The Department for Education (DfE) has published new guidance on early years nutrition, which will come into effect this September.

The document will replace the current Example menus for early years settings in England guidance and will apply to group- and school-based early years providers, childminding professionals, and wraparound providers.

It is intended to help providers understand how to implement the existing EYFS requirement, which states that any meals, snacks, and drinks provided to children ‘must be healthy, balanced, and nutritious’.

The DfE has confirmed that providers will be required to ‘have regard to’ the new guidance from September 2025, meaning they must take it into account and should follow it unless there is good reason not to.

The guidance covers a range of topics, including:

• Nutrition from birth to one year, including breastfeeding, infant formula and weaning
• Portion sizes
• Menu planning
• Communication with parents and carers
• Food safety and hygiene, including for food brought in from home
• Cost-effective healthy food
• Allergies and intolerances
• Food for religious faiths and beliefs
• Children with additional support needs and other special diets

It also states that providers should ‘create a safe and inclusive environment for all children to eat’.

Nicola Calder, programme lead at Food Active, said while they welcomed the new guidance, it should be mandatory. She added: “This latest guidance is a promising and much-needed step in the right direction for early years providers towards promoting healthier food and drink within their settings and offering families more information and support on accessing healthier food.

“We are however disappointed that this guidance isn’t mandatory, as this would help to fully embed nutritional standards in early years settings and give all young children, no matter their background, the best start in life.”