Working with the EYFS nutrition guidance
By Rachel Purdie | Thursday, 25 September 2025
In May 2025, the Department for Education (DfE) published its early years foundation stage (EYFS) nutrition guidance for group and school-based providers and childminders in England. From September 2025, settings must have regard for this guidance in accordance with the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the EYFS. This means that settings “must take this guidance into account and should follow it unless there is a good reason not to.” – DfE, 2025.
Setting the standards
The production of this guidance demonstrates a commitment by the DfE in supporting settings to give children the best start in life through sound nutrition guidance, research and practice ideas and states that “the Early Years are a crucial time to reduce health inequalities and set the foundations for a lifetime of good health.” – DfE, 2025. The guidance will not only support practice in setting but also provide reliable information sources which can be shared with families during discussions about children’s health and development. The information will also align with information that health practitioners may use when speaking to families about children’s health. Relevant sources of reliable information are available from the NHS, NHS Start for Life, The Food Standards Agency and the DfE Help for Early Years Providers website. So, let’s explore what the guidance covers and what this means for settings.
For those of you working with children under the age of one, key information is provided, including that about breast and bottle feeding as well as introducing solid foods. Point 3.66 of the EYFS statutory framework states that “providers must have ongoing discussions with parents and/or carers about the stage their child is at regarding introducing solid foods.” – DfE, 2025. Using the links within the nutrition guidance can support key persons in having conversations with families about children's readiness for starting solids, as well as how and when to progress children according to their individual development. 3.67 of the EYFS statutory framework, additionally states that “providers must prepare food in a way to prevent choking.” – DfE, 2025. Helpful guidance on how providers should prepare food for babies to avoid choking is available. A list of foods to avoid is also provided and can be useful to share with families when their child is ready to start exploring solid foods.
The guidance moves on to look at the nutritional needs of children aged between one and five years and includes details of a balanced diet linked to four food groups and the Eatwell Guide. Guidance on what foods and drinks should be provided, limited and avoided is highlighted in a useful table. The traffic light food labels system is used within this table. Supplementary information about the traffic light system is provided, which can also be useful to reflect upon when supporting families through discussions about healthy food choices. Portion sizes guidance as well as practices to use and avoid in setting have been given on page 17. For those providers within a maintained school where compliance with the School Food Standards is mandatory, information and guidance have been made available, as well as relevant links.
For those settings that provide meals for children, the menu planning section will be useful in ensuring you consider balance, variety, purchasing, food preparation and substitutions to meet children’s individual needs. This is followed by a recipes section with example meals and snacks. In addition, the DfE have guided providing healthy food, which is cost-effective, pages 29 - 30. This includes growing food with children in settings, which provides a wealth of learning experiences supporting many of the seven areas of learning, including PSED, communication and language and understanding the world. Planning food activities, page 30, is also featured within the guidance, and the help for providers website has further information about this, which is linked within the guidance.
Information about, and links related to food allergies, are embedded to help you find the right and relevant information. Points 3.64 and 3.65 of the EYFS statutory framework highlight what settings must do when working with children who have allergies and intolerances. Specific details about food allergies, intolerances, as well as preferences chosen by families due to religion or beliefs, can be explored within the guidance from page 31.
It is helpful for providers to know what Ofsted will be looking for during inspection within settings, related to the nutrition guidance. It is understood that if Ofsted focuses on this area, they will be looking to see that settings are doing what is right for the children in their care. They acknowledge that food brought in from home, which is briefly covered on page 27, may not always follow the EYFS nutrition guidance. However, they may enquire with providers what steps have been taken with families to help make healthy choices in relation to children’s food and where insufficient action has been taken by the setting, a relevant action may be set by Ofsted. When considering children with emerging needs or SEND, Ofsted will consider the context of the situation, the needs of individual children and choices made for individual children. To understand more about Ofsted’s approach to inspection, including how they look at the nutrition guidance, this vodcast Nurturing Nutrition: Building Healthy Foundations in the Early Years Vodcast - Foundation Years is useful. It also includes an overview from the DfE.
Following this article, it may be useful to consider what actions you need to take in setting. These could include:
- Reviewing the document and highlighting changes you may need to make within your provision.
- Making sure all staff are aware of the guidance and what they need to do to deliver the requirements of the EYFS.
- Reviewing the food you offer in settings, making sure you are following the guidance.
- Considering what advice, support and guidance you may need to offer families.
- Considering implementation of, or updating, a food and nutrition policy using the prompts within the guidance (pages 26 - 27).
- Ensuring staff have accessed relevant training to enable them to follow the guidance.
- Reflecting on how children celebrate special events and how these align with the nutrition guidance (page 28).
- Planning how you involve children in food activities within the setting.
- Reflecting on how you meet the unique nutritional needs of all the children attending your provision.
“The Early Years are a crucial time to reduce health inequalities and set the foundations for a lifetime of good health.” – DfE, 2025
Physical Development in the EYFS
Activities and training
| Activity | Training |
|---|---|
| Great Eastern Baking, activity 47, available on 50 Things to Do Before You’re Five can support you in settings, and families at home to explore foods in a fun way whilst learning about how to keep our bodies healthy through what we eat and drink. | You can learn more about the EYFS 2025 nutrition guidance at our training ‘Working with the EYFS nutrition guidance.’ This course will take place online via Microsoft Teams on Tuesday, 21 October 2025, from 6.30 pm to 7.30 pm and Thursday, 5 February 2026, from 10 am to 11 am. More information can be found at Curriculum, pedagogy, and practice. |
The ‘Our Best World’ resources include information about food waste and growing your own food. Why not try growing your own food in setting from seed or from food waste with children to help them learn about looking after the planet whilst trying new and different foods they have harvested. More information can be found at Curriculum, and resources.
