The document discusses the nutritional needs of children at different ages and strategies to encourage healthy eating. It provides information on the main food groups and nutrients children need at different stages, including babies who need protein for growth. Guidelines recommend breastfeeding until 6 months and weaning in stages. Children's nutritional requirements vary by age from 1-7 years. Practitioners are encouraged to educate, involve and model healthy eating for children through activities like growing food and storybooks.

1. Unit 1.1 Support healthy
lifestyles for children through the
provision of food and nutrition

2. Time: 10 mins
Use your paper plates to design your own eat well plate
LO3. Understand the nutritional needs of children [AC 3.1]

3. LO3. Understand the nutritional needs of children [AC 3.1]
Fruit and vegetables
• Source of vitamins and minerals, especially vitamin C
• Should eat five portions a day.
Starchy foods
• Bread, cereals and potatoes
• Should make up about one third of everything we eat
• Main nutrients – carbohydrates, fibre, some calcium and iron, B group vitamins.
Meat, fish, eggs and beans
• Good sources of protein
• Vitamins and minerals such as iron, zinc and B minerals.
Milk and dairy foods
• Good sources of protein and also contain calcium.
Fat and sugar
• Contain vitamins and essential fatty acids.
Explain the nutritional value of the main food groups

4. LO3. Understand the nutritional needs of children [AC 3.1]
Time: 15 mins
• In small groups, collect pictures of examples of food from the five
main food groups.
• Refer to your eat well plate and explain the nutrients each food
provides.

5. LO3. Understand the nutritional needs of children 3.2
• Babies double their birth weight in the first six months of life. A
baby needs protein for this growth.
• Babies are born with nutrients that they have acquired while in the
womb; these help to provide some of the nutrients that they will
need. The rest is provided by milk. From 0–4 months the best form
of nutrient is breast milk/formula-feed/or a combination of both.
• Babies should not be weaned until they are six months old. The
Department of Health currently recommends that infants should be
breastfed (if possible) until they are six months old. After this age,
breast or formula milk alone will no longer be sufficient to meet the
baby’s nutritional needs.
Current Government guidance on nutritional needs of babies

6. LO3. Understand the nutritional needs of children 3.2
Time: 30 mins
• Research the nutritional needs of babies – what do they need
and why?
• What can you find out about current Government guidance
on the nutritional needs of babies?
• Make a note of the resources that you use.

7. LO3. Understand the nutritional needs of children 3.2, 3.4
Time: 15 mins
Share the research that you have collected
from the Independent research activity.
• What vitamin supplements do babies
need and why?
• How and why do the nutritional
requirements of children change?

8. • Babies need a lot of energy and nutrients as they grow very quickly
in their first year – they will triple their birth weight and their length
will increase by 50%.
• There are four stages to weaning :
Stage 1 6 months
Stage 2 6–9 months
Stage 3 9–12 months
Stage 4 12 months and older
LO3. Understand the nutritional needs of children [AC 3.3]
Explain how to plan a weaning programme
https://www.youtube
.com/watch?v=JCQeA
tLM7EE
http://www.babyled
weaning.com/

9. LO3. Understand the nutritional needs of children [AC 3.3]
• Babies get the vitamins that they need from breast milk or infant
formula milk. But by the time they are six months old their need for
vitamins increases.
• Their birth store of iron will be becoming depleted – so an outside
source will be necessary.
• Important points when planning a weaning programme:
• Be patient
• Only introduce one food at a time
• Never leave the baby alone when feeding.
• Liaise with the baby’s parents or carers when planning a weaning
programme.
Explain how to plan a weaning programme (continued)

10. LO3. Understand the nutritional needs of children [AC 3.3]
Time: 30 mins
With a partner you are going to plan a weaning programme. You will
need to research the nutrient requirements for:
• 0–6 months
• 7–12 months
• 9–12 months.
Find out about the suggested foods for each stage and how to prepare
them.
Don’t forget that you should liaise with the child’s parents or carers.
Use the textbook and the websites provided to help you.

11. The nutritional requirements for children aged:
1–2 years Fruit – 1 cup
Vegetables – ¾ cup
Starchy foods (cereals) – 3 oz equivalents
Meat/fish/eggs and beans – 2 oz equivalents
Milk and dairy foods – 2 cups
Fat and sugar – limit to ½–2 child size portions
2–3 years Fruit and veg – 4 servings a day
Starchy foods (cereals) – 4 servings a day, e.g. 1 slice of bread, ½ cup
of porridge
Meat/fish/eggs and beans – 1 serving from this food group per day
Milk and dairy foods – 2–3 servings a day
Fat and sugar – limit to ½–2 child size portions
LO3. Understand the nutritional needs of children [AC 3.4]
Discuss the nutritional requirements of children

12. The nutritional requirements for children aged:
3–5 years Fruit and veg – 3 servings of veg and 2 of fruit a day
Starchy foods (cereals) – 5 servings a day
Meat/fish/eggs and beans – at least 1 serving every day
Milk and dairy foods – 2–3 servings a day
Fat and sugar – limit to ½–2 child size portions
5–7 years Fruit and veg – 4–8 servings of veg and 2–4 of fruit a day
Starchy foods (cereals) – at least 6 servings a day
Meat/fish/eggs and beans – 1–2 servings every day
Milk and dairy foods – 4–6 servings a day
Fat and sugar – limit to 1–2 child size portions
LO3. Understand the nutritional needs of children [AC 3.4]
Discuss the nutritional requirements of children

13. LO3. Understand the nutritional needs of children [AC 3.4]
Time: 15 mins
• Think of three children of different ages that you have worked
with.
• Make notes on the different foods that they ate.
• Consider why they had different food requirements.
• Share your thoughts with a partner.

14. LO3. Understand the nutritional needs of children AC 3.5
To encourage healthy eating it is important to educate the children,
capture their imagination, involve them and provide a good role
model.
• Educate the children about what they are eating
• Involve children in making snacks – fruit salad, fruit smoothies
• A visit to the local shops to look at (and buy) fruit and veg for
activities back at the setting
• Invite visitors to come in for a meal, or afternoon tea, that the
children have made
• Grow your own food – you can start off with cress, children love to
watch things that they have planted grow
• Invite parents in to make food with the children – good opportunity
to find out about different foods.
Strategies to encourage healthy eating

15. LO3. Understand the nutritional needs of children 3.5
Time: 15 mins
In small groups discuss how you, as practitioners, can encourage
healthy eating.
• What strategies can you use?
• Share your ideas.

16. LO3. Understand the nutritional needs of children 3.5
Time: 15 mins
• Find the book Handa’s Surprise, or another similar book about
healthy foods.
• How could you use the book with children? What follow-on
activities could you plan? Be as creative and imaginative as
you can.
• List the activities and strategies that you would plan to
encourage healthy eating using the resource you have chosen.
• Consider the role of the practitioner in encouraging healthy
eating – refer back to the ideas that you shared in the
Classroom discussion activity.

17. Learning outcomes
LO3. Understand the nutritional needs of children
• Explain the nutritional value of the main food groups
• Use current government guidance to identify the nutritional
needs of babies until they are fully weaned
• Explain how to plan a weaning programme
• Discuss the nutritional requirements of children aged 1–2
years, 2–3 years, 3–5 years, 5–7 years
• Explain strategies to encourage healthy eating

18. Summary: plenary activities
1. Plan a daily menu for a baby.
2. Plan a weekly menu for a pre-school child.
3. Plan a weekly menu for a school age child (5–7 years).