You are what you eat!

At LEYF, we believe long-term eating habits are established from a very early age. If children are to develop the understanding and skills they need for healthy attitudes to food in later life, positive messages need to be delivered in a clear and consistent manner from the very start.  Working closely with parents, our 22 nurseries already play an important role here.

We are also developing the National Standards for Professional Cooking for Early Years Chefs to ensure better training and qualifications for every child in early years settings across the UK.   We have worked closely with the Schools Food Trust to compile the new, voluntary guidelines for food and drink provision in early years settings having been an active member of the Better Nursery Food, Now campaign, led by Organix and the Soil Association.

So, for a great and simple way to get you started, have a go at our ‘LEYF Rules for Healthy Food’:

1. Ensure your child eats and drinks a healthy, varied and balanced diet - rich in vitamins, minerals and starchy foods. Wherever possible, this should include locally bought, fresh seasonal food and organic milk.
2. Give your child fish at least twice a week, fresh fruit and vegetables every day with continual access to drinking water.
3. Provide a rich menu of foods from around the world to help broaden both your child’s sense of taste and exposure to different cultures.
4. Serve ‘afternoon tea’ packed with crucial carbohydrates cooked up together in fun home baking sessions.
5. Encourage your child to develop positive attitudes towards eating, through regularly planned activities and the range of learning opportunities that should occur naturally throughout their day.