Early Start News and Blogs

Our News and Blogs

Keeping you up to date with all the workings of Early Start
You can view all of our interesting news articles or blogs or just jump to the service that interests you most by using the filters below

All
  • All
  • Early Years Settings
  • General
  • Home News
  • News
  • Nursery
  • Nutrition Services
  • Parent Nutrition
  • Recipes
  • Staff
Menu Planning Options

Menu Planning Tips for Early Years Settings

In this blog we’ll be exploring menu planning tips for early years settings, such as nurseries and childminders. Did you know, the Eat Better Start Better (EBSB) guidelines are the voluntary food and drink guidelines for early years settings, here in the UK? Following EBSB will support your setting to meet the EYFS welfare requirement…

Find out more

Food Budgeting for Early Years Settings

Food inflation has reached its highest for 13 years and is having an impact on early years settings budgets, including food budgeting costs. The early years are an important time to give children the best start in life and to ensure they start school a healthy weight. Your nursery and childminding settings play an important role…

Find out more
Child and adult role playing as a builder

Importance of Role Playing

In this blog we will be exploring the importance of role playing and how it is an effective way for children to make sense of the world around them.  Role playing also supports children to: Develop their communication and language skills Act out and make sense of real-life situations Explore, investigate and experiment Develop their…

Find out more
Herb and spice posts, such as turmeric, cinnamon, black pepper and rosemary

How to Add Flavour Without Using Salt

How to Add Flavour Without Using Salt According to the NHS, high salt intakes in children can raise their blood pressure and increase their risk of heart disease and stroke in later life. Like adults, children can develop a preference for salty foods, and may refuse foods without added salt, and shape their eating habits…

Find out more
Example recipes: Breakfast- Porridge with chopped dates, sliced orange and natural yoghurt. Lunch/ Tea- Spiced lamb koftas with chickpeas, peppers sticks, pitta bread and yoghurt. Pudding- fruit scones with cream cheese and strawberries. Snacks- hard boiled egg fingers with mashed avocado.

Child-Friendly Recipes and Cooking Activities

In this blog we bring together all of our favourite child-friendly recipes and cooking activities and put them into free handy activity cards/ recipe videos. Each recipe outlines the ingredients that you’ll need and a detailed step-by-step guide on how to create it. Most of our recipes use simple ingredients and only require basic kitchen…

Find out more
Mother breastfeeding her baby

Breastfeeding Support

In this blog we will be focusing on breasting feeding support available for families. Good nutrition and healthy eating is important for everyone. It is especially important in the early years as children have very specific energy and nutrient requirements as it is a time of rapid growth and development. During the first six months,…

Find out more
Healthy start images

What can you do to increase the uptake of the Healthy Start scheme?

What is Healthy Start? NHS Healthy Start is the UK’s food welfare scheme for pregnant women and young children in low-income families. The scheme is there to help families who are most in need of this support. Families will get help to buy healthy food and drink including fresh, frozen and tinned fruit and vegetables,…

Find out more

Is A Vegan Diet Suitable For Children?

While it’s unclear exactly how many children and adults follow a vegan diet in the UK, the general consensus it that this plant based diet is on the rise. In fact, the The Vegan Society reports there are currently 600,000 vegans (1.16% of the population, 2019) in Great Britain. However, the Office for National Statistics…

Find out more
Merry Christmas and a happy new year! From Everyone at Early Start

Christmas Shut Down 2022

Susan Lawrence Nursery will close at 6pm on Thursday 22nd December 2022, re-opening from 8am on Tuesday 3rd January 2023. Our Shrewsbury Road Nursery will close at 6pm on the following day, Friday 23rd December 2022, re-opening from 8am on Tuesday 3rd January 2023.   Our Family Contact Centre will be closed from 6pm on…

Find out more
Christmas Advent Calendar Door Number 1

Nutrition Advent Calendar

Welcome to our Nutrition Advent Calendar. For the whole of December you can open the door to our favourite festive treats. Each morning you’ll find a new recipe hiding behind our interactive advent calendar! Once you click on the door you’ll be taken to our festive recipe cards which you can download to recreate the…

Find out more