The Caroline Walker Trust (CWT) was the first organisation to publish nutritional and portion size guidance for early years. Their CHEW! portion size resource offers a comprehensive guide (including photo cards with recipes) for the first year of life and for one- to four-year-olds.
The School Food Trust (SFT) has also now published Eat Better Start Better - Voluntary Food and Drink Guidelines for Early Years Settings in England: A practical guide. These comprehensive guidelines for children aged one to four include a menu planning checklist and visual portion sizes that nurseries are reporting to be particularly helpful.
While portion size guidance needs to be followed, settings can retain some flexibility as they are based on recommended intakes for the population as a whole. Children's individual dietary requirements differ depending on activity levels, growth and development needs and these can vary daily and weekly.
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