of nutrition scientists and an advisory group of experts in early years nutrition, includes new information on free sugars and advice on vegetarian and vegan diets.

Its name comes from the number of portions of each food group children are advised to eat, which are:

The 5532 guide also contains examples of foods within each group, portion size ranges to suit varying appetites, advice on breastfeeding and updated information on free sugars.

The resource addresses confusion on the nutritional value of fruit juice, stating that it ‘provides some nutrients but is also high in sugar and is acidic so, if consumed, should be diluted and kept to mealtimes.’

Sara Stanner, science director at the BNF, said, ‘The latest updates to our 5532 guide help to address some of the biggest causes of confusion around nutrition for little ones. We know that many parents are very concerned about sugar, and our guide highlights that sugary drinks and sugary treats like biscuits, chocolate and sweets shouldn’t be a regular part of children’s diets.