As an early years setting you lay the foundation to support the health and well being of children and their families. Our Nutrition Award recognises settings who demonstrate best practice through their nutrition provision. It compliments and enhances the statutory Early Years Foundation Stage framework and the Eat Better Start Better voluntary food and drink guidelines for early years settings.
Why Choose Our Nutrition Award?
Our tiered award - Bronze, Silver and Gold – is used to improve and support nutrition practice in all Early Years settings including nurseries, children’s centres and childminders. Our award meets criteria 3- Healthy Eating, and criteria 5- Breastfeeding and Starting Solid Foods, of the Healthy Early Years London (HEYL) Bronze Award:
Benefits Of Our Nutrition Award
Personal online account to access criteria documents and a range of supporting material
Validation visit to review your mealtime environment to support your Ofsted Inspection
One to one support from an expert Registered Nutritionist
How Can I Get An Award?
Our team of expert Registered Nutritionist will support your setting to:
- Meet the 5 key criteria areas and provide supporting evidence
- Ensure you menus meet the Voluntary Food and Drink Guidelines for Early Years Settings In England
- Improve your practice through booking a validation visit
- Maintain standards of excellence and continue to demonstrate best practice in your setting
The 5 key criteria areas:
Criteria 1
Nutrition Training and Health Promotion
Criteria 2
Food Policy and Adapting a Baby Friendly Approach
Criteria 3
Promoting Physical Activity
Criteria 4
Encouraging Learning About Food
Criteria 5
Managing Food Allergies and Dietary Requirements
Healthy Early Years London (HEYL) Award
Our team also offers support to London Boroughs and early years settings who are working to achieve the Healthy Early Years London (HEYL) award.
We provide recommendations and support to help you achieve Criteria 3, Criteria 5 and the Code of Practice checklist for the Bronze and Silver Awards.
We have developed a local Award for Newham Council which is aligned to the nutrition elements of the HEYL award.
Our team of expert Nutritionists also provide Menu Planning and Food Policy training to support settings in completing the Code of Practice checklist and meet the Eat Better Start Better voluntary food and drink guidelines.
How Has the Award Supported Early Years Settings?
“The Health Award has helped us to gain a better understanding of healthy eating as the London borough of Newham has high rates of obesity. We hope to encourage more parents to become aware of these rates and work with the nursery to eat healthily and have the right amount of physical activity in a whole family approach.”
Moksliukas Nursery provides a supportive baby friendly environment and have reviewed their Baby Friendly procedures around safely preparing formula milk which is displayed in the Baby Room. They now have leaflets in the Baby Room about drinks and best choices for cups for babies. They are also supporting families to breastfeeding in their nursery.
Rebecca Cheetham Children’s Centre update their display boards regularly to change the topic and inform families of any updates.
Using information from nutrition training they have created display boards and have noticed parents have shown an interest and now regularly check for updates e.g. parents are making comments about not knowing the amount of sugars that is contained in some foods and drink, the foods they can try to introduce to their child when weaning rather than using rusk biscuits but healthier options e.g. boiled / blended broccoli.
Alphabet House Nursery won our National Smile Month Competition which aimed to educate children on the importance of visiting the dentist, looking after their teeth and making healthy food choices. Alphabet House did some fantastic role play activities where children practised teeth brushing and gave the nursery teddies a dental check-up.
Bronze Award
Little Butterflies provide their experience with the Bronze Award
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