Grub4Life Food and Nutrition Reference Manual

Food & Nutrition
Reference Manual
and Resource
Prepared by Grub4Life Ltd. ©
Grub4Life Ltd. 2016 – All Rights
Reserved

1. Contents
1. Contents 2
2. Methodology: Nutritional Guidelines for recipe analysis 7
Table 1: Nutrient-based standards for food prepared for 1-4 year olds in child care: Summary of
Recommendations 8
Table 2: Results of menu analysis for 3-4 year olds and comparison to nutrient based standards 10
Table 3: Nutrient –based standards for food prepared for 1-2 year olds in childcare. 10
Table 4: Nutrient based standards for food prepared for 3-4 year olds in child care 12
Table 5: Dietary Reference Values for Energy and Nutrients for under 5s. 13
Table 6: Example of how foods containing sugar contribute to free sugars 15
3. Key Nutrients 17
Table 7: Haem and non-haem sources of iron (portions sizes appropriate for children) 20
Table 8: Sources of calcium (portions appropriate for pre-school children) 21
4. Training Notes – Key Nutrients 26
5. Menu planning 32
Table 9: Breads, other cereals and potatoes 33
Table 10: Potatoes, sweet potatoes, yam, rice, pasta, noodles, couscous 34
Table 11: Fresh, frozen, canned, dried varieties – fruit, vegetables & fruit juices 34
Table 12: Fruit 35
Table 13 All milk & dairy foods, yoghurts and milk based desserts 37
Table 14 Cheese Pork, Lamb and Poultry; Processed meat products and pies & Composite dishes 38
Table 15: Fish, Nuts and Seeds, & Vegetarian sources of protein 39
Table 16 Foods high in fat and foods high in NMES 39
Table 17 Table salt, stocks bottled sauces, relishes & pickles 40
Menu Checklist 42
Table 18: Portion size guide - Breakfast options, Bread and starches, Composite Meals and Dairy foods 43
Table 19: Portion size guide - Protein foods, Puddings & Fat sources 44
6. Training Notes - Menu planning 47
7. Specific foods of importance 59
Table 20. Yoghurts and Fromage frais for children 62
8. Special diets 65
9. Training Notes Specific foods of importance 67
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10. Food allergy versus food intolerance 71
How common are food allergies? 71
Allergy advice panel (can also appear as: “contains” or “free from”) 72
Milk allergy 73
Ingredients lists 73
Milk and milk products to avoid 74
Hidden sources of milk in everyday foods 75
Substitutes 76
Recipe adaptations 76
Egg Allergy 77
Ingredients lists 77
Egg and egg products to avoid 77
Hidden sources of egg in everyday foods 78
Monthly allergen check list 79
Egg replacers for baking 80
Substitutes for glazing 80
Recipes adaptations or menu substitutes 80
Examples of adaptations or substitutes you could make 80
Wheat allergy 81
Ingredients lists 81
Wheat and wheat products to avoid 82
Hidden sources of wheat in everyday foods 82
Adaptations and substitutes for everyday wheat-based cereal foods 83
Brands with wheat-free cereal/grain products: 83
Recipes adaptations 84
Spaghetti Bolognese 84
Chicken and mushroom pie 84
Macaroni Cheese 84
White sauce 85
Sponge pudding /cakes 85
Apple pie and custard 85
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Brands specialising in foods free from allergens 87
11. Training Notes -Food allergy versus food intolerance 88
12. Nutritional guidelines for infants 97
Table 21. Infant developmental stages 106
13. Training Notes - Nutritional guidelines for infants 109
14. The Eating Environment - Encouraging children to enjoy mealtimes 115
15. Communicating your commitment to excellence in Food & Nutrition 117
16. Food related customs 120
17. Celebrations and parties 121
Christmas - Gingerbread snowflake cookies 122
Christmas Dinner - Roast Turkey & trimmings with roast potatoes, vegetables & gravy 123
Christmas - Santa Cookies 124
Diwali and Eid - Paneer and vegetable skewers 125
Diwali and Eid - Spiced Cauliflower 126
Easter: Hot Cross Buns 127
Hanukah - Potato Latkes 128
St Andrews Day Cock-a-leekie soup 129
St David’s Day - Welsh onion cake 130
St David’s Day: Welsh Cakes 131
St George’s Day: Lancashire Hotpot 132
St Patrick’s Day- Irish Stew with soda bread 133
St Patrick’s Day- Irish Soda Bread 134
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Good nutrition and health awareness should start from the
earliest age. They are the foundations for lifelong learning
and wellbeing. Grub4Life is proud to set the highest
standards for our clients and the children in their care.
We know it is essential that the highest quality food is
served to young children and we train our clients with the
most up to date nutritional guidance for children under 5.
At Grub4Life, we strive for excellence in everything we do
in food and nutrition.
We thank you for helping us to achieve our aims in giving
children the very best foundation for a healthy lifestyle for
their futures.
Nigel Denby RD
Chief Dietitian and Co-Founder,
Grub4Life
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Methodology:
Nutritional
Guidelines for
recipe analysis
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2. Methodology: Nutritional Guidelines for recipe analysis
Recommendations in the form of ‘nutrient-based standards’ are made for the amount of
energy, nutrients and some foods that should be provided for children aged under 5 who
receive meals and snacks in child care. The Caroline Walker Trust (CWT) has devised these
guidelines. “Food based standards” have also been developed to guide the daily or
weekly frequency that food groups e.g. Fruits and vegetables and specific foods e.g. Oily
fish should appear on childcare menus in order to meet the nutritional needs of children
under 5.
Most recently in 2012, The School Food Trust published Eat Better, Start Better- Voluntary
food and drink guidelines for early years setting in England.
In the absence of any mandatory nutritional standards for food served to children under 5
in childcare, Grub4Life have designed these guidelines for your home childcare setting to
incorporate both recommendation from all these guidelines. We have also included
additional guidance on all aspects of food provision for children. Our aim has been to
produce a resource to which you can refer for guidance on any aspect of food and apply
to individual settings.
Children have different needs depending on their age and gender and it is important to
remember that requirements of every child will be different.
These recommendations therefore represent average intakes. The recommendations are
based on percentages of the total daily intake of nutrients required by the ‘average’ child.
Children spend different periods of time in childcare and the Nutrient Based
recommendations reflect this:
3-5 year olds in full-day of half-day care
3-5 year olds that have individual meals and snacks in childcare

Table 1: Nutrient-based standards for food prepared for 1-4 year olds in child care: Summary of Recommendations
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Although all meals must contain optimal nutrition according to the nutrient-based
standards, analysis should be interpreted over the average of 5 days and not necessarily
only by single days.
Children in full day care:
Full-day care includes a morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack and tea. Tea should be a
two course meal for those children in childcare after 5pm. Full-day care does not have to
include breakfast.
Children receive the majority of their food whilst in childcare and therefore meals should:
Provide at least 70% of their daily requirements for energy
Contribute no more than 70% of added sugar and salt requirements
Provide 80% of their requirements for iron and zinc
The remaining 30% of daily requirements should come from breakfast, snacks, drinks and
light meals at home.
Children in half-day care:
Half-day care involves either a morning or afternoon session and includes one meal and
one snack.
For lunch and a snack, the children should receive 40% of their daily needs for most
nutrients
No more than 40% of added sugar and salt requirements
At least 45% of their requirements for iron and zinc
For tea and a snack, the children should receive 30% of their requirements for most nutrients
Not less than 35% for iron and zinc
Snack only
Children in care for a morning or afternoon session which does not include a meal should
receive a snack during this session if the period of care exceeds 2 hours. Snacks should
comprise of 10% of the total energy requirements.
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Table 2: Results of menu analysis for 3-4 year olds and comparison to nutrient based
standards
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Table 3: Nutrient –based standards for food prepared for 1-2 year olds in childcare.
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Table 4: Nutrient based standards for food prepared for 3-4 year olds in child care
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Table 5: Dietary Reference Values for Energy and Nutrients for under 5s.
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A special note about sugar
Not all sugar is equal in nutritional terms. Some types of sugar have a greater health
affect than others: in particular, increasing the risk of tooth decay in children. The
natural sugars that are present in plain milk and plain yogurt or locked up in whole fruits
and vegetables are not as dangerous for teeth as: “FREE” Sugars
Free sugars include:
Table sugar, honey, syrups, jam (and foods that contain them)
Dried fruit, stewed/pureed fruit in syrup or juice, fruit juice and smoothies
These ‘dangerous’ sugars are called Free sugars and the nutrient based standards give
specific guidance on levels in meals for children. However, Free sugars cannot be
measured by conventional analytical techniques as they are chemically and
physiologically indistinguishable from other sugars. This distinction is also not possible
when using analysis from databases based on UK food tables e.g. McCance and
Widdowson.
Buss et al. (1994) points out the criteria used by the National Diet and Nutrition Surveys
to estimate NMES (the previous term used to describe Free sugars:
Foods for which 100% of the total sugar content is NMES: = All sugar in fruit juice, table
sugar, honey, sucrose, glucose, glucose syrup, sugar added to jam, stewed fruit in syrup
or juice
Food for which ~50% of the total sugar is NMES = canned, stewed or dried fruits
Foods which are not considered to contain NMES = Fresh, whole fruit; milk, vegetables,
plain yogurt and Fromage frais
Based on the criteria described by Buss et al. (1994) we have estimated the likely
average daily intake of free sugars by taking a sample week and dividing the result by
5.
All the likely contributors to free sugars were identified. This included fruit yogurt,
puddings, savoury dishes known to have added sugar or honey, and sweet snacks.
The total sugar content for each dish / food was identified. The proportion of the sugar
that was likely to be free was estimated based on the guidelines above.
A figure for total free for one week was calculated. This was divided by 5 to give an
average daily figure.
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The average daily intake of free from a typical Grub4life menu is 12.9g. This is well below
the Nutrient based guidelines of 26.6g for children in full-day care. See Table 6 overleaf
for details of the calculation above.
The total sugar content of the food or dish was obtained from standard nutritional
tables (McCance and Widdowson 6th edn.) and the free sugar content was estimated
based on the guidelines by Buss et al. (1994)
Table 6: Example of how foods containing sugar contribute to free sugars
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Key Nutrients
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3. Key Nutrients
Children under 5 grow and develop continuously and rapidly. They need a constant
supply of energy as well as other nutrients to ensure they can support periods of rapid
growth in muscles and bone tissues and in the development of the brain. Children also
need plenty of energy to be active. Most of their energy is derived from fat and
carbohydrate. Unfortunately, the main dietary related problems in the UK in the under-
5s are obesity, dental caries, and iron deficiency anaemia. So, meeting children’s
nutritional needs for growth and development whilst not over supplying foods which
contribute to obesity is a careful balancing act. It is therefore important to expose the
under-5 in childcare to the best nutrition whilst guiding them towards healthy eating in a
fun way. It is well recognised that during the early years lifelong eating habits are
established.
For the purpose of this guidance the three main macronutrients (nutrients which we
need a lot of): protein, carbohydrates and fat, will not be discussed in detail. All menus
and recipes contain information about the carbohydrate, fat and protein content and
have been measured against the nutrient based standards as shown in Table 2. Further
information is in the guidance section on Menu Planning advice on frequency, portion
sizes and most appropriate choices of carbohydrate, fat and protein foods.
Micro nutrients
The body requires micronutrients in very small quantities. The micronutrients are vitamins
and minerals. However, micronutrients are essential for health.
Key nutrients and their main functions
Specific vitamins and minerals will be discussed here which have been proven by
recent National Surveys for the under-5’s to have intakes below the Reference Nutrient
Intakes – They are iron, zinc, vitamin D, vitamin C and vitamin A.
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This does not mean that the other vitamins and minerals are less important, but they are
currently not associated with deficiencies in the UK.
Iron
Iron is essential for the function of several body systems and particularly as part of the
pigment in red blood cells called haemoglobin, which carries oxygen. A deficiency in
iron can cause anaemia. Children with iron deficiency will be pale and tired and their
general health, resistance to infection, appetite and vitality will be impaired.
Sometimes there are not visible symptoms and iron deficiency may be undetected. A
recent survey shows that up to 1 in every 8 preschool children may have iron deficiency
and 84% of children in Britain have intakes below the recommended requirements. The
incidence of iron deficiency is known to be greater among children from ethnic
minority groups and in some areas the number of children with iron deficiency will be as
high as 1 in 5.
For this reason, iron is a very important mineral and stresses the point that intakes of iron
in the diet of children in childcare should be enhanced to provide not less than 80% of
the Reference Nutrient Intake. It is important that children receive the bulk of their iron
from their meals. Drinks and snacks are generally low in iron.
Reference Nutrient Intakes for iron
Children aged 1-3 years
Children aged 4-6 years
6.9 mg per day
6.1 mg per day
How much iron do children need?
Compared to their bodyweight, children have high iron requirements because of rapid
growth and development.
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Which children may be at risk?
Over dependence on milk puts toddlers at risk of iron deficiency, especially where
children do not have good intakes of foods that are rich in iron. Milk is filling, so always
offer milk drinks after meals, rather than during meals.
Faddy and fussy eaters who have a selective diet and a poor intake may be at risk
Vegetarians and vegans. Children who do not eat meat or fish require a diet rich in a
variety of iron containing foods such as cereal foods, pulses, vegetables and fruit. See
more vegetarian meal ideas later in the manual.
Infants under a year who are taking cow’s milk as a main drink. Although very
nutritious, cow’s milk is a poor source of iron. All infant formulas are fortified with iron.
Breast milk and infant formulas are the only suitable drinks for infants below a year.
Infants have sufficient iron stores up to 6 months. From 6 months’ infants require
additional iron, which breast milk or infant formula alone cannot provide, it is therefore
important that all healthy infants are introduced to solid foods and are established on a
varied diet, including iron rich foods.
Late weaning. Babies are born with a store of iron provided by their mother. This store is
usually depleted by the time a baby reaches six months. Iron then needs to be
obtained from the diet and babies who are not weaned by the age of six months are
at greater risk of becoming deficient in iron.
Sources of iron
There are two forms of iron in foods:
Haem iron, which is found in foods of animal origin such as meat and meat products
and oily fish
Non-haem iron, which is found in foods of plant origin such as cereals and vegetables.
Haem iron is found in foods of animal origin such as beef, lamb, eggs, chicken and
turkey liver (liver is a rich source of vitamin A, which can be harmful in large amounts. It
is recommended that live is given to children no more than once a week), and in some
fish such as sardines and tuna. Haem iron is absorbed into the body more easily than
non-haem iron.
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Non-haem iron is found in foods of plant origin including cereal foods like bread, pulses
such as peas, beans and lentils, dried fruits and green vegetables. It is also found in
fortified breakfast cereals and can be identified on labels of cereal packets. The
absorption of non-haem iron may be enhanced if foods or drinks rich in vitamin C are
consumed at the same time e.g. vegetables and fruit.
Table 7: Haem and non-haem sources of iron (portions sizes appropriate for children)
Haem-sources of iron
Iron (mg)
125g can sardines in tomato sauce 5.8
40g liver pate 2.8
50g of raw extra-lean minced meat 0.7
1 boiled egg 1.1
1 slice of least roast beef 1.1
1 grilled sausage 0.5
1 slice of roast lamb 0.7
½ salmon steak (50g) 0.4
50g roast turkey drumsticks 0.7
50g roast chicken, dark meat 0.5
50g roast chicken, white meat 0.2
Non-haem and fortified sources of iron
Iron (mg)
75g baked beans in tomato sauce 0.95
20g Cornflakes 1.6
20g Rice Krispies 1.6
20g uncooked Ready Brek 2.38
1 slice wholemeal bread 0.8
1 slice white bread 0.6
2 spears broccoli 0.9
75g tinned chickpeas 0.7
50g kidney beans 0.45
50g cabbage 0.3
50g steamed spinach 0.7
150ml glass Cow’s milk 0.045
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There are various other good sources of iron, such as nuts and seeds (not served in
childcare settings). Various iron-fortified cereals are available with high iron contents
such as All Bran and Bran Flakes, but these are unsuitable for the under-5s due to their
high fibre, sugar and salt content.
Calcium
Calcium is required for building and maintaining healthy bones and teeth, for the
transmission of nerve impulses and muscle actions and for many other body functions.
Reference Nutrient Intakes for calcium
Children aged 1-3 years
Children aged 4-6 years
350 mg per day
450 mg per day
How much calcium do children need?
About 50% of the calcium in diets of under-5s comes from milk and other dairy
products. It is important to ensure that children who do not have milk or dairy products
have sufficient calcium from other foods. Refer to table 8.
Table 8: Sources of calcium (portions appropriate for pre-school children)
Food child’s portion Calcium (mg)
Milk (all milk) 150 ml 180
Cream - single 10-15 ml 13
Yoghurt - plain 50 ml 100
Yoghurt – fruit/flavoured 50 ml 80
Fromage frais 50 m- 60 ml 60
Ice cream 50 ml 70
Cheddar-type cheese 25g 210
Cheese spread 15g - teaspoon 50
White bread 1 slice 30-40
Pitta Bread Per 100 g 90
Ready Brek 30 g 20
Plain white flour Per 100g 140
Spinach 25 g 40
Baked Beans 50 g 25
Broccoli 25 g 10
Sardines in tomato sauce 50 g 230
Haddock 50 g 55
Dried apricots 25 g 25
Currants 25 g 22
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Children with intolerances or allergies to milk and dairy foods should be given non-dairy
alternatives e.g. Soya Milk, soya yoghurt. It’s important to check that non-dairy
alternative foods have been fortified with calcium.
Zinc
Zinc plays a major role in the function of every organ in the body. It is needed for
normal metabolism of protein, fat and carbohydrate and is associated with the
hormone insulin which regulates the body’s energy.
Zinc is also involved in the immune system, the utilisation of vitamin A, and in wound
healing.
Reference Nutrient Intakes for zinc
Children aged 1-3 years
Children aged 4-6 years
5 mg per day
6.5 mg per day
How much zinc do children need?
In takes of zinc lower than the recommended amounts are frequently reported among
children. In a recent national study of 1½ and 4½ year olds, more than 70% of children
had intakes below the Reference Nutrient Intake.
A third of zinc in the diets of the under-5s is provided by milk and other milk products.
Cereals and cereal products provide a quarter. Meat and meat products also provide
another quarter. As children grow older and their milk intakes decline, their intake of
zinc goes down. It is therefore vital to ensure a good zinc intake by providing regular
meat and meat dishes or, for those not eating meat, whole grain cereals and breakfast
cereals, milk, milk products and eggs.
Dietary sources of zinc
• Meat
• Eggs
• Milk and cheese
• Whole grain cereals
• Nuts and pulses
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is needed for healthy bones and teeth. Prolonged deficiency in children
results in rickets (the main signs of which are skeletal malformation e.g. bowed legs) with
bone pain or tenderness and muscle weakness, lethargy and irritability.
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The main source of vitamin D is exposure of the skin to ultraviolet radiation in summer
sunlight. Infants and children aged between 6 months and 3 years are particularly
vulnerable to vitamin D depletion because of their rapid bone growth and the limited
exposure some may have to UV radiation.
Vitamin D is present in a limited number of foods making it difficult for young children to
obtain satisfactory vitamin D intakes from diet alone.
The recommendation for infants and children aged between 7 months and 3 years is 7
micrograms of vitamin D per day.
Under-5s of Asian origin are more likely to have lower vitamin D status. A resurgence of
rickets has been reported in many cities in the UK.
Dietary sources of Vitamin D
Only a few foods are good sources of vitamin D:
Oily fish such as tuna, salmon and pilchards
Fortified foods such as margarine, many fat spreads and breakfast cereals
Infant formula also contains vitamin D. The main dietary sources of vitamin D among
children aged 1½ -4½ are fat spreads and fortified breakfast cereals.
Vitamin and mineral drops
• Healthy Start Beneficiaries are entitled to free vitamin supplements.
• Two bespoke Healthy Start branded products are available:
• Healthy Start children's vitamin drops
• Healthy Start Vitamins for women
• Children are entitled to free vitamin supplements from 6 months of age until their
fourth birthday.
• Women are entitled to free vitamins during pregnancy and up until their baby is
one-year-old.
The Healthy Start children’s vitamin drops provide:
• 233 micrograms of vitamin A
• 20 milligrams of vitamin C
• 7.5 micrograms of vitamin D.
They are suitable for vegetarians and free from milk, egg, gluten, soya and peanut
residues. They have a shelf life of 10 months from manufacture.
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The uptake of Healthy Start vitamin drops is particularly important for infants at risk of
low vitamin D status and includes those living in northern areas of the UK, and children
from Asian, African and Middle Eastern origin.
To find further information on accessing Healthy Start vitamin drops go to:
http://www.healthystart.nhs.uk/en/fe/healthystart_vitamin_supplements.html
The availability and the distribution areas of the drops in the local area should be
promoted and advertised in your setting.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C has an important role in preventing disease and maintaining good health.
The body uses vitamin C to produce collagen, which is the foundation material for
bones, teeth, skin and tendons. It is also vital in wound healing. Vitamin C also acts as
an antioxidant, preventing damage to cells and tissues. Vitamin C also improves the
absorption of iron in the diet, it is good to have both nutrients available in the same
meal when planning menus E.g. red meat (supplying iron) with tomatoes (supplying
vitamin c)
According to a recent national study of children between 1½ and 4½, 38% of children
have low intakes of vitamin C below the Reference Nutrient Intake. Children from a
lower socio-economic status often have lower vitamin C intakes, mainly due to lower
intakes of fruit and vegetables, the major sources of vitamin C.
How much vitamin C do children need?
Reference Nutrient Intakes for vitamin C
Children aged >1 year
30 mg per day
Sources of vitamin C:
Fruit and fruit juices (particularly citrus fruits, blackcurrants and strawberries)
Potatoes (including chips)
Vegetables (especially red and green peppers and spring greens)
A good variety of vegetables and fruit will safeguard sufficient intake of vitamin C.
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Vitamin A
Vitamin A comes in two forms: retinol, which is found in animal foods and carotene,
which is the yellow and orange pigment found in fruit and vegetables. Carotene is
converted into retinol by the body. Retinol is essential for the substance in the eye that
allows night vision. Vitamin A also plays an important role in maintaining a healthy
immune system and is often referred to as the anti-infection vitamin. Vitamin A is
essential for growth and this is why children have higher requirements than adults.
A recent national survey of preschool children showed that nearly 50% of all children
had intakes below the Reference Nutrient Intake and about 8% of children had very
low intakes.
Possible reasons for this are that food sources of vitamin A are limited and many
children are low consumers of vegetables.
How much vitamin A do children need?
Reference Nutrient Intakes for vitamin A
Children aged 1-3 years
Children aged 4-6 years
400 g per day
500 g per day
Sources of vitamin A
• Retinol:
• Butter, margarines (may be fortified)
• Cheese and eggs (very small amounts)
• Milk and dairy products provide up to about a third of daily vitamin A intakes in
young children.
• Liver and liver pate (don’t offer more than once a week)
Carotene:
Carrots, sweet potato, red pepper, tomatoes, green leafy vegetables
Mango, melon, apricots
Although vitamin A intake is low amongst children there is a risk of excess vitamin A.
Therefore, children should not be offered liver or liver pate more than once a week
(these contain a lot of vitamin A) and supplements should be taken with caution.
Healthy Start Vitamin drops are suitable.
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4. Training Notes – Key Nutrients
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Menu Planning
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5. Menu planning
This section provides some practical guidelines on how to encourage the under-5’s in
child care to eat well. One of the basic principles of healthy eating is to eat a variety of
foods. That way it is easier to get all the vitamins and minerals needed for good health!
Children under five often have monotonous diets, which can be based on only a few
foods, which could make it difficult to achieve adequate amounts of all the nutrients.
Exposing children to a good variety from the start is the most effective way of ensuring
a good healthy diet in later life. This is also an opportunity not only to contribute to the
child’s diet but also to the rest of the family’s diet through the child’s influence.
Young children enjoy a variety of foods, presented in a fun and interesting way. They
eat smaller portions than adults due to a smaller capacity and therefore need small
frequent meals or snacks. Their focus on food and perceptions of food are also
different to adults. It is important to offer nutritious snacks between meals to ensure that
children have the opportunity to regularly refuel.
Children’s nutritional needs differ from adult ‘Healthy Eating Guidelines’ in many ways:
• Less strict on fats
• Low fat diets for children under 5 may not provide enough calories
• Their diets should contain less fibre
• High fibre diets for children under five may not provide enough calories (due to the
bulking effect of fibre), may cause indigestion and poor absorption of certain minerals
• They require regular meals and snacks – every 2-3 hours
• Vitamin drops should be available and promoted
• Don’t add salt or sugar to foods for young children
• Too much sugar results in tooth decay, may fill the child up and encourage the
development a sweet tooth which could contribute to obesity.
• Too much salt in a child’s diet is associated with the early development of high blood
pressure through putting a strain on their kidneys.
Menus should be appealing to children and cater for children from various cultural
backgrounds. Include dishes from different cultures in the menu. This will:
• Celebrate diversity
• Celebrate your own culture
• Promote awareness and understanding
• Meet curriculum requirements
• Enrich children’s experiences
• Enable children to try new foods
• Parents and grandparents may also be able to become more involved and
share recipes
The following pages take you through the food groups and provide important
information specific to the under 5s.
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Table 9: Breads, other cereals and potatoes
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Table 10: Potatoes, sweet potatoes, yam, rice, pasta, noodles, couscous
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Table 11: Fresh, frozen, canned, dried varieties – fruit, vegetables & fruit juices
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Table 12: Fruit
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Table 13 All milk & dairy foods, yoghurts and milk based desserts
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Table 14 Cheese Pork, Lamb and Poultry; Processed meat products and pies &
Composite dishes
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Table 15: Fish, Nuts and Seeds, & Vegetarian sources of protein
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Table 16 Foods high in fat and foods high in NMES
Desserts: puddings, cakes, biscuits, jam, jelly and ice cream, Butter and spreads,
Cooking fats and oils, Savoury potato snacks, crisps and corn snacks
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Table 17 Table salt, stocks bottled sauces, relishes & pickles
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Menu Checklist
Use this checklist to help you plan your menu. Once you have drafted out your menu,
use it to see whether your meets the guidelines. You could add more items to the
checklist.
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Table 18: Portion size guide - Breakfast options, Bread and starches, Composite Meals
and Dairy foods
1-3 years 3-5 years
Breakfast options
porridge 110g 140g
Cereals 20g 30g
Milk with cereal 50 ml 50 ml
Bread and starches
Bread Half a slice 15g Small slice 25g
Pitta bread Small pitta 35 g Small pitta 35 g
Pasta 90g boiled 100g boiled
Rice 90g boiled 100g boiled
Couscous 90g cooked 100g cooked
Boiled potatoes 100g 100g
Baked potatoes 75g 100g
Wholemeal roll 50g 60g
Mashed potatoes 100g 120g
Plain scone 25g 25g
Ciabatta bread 35g 50g
Composite meals
Spaghetti Bolognaise 180g 275g
Chicken Korma 90g 100g
Risotto 150g 180g
Vegetable lasagne 160g 180g
Beef stew 90g 105g
Dairy foods
Cheese cubes
Fromage frais & yoghurt 60g 125g
Rice pudding 100g 150g
Cheese as a snack 10g 15g
Cheese with a main meal 30g 45g
Custard 60g 100g
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Table 19: Portion size guide - Protein foods, Puddings & Fat sources
Protein foods
1—3 years 3—5 years
Baked Beans 80g 80g
Minced beef 120g 150g
Pork and beef sausage 40g 55g
Grilled bacon 25g 25g
Turkey or chicken slices 25g
45g
for a sandwich
Boiled egg 50g 50g
Grilled salmon 50g 75g
Puddings
Rice pudding 100g 150g
Milk jelly
Topped with diced peaches
70g
110g
40g
70g
Custard
With bananas
60g
50g
100g
50g
Apple crumble
Served with custard
60g
40g
95g
60g
Vanilla ice cream with fruit 40g 50g
Fat sources
Margarine on a sandwich 5g 10g
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Suggested fruits and vegetable portion sizes for mealtimes
Vegetables (fresh, frozen or canned) 40g, 2 tablespoons
Pulses 50g, 1-2 heaped tablespoons
Salad half a cereal bowlful/one small hand full
Vegetables in composites, such as vegetable chili: 50g, 2 tablespoons per portion of the recipe
¼ - ½ sweet potato
1 small Banana: 60 – 80 g
Very large fruit, such as melon: small slice approx 60g
Large fruit such as grapefruit quarter a fruit
Medium fruit, such as apples or oranges, 50g, half a fruit
Small fruit, such as plum, 40g-60g, 1 fruit
Very small fruit such as berries: child’s handful
Dried fruit: ½ tablespoon, as a snack: 15 g dried apricots, 15g raisins
Fruit in composite dishes, such as stewed fruit in apple pie: 60g
Snacks
Children require nutritious snacks between meals. They may have small appetites but
need high levels of nutrients for growth and development. This is not always achievable
through the 3 main meals. The best snacks are those which are low in sugar (to prevent
tooth decay) and as nutritious as possible.
Fruit – mouth size chunks, cubes or slices of apple, pear, Satsuma, orange, banana, kiwi,
melon, strawberries, grapes, peaches and plums
Raw vegetables – carrot, pepper, celery, cucumber, cherry tomato, red cabbage,
turnip, radish, courgette, broccoli
Toast, breads, rolls, baps, French bread with a small amount of spread.
Please note that a variety of breads should be used, including white, brown, wholegrain
etc
Choose bread and bread rolls which contain less than 0.25 g salt (0.1 g sodium) per
100g
Mini Sandwiches with marmite, cheese, tuna, or thin slices of meat.
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Other suitable fillings: cold roast meats, chicken, ham, corned beef, meat paste,
cottage cheese, fish paste, mashed pilchards or sardines, egg, roasted vegetables,
banana, salad or combinations of these. Pita pockets cut into small slices, plain or with
spread
Bread sticks – on their own or with a dip or soft cheeses, home-made pizza triangles
Oatcakes, rice cakes, crackers, crisp breads, Melba toast, plain or with spread
Banana bread, homemade oat or fruit bars.
Other snack ideas:
• Full cream natural yoghurt with fruit is the gold-standard yoghurt option. Fromage frais
and fruit yoghurts are also available. Yoghurt can be eaten on its own or as a dip. See list
of yoghurts.
• Muffins, plain, potato, or cheese scones, crumpets, pancake, plain buns, plain popcorn,
low sugar breakfast cereal (see breakfast cereal list), bagels
• Canned peaches in juice and whole milk yoghurt
• Vanilla yoghurt with banana
• Selection of grapes, celery sticks and red pepper
• Whole meal pancakes with spread and apple chunks
• Fromage frais with pineapple
• Popcorn with sliced pear
• Cucumber and carrot sticks with small pita bread and mint and cucumber dip
• Whole meal toast fingers with margarine and apple
• Cheese chunks, crackers and orange segments
• Breadsticks with houmous dip and cherry tomatoes
• Mini white bread fingers with tuna pate
• Whole meal toast with soft cheese and grape slices
• Plain biscuit
• Scone with spread and jam
• Scotch pancake with spread
• All snacks should be offered with 100-120 ml of milk (full cream milk for all the under 3’s
and semi-skimmed milk for the over 3’s)
Guide to spotting salty snacks
• Check the nutritional information per 100g
• High is more than 1.5g salt (or 0.6 g sodium) per 100g
• Medium is >0.3g salt (0.1g sodium) and

6. Training Notes - Menu planning
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Specific foods
of importance
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7. Specific foods of importance
Cereals
Cereals are very popular amongst preschool children. They are highly nutritious,
providing energy and protein and many cereals are fortified with vitamins and minerals.
Served with milk, breakfast cereal provides infants and preschool children with a wide
range of vital nutrients in one meal or snack.
The choice is endless and can leave many of us confused as to what is the best
breakfast cereal. Many breakfast cereals have been used to lure parents and children
into buying the – “not so good options”. There has been a recent increase in the
popularity of simple porridge as a breakfast cereal. Porridge has been positioned as a
more “natural” breakfast cereal. This positioning is correct in part, porridge is less
processed than other cereal brand leaders. However, porridge oats are not fortified
with vitamins and minerals and so it could be argued is an inferior nutritional choice. The
solution is to offer a range of breakfast cereals, which may include porridge and
packaged cereals- the packaged cereals should be those which are fortified but
contain acceptable levels of added sugar and/or salt. Below, the breakfast cereals,
with a high salt and sugar content are highlighted in red.
Type of Cereal per 100g Fat(g) Sugar(g) Salt(g) Calcium(mg) Iron(mg)
Ready Brek 8.7 1.0 0.1 1333.0 11.9
Oats 8 1.1 trace
Rice Krispies 1 10 1.65 8
Corn Flakes 0.9 8 1.8 8
All Bran 16.2 0.47 11.6
Shredded Wheat 1
Shreddies 1.9 15.5 0.7 7.8
Weetabix 2 4.4 0.65 11.9
Cheerios 3.9 21.6 1.2 450 11.9
Bran Flakes 2 22 1.3 11.6
Coco Pops 3 36 1.15 456 8
Frosties 0.6 37 1.15 456 8
Special K 1.5 17 1.15 11.6
Golden Nuggets 1.1 35.8 1.2 11.9
Sainsbury High Bran 3.5 16.2 1.7 340 15
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It is worth remembering that preschool children will not be eating a 100 g of cereal per
time. Portion sizes may vary between 10-25g.
Most of the cereals listed are fortified with iron and some are fortified with calcium
The following cereals are most suitable for preschool children but should be offered in
rotation throughout the week: Weetabix, Ready Brek, Porridge, Cornflakes, and Rice
Krispies.
Notes: weighing up the pros and cons
Cornflakes and Rice Krispies are both low in sugar, but are high (of the highest) in salt
and should be offered not more than once or twice a week.
Ready Brek is one of the best breakfast options; the cereal is low in sugar and salt and is
an excellent source of both calcium and iron.
Shreddies is high in sugar, but is relatively low in salt, and does contain some fibre, which
in large portions is not advised for children. Offer Shreddies no more than once or twice
a week. Shreddies could also be mixed in with other cereals.
Weetabix is both low in salt and sugar
Porridge (not instant) is very low in sugar and salt, although oats are not fortified with
iron, oats do contain a small amount of naturally occurring iron. Oats could be offered
as hot breakfast option and used in cooking and classroom activities.
Salt
Infants and children only need a very small amount of salt per day. Choosing too many
packaged (of which breakfast cereals are one) and processed food can easily mean
exceeding their salt requirements. Regular consumption of high levels of salt in the early
years is puts excess strain on a child’s kidneys and has been directly linked with
increasing children’s risk of high blood pressure later in life.
Cereal products such as bread, breakfast cereals, biscuits and pastries are the main
contributors to the salt intake of children. Ready meals, stock cubes, stuffing mixes,
sauces and canned foods in brine are also significant salt contributors.
While you may operate a ‘no added salt’ policy in your cooking, you must be able to
choose low salt varieties of the packaged and processed ingredients you use to ensure
levels of “hidden” salt is kept to a minimum. The best way of doing this is to regularly
check product labels.
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The salt requirements for children:
• Up to 6 months old: less than 1g a day (0.4g sodium)
• 7 to 12 months: 1 g a day (0.4g sodium)
• 1 to 3 years: 2 g a day (0.8g sodium)
• 4 to 6 years: 3 g a day (1.2 g sodium)
• 7 to 10 years: 5 g a day (2 g sodium)
• Over: 6 g a day (2.4 sg sodium)
Salt (sodium chloride) is often declared on food labels as Sodium
To calculate salt from sodium, multiply sodium by 2.5
Check how much fat, sugar and salt is in your food:
Sugars Fat Saturates Salt
What
is
Over
Over
Over
Over
HIGH
per
15 g
20g
5g
1.5g
100g
What
is
Between
Between
Between
Between
MEDIUM
5g
3g
1.5g
0.3g
Per 100g
and
and
and
and
15g
20g
5g
1.5g
What is
5g
3g
1.5g
0.3g
LOW
and
and
and
and
Per 100g
below
below
below
below
Tips for keeping salt levels to a minimum:
• Use canned pulses and vegetables in unsalted water
• Use canned fish in spring water- not brine
• Make homemade stuffing, cookies, biscuits and cakes
• Use low salt stock cubes
• Keep a stock of homemade tomato sauce in the freezer to use as pizza
toppings, dipping sauce, pasta sauce and soups.
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Table 20. Yoghurts and Fromage frais for children
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Special diets
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8. Special diets
Vegetarian
Vegetarians usually don’t eat fish, red meat and chicken. However, there are variations
of vegetarianism so- Please check with parents to what level they avoid animal
products.
Partial vegetarian – some parents may ask for their child not to have red meat – but still
eat poultry and/or fish
Lacto-ovo vegetarians – eat milk and eggs, but not meat, poultry or fish
Lacto-vegetarians – eat dairy foods but not eggs
Vegans – do not eat any animal products at all
Vegetarian diets for children should be based on the same healthy eating guidelines as
non-vegetarian diets. It is important to include foods from the five main food groups
every day. As meat is one of the main sources of iron it is important that vegetarian
and vegan children eat a variety of other iron rich foods such as: Please note, all
recipes in these menus suggest adaptations to suit vegetarian diets where necessary.
Non-meat sources of iron
• Whole meal bread
• Eggs (check if eaten)
• Fortified breakfast cereals, such as Ready Brek, Shreddies, Weetabix
• Beans, peas and pulses
• Dried fruit
• Dark green vegetables
• Tinned sweetcorn and baked sweet potato
Here are some vegetarian protein alternatives:
• Eggs (check if eaten)
• Soya products such as tofu and soya mince (sometimes called TVP)
• Lentils and chickpeas, including houmous
• Beans including baked beans
• Meat substitutes such as Quorn
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Optimizing the nutritional intake for vegetarian diets:
• Include dried fruit and leafy green vegetables daily
• Choose lower sugar and salt breakfast cereals fortified with iron and vitamin B12,
such as Ready Brek, Weetabix and Shreddies
• If soya is used, make sure the milk is fortified with calcium
• Include at least one serving of eggs (if eaten), beans, lentils, chickpeas, textured
vegetable protein, quorn, tofu or tempeh daily
• Serve vegetarian foods with foods containing vitamin C e.g. fruit, salad or fruit
juice such as blackcurrant and citrus juice, which enhances iron absorption.
Vegetarian meal ideas
• Use TVP or Quorn mince in lasagna, burgers, chili and bolognaise
• Use veggie sausages/burgers in a bun with mash and baked beans
• Make kebabs from marinated tofu
• Make falafels – chickpea patties
• Use a variety of beans and pulses in curries, soups and casseroles
• Either tinned beans and pulses (in water) or dried beans and pulses could be
used
• Do not only have cheese as the protein source for a main meal, as cheese is low
in iron. Combine cheese with the above.
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9. Training Notes Specific foods of importance
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Food Allergy &
Intolerance
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10. Food allergy versus food intolerance
Food allergies occur when the body’s immune system inappropriately acts against a
protein within a food. This is known as an allergen. Reactions can range from relatively
mild, such as skin irritation, rhinitis, conjunctivitis through to asthma and in its most severe
form anaphylaxis – this is a life threatening condition for which medical treatment must
be sought immediately. An allergic response to food always involves the immune
system and symptoms are frequently seen within minutes although some allergic
reactions can have delayed symptoms.
An 'intolerance' to food doesn't involve the immune system, is rarely life threatening and
tends to occur hours or days after the food ingestion. Food intolerance is an adverse
reaction to a food which occurs when the body has an inability to digest a food
properly. The most common example is lactose intolerance.
The severity of the allergy or intolerance or the degree of avoidance practiced at
home is not important when catering for a number of children. It is impractical in a
childcare setting to replicate the intricacies and individuality of each child’s intolerance
e.g. some may tolerate yoghurt or cheese but not milk. All allergies and intolerances in
a childcare environment should be treated as severe.
Occasionally, health professionals may recommend a food reintroduction plan for a
child who has been following a special diet for a period of time. In these rare cases
it is appropriate for a childminder to support the family with the food reintroduction
plan. However, this must only be undertaken with written guidance from the child’s
health care team and with signed authorisation from the child’s parents.
Food allergy and intolerance are medical conditions, the diagnosis and dietary
treatment of these conditions requires specialist training and qualification. It is not
appropriate for parents or childminders to diagnose or plan dietary intervention for
children without specialist advice. You should have a strict policy about accepting
children with allergies which states hey must have been diagnosed by a qualified
medical professional or a Dietitian. Home testing kits and high street allergy test results
are not reliable and MUST not be accepted as diagnosis of food allergy or intolerance.
How common are food allergies?
As many as one in five adults believe themselves to be intolerant (or 'allergic') to a food.
In reality, only 1-3% of the adult population has a true food allergy. Many parents
suspect that their child may be allergic to certain foods and cut out important food
groups from the diet risking nutritional deficiencies. It is estimated that about 6-8% of
children suffer from a true food allergy. Most young children outgrow allergies to milk
and egg by the time they go to school.
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Food allergens and labelling
The most common foods causing adverse reactions are:
• Cow's milk
• Eggs
• Shellfish
• Fish
• Soya
• Peanuts
• Wheat
• Other nuts
These eight allergens account for about 90% of all allergic reactions.
New allergy labelling laws mean that pre-packaged food manufacturers are now
obliged to declare the presence of the 8 most common allergens plus a further 6, listed
below, in ingredients list. Allergens will be listed in a different font or colour from the
other ingredients.
• Celery
• Lupin
• Molluscs
• Mustard
• Sesame
• Sulphur dioxide and sulphites
This makes it much easier when shopping and cooking for people with allergies.
Many food labels now contain an allergy advice panel as an additional way of
highlighting the presence of allergens like milk, eggs and wheat. But it isn't compulsory
for food labels to give this type of statement – some foods have them but many don’t.
You should always check the ingredients list – this is your safest way to check for the
presence of the allergens you are concerned with (i.e., milk, eggs and wheat).
Allergy advice panel (can also appear as: “contains” or “free from”)
An example of an allergy advice panel and how they
may be confusing. This soft cheese product has an
allergy advice section but it doesn’t state that it contains
milk!
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Milk allergy
Overview
Allergic reactions to milk may be the result of 2 different components in milk: protein or
(carbohydrate) lactose. In the case of the latter it is commonly referred to as lactose
intolerance.
IMPORTANT! Regardless of the reported severity or type of milk allergy, in a Childcare
setting, ALL MILK, MILK PRODUCTS AND MILK DERIVATIVES SHOULD BE AVOIDED.
Ingredients lists
It is easy to avoid obvious sources of milk and milk products; however, milk is often
present in less obvious prepared and manufactured foods – read the ingredients list
carefully. Manufactured pre-packaged foods sold within the EU have to list milk in
the ingredients panel if it is present in the product, no matter how small the amount.
Some foods do not have to have an ingredients label e.g. no pre packed
delicatessen, bakery and butchery products, However, allergen information about
these products must be either available at the point of sale or behind the counter.
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Allergens must stand out in the ingredients list by being written in a different colour, font
or style of print.
Milk and milk products to avoid
Below is a list of the obvious sources of milk and milk products that need to be
completely avoided by children who have a milk allergy:
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Hidden sources of milk in everyday foods
As you have seen from the ingredients list section, milk comes in many guises and may
be added to a variety of manufactured foods. The following table includes less obvious
foods which may contain milk or milk derivatives:
Cereal foods
Fruits and vegetables
Meat, fish and alternatives
Savoury foods
Desserts
Confectionary
Drinks
Bread and bread rolls
Breakfast cereals
Cakes
Biscuits and crackers
Pizza
Pasta (fresh and canned)
Vegetables canned in sauce
Instant potato
Baked beans
Batter- or breadcrumb-coated vegetable and potato products
Meat or fish products, e.g. beef burgers, sausages, fish fingers, ready
meals
Canned, fresh and packet soups
Instant gravies / gravy granules
Sauces
Crisps and savoury snack foods
Instant desserts e.g. mousse
Dairy desserts e.g. rice pudding
Ice cream
Custard
Chocolate
Caramel
Toffee
Fudge
Instant drinking chocolate
Malted drinks
Coffee whitener
Smoothies containing milk or yogurt
This list is by no means exhaustive. The foods in the list have been included because
they often contain milk or milk derivatives; however, there are some brands which are
free of milk/milk derivatives. Therefore, shopping around and looking at labels will help
you identify which brands are free from milk and milk derivatives at the moment. But
remember manufacturers can change ingredients at any time so you cannot rely on
your usual brand being milk free forever.
It is your responsibility to check the ingredients you buy.
IMPORTANT! The recipes and formulations of manufactured and pre-packaged foods
can change from time to time. So it is important to check the ingredients list of the foods
you buy on a monthly basis to check ingredients are still the same. We have produced
a template to help you do this.
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Substitutes
Avoidance of milk and milk products can lead to a significant reduction in the choice
of foods and may reduce the intake of protein and calcium – a vital mineral for
growing children. If your recipe or menu calls for milk, cheese, yogurt, cream or icecream
take a look at the table of possible substitutes you can use instead.
IMPORTANT! There are a number of dairy alternatives made from vegetable sources like
rice and oats but not all of these are appropriate for under 5’s as they contain less
protein than milk and milk products and many are not fortified with calcium. Soya dairy
free alternatives to milk and milk products have a similar protein profile to milk and milk
products and are often fortified with calcium.
Milk- containing food
Pasteurised milk
Butter or margarine
Cheese
Yogurt
Ice cream
Cream
Milk-free alternative to use instead
Soya dairy free alternative to milk fortified with calcium
Soya dairy free and vegan spreads
Soya dairy free alternative to cheese – available as hard, soft, melting,
spreading and parmesan varieties
Soya dairy free alternative to yogurt or desserts fortified with calcium
Soya dairy free ice-cream
Soya dairy free alternative to cream
Recipe adaptations
Recipes containing only dairy ingredients (milk, butter, cheese, yogurt or ice-cream) are
relatively straight forward to adapt for children with milk allergies - you can simply swap
with the substitutes suggested above. Recipes which contain a combination of milk,
egg and wheat are more complex and require multiple substitutions of ingredients (or a
completely different dish) in order to produce a dish that is suitable for all children with
allergies. These more complex recipe adaptations are dealt with in this document.
If you are catering for children with a variety of allergies it may be safer and more
practical to prepare one separate dish which is appropriate for all special diets (i.e.,
milk, egg and wheat free). Some examples of dishes only containing milk or milk
products and simple adaptations you can make to make them safe for children with
milk allergy are given below:
Dish Milk or milk product present Replace with…
Rice pudding Milk Soya dairy free alternative to milk
fortified with calcium
Potato-topped cottage pie Milk and butter Soya dairy free alternative to milk
fortified with calcium and soya dairyfree
spread
Yogurt or ice-cream serve with
desserts
Yogurt or ice-cream
Soya dairy free alternative to yogurt or
ice cream
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Egg Allergy
Overview
The main causes of egg allergy are 3 proteins in the white of eggs, ovomucoid,
ovalbumin and ovotransferrin. Cooking can destroy some of these allergens, but not all,
which means that some people might react to raw eggs but not cooked eggs. As a
result, egg allergy can be:
• To all forms of egg (well cooked, loosely cooked and raw)
• Only to loosely cooked and raw egg
IMPORTANT! Regardless of the reported severity or type of egg allergy, in a Childcare
setting, ALL EGGS, EGG PRODUCTS AND EGG-CONTAINING FOODS FROM ALL BIRDS
SHOULD BE AVOIDED.
Ingredients lists
It is easy to avoid obvious sources of
eggs, served in recognisable forms.
However, it is often disguised in prepared
and manufactured foods – read the
ingredients list carefully. Manufactured
pre-packaged foods sold within the EU
have to list egg in the ingredients panel if
it is present in the product, no matter how
small the amount.
Some foods do not have to have an ingredients label e.g. no pre packed delicatessen,
bakery and butchery products, However, allergen information about these products
must be either available at the point of sale or behind the counter.
Egg and egg products to avoid
Below is a list of the obvious sources of egg and egg
products that need to be completely avoided by
children who have egg allergy:
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Hidden sources of egg in everyday foods
As you have seen from the ingredients list section, egg comes in many guises and may
be added to a variety of manufactured foods. The following table includes foods which
may contain egg or egg derivatives:
Cereal foods
Fruits and vegetables
Meat, fish and alternatives
Savoury foods
Desserts
Sweet snacks and
Confectionery
Drinks
Egg fried rice
Pasta
Egg noodles
French toast
Bread and bakery products glazed with egg e.g., scones
Cakes and biscuits
Potato salad with mayonnaise
Coleslaw with mayonnaise
Meat coated in egg and breadcrumbs
Meat pies/pasty’s with egg glazed pastry
Beef burgers with egg as binder
Sausage with egg as binder
Fish coated in egg and breadcrumbs
Fish coated in batter
Quorn TM products
Ready meals
Gravy granules
Savoury bakery items
Hollandaise sauce
Mayonnaise
Tartare sauce
Horseradish sauce
Royal icing
Freshly made mousse
Sorbet
Ice-cream
Egg custard
Bread and butter pudding
Lemon meringue pie
Meringues including nests
Crème caramel
Milk puddings enriched with egg
Trifle
Pancakes
Bakery products glazed with egg
Lemon curd and products made using lemon curd
Cakes
Biscuits
Marzipan
Nougat
Mars bar and milky way
Some marshmallows
Chewitts
Ovaltine
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This list is by no means exhaustive. It is you and your staff’s responsibility to check the
ingredients and the foods you buy. Some foods rely on egg so heavily for their
production that they can never be made egg free e.g. meringue.
The foods in the list have been included because they often contain egg or egg
derivatives; however, there are some brands which are free of egg/egg derivatives.
Therefore, shopping around and looking at labels will help you identify which brands
are free from egg and egg derivatives at the moment. But remember manufacturers
can change ingredients at any time so you cannot rely on your usual brand being egg
free forever.
IMPORTANT! The recipes and formulations of manufactured and pre-packaged foods
can change at any time.
So it is important to check the ingredients list of the foods you buy on a monthly basis to
check ingredients are still the same. We have produced a template to help you do this.
Monthly allergen check list
A tick in the box confirms the food/ingredient regularly appearing on the menu or in
recipes has been checked and is free from milk, egg and wheat.
Food/ingredient J F M A M J J A S O N D
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Egg replacers for baking
Avoidance of egg can limit food choices, particularly of manufactured foods that use
egg as a raising agent or binder. Whole and egg white replacers are available from
pharmacists and health food shops. They are useful in cooking and baking for example
Yorkshire puddings and sponge cakes /puddings but some experimentation may be
required to achieve the desired effect. Look out for brands such as Ener-G, Orgran and
Allergycare. Read the instructions carefully as each is used in different amounts and in a
different way.
Substitutes for glazing
If you wish to glaze pastry or other bakery items use dairy free alternative to milk fortified
with calcium milk instead of egg.
Recipes adaptations or menu substitutes
Unlike dairy foods eggs are rarely served in isolation in the; however, there are some
popular dishes/recipes where egg is not essential and can easily be replaced.
Conversely some dishes rely on eggs as a key ingredient and in these cases a
replacement dish may be the only safe solution.
Examples of adaptations or substitutes you could make
Instead of:
Serve:
Sponge pudding/cake, Cake or muffin mix (that is milk, egg and wheat free)
muffins or fairy cakes
Royal icing
Butter icing made with icing sugar and dairy-free spread or icing sugar
and water
Cookies or biscuits
Mini flapjack bites (baked using non-dairy spread, oats and golden
syrup)
Cornflake or rice krispie cakes (made with dairy free chocolate)
Egg custard tart
A milk pudding made with dairy free alternative to milk fortified with
calcium
Baked items with an egg Use dairy free alternative to milk for the glaze
glaze
If you are catering for children with a variety of allergies it may be safer and more
practical to prepare one separate dish which is appropriate for all special diets (i.e.,
milk, egg and wheat free).
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Wheat allergy
Overview
There is much confusion about the terms used to describe possible intolerances to
wheat. Wheat allergy is very rare and thought to only affect a tiny proportion of the
population, whereas Coeliac disease is relatively more common but is rarely diagnosed
in the under 5s. These two conditions are entirely different and both require a medical
diagnosis. Coeliac disease is an allergy to a protein called gluten – this is found in wheat
and other grains which make it a difficult condition to cater for in the childcare
environment. Coeliac disease is rarely diagnosed in children under 5, so it is highly
unlikely that you will be asked to cater for child with the condition. Children with chronic
digestive problems may be asked to follow a wheat free diet by health professionals.
Wheat allergy is caused by proteins other than gluten that are only found in wheat
therefore gluten free and wheat free foods are NOT the same thing. Gluten free foods
are not always suitable for children with a wheat allergy and should not routinely be
used as substitute products.
Wheat is a major component of most cereal foods and is also a common ingredient in
many other manufactured foods. Wheat exclusion therefore has considerable impact
on food choice and potentially on nutrient intake.
Ingredients lists
It is easy to avoid obvious sources of
wheat. However, it is often used in
prepared and manufactured foods –
read the ingredients list carefully.
Manufactured pre-packaged foods
sold within the EU have to list wheat in
the ingredients panel if it is present in
the product, no matter how small the
amount.
Some foods do not have to have an
ingredients label e.g. no pre packed
delicatessen, bakery and butchery
products, However, allergen
information about these products must
be either available at the point of sale or behind the counter.
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Wheat and wheat products to avoid
This is a list of the obvious sources of wheat and wheat products that need to be
completely avoided by children who have wheat allergy.
Hidden sources of wheat in everyday foods
As you have seen from the ingredients list section, wheat is present in a wide variety of
cereal-based foods. But wheat-containing ingredients, often thickeners, may also be
added to a variety of manufactured foods which would otherwise be wheat-free and
so are much less obvious.
The following table includes less obvious foods which may contain wheat or wheat
derivatives:
Cereal foods
Listed under obvious sources of wheat
Fruits and vegetables Canned vegetables in sauce
instant mash
Meat, fish and
Meat products and ready meals with pastry e.g., pies, pasties, sausage rolls
alternatives
Sausages, burgers and other meat products using flour or breadcrumbs as a
binder or coating
Fish and fish products coated in breadcrumbs
Fish coated in batter
Fish in white sauce
Fish pie
Savoury foods
Yorkshire puddings
Pancakes
Canned, fresh and packet soups
Instant gravies / gravy granules
Sauces and condiments
Crisps and savoury snack foods
Desserts
Instant desserts e.g. mousse
Semolina
Ice cream
Custard
Sweet foods
Pastries and pies
Drinks
malted drinks
This list is by no means exhaustive. The foods in the list have been included because
they often contain wheat or wheat derivatives; however, there are some brands which
are free of wheat/wheat derivatives. Therefore, shopping around and looking at labels
will help you identify which brands are free from wheat and wheat derivatives at the
moment. But remember manufacturers can change ingredients at any time so you
cannot rely on your usual brand being wheat free forever. It is your responsibility to
check the ingredients you buy.
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IMPORTANT! The recipes and formulations of manufactured and pre-packaged foods
can change from time to time. So it is important to check the ingredients list of the foods
you buy on a monthly basis to check ingredients are still the same. We have produced
a template to help you do this.
Adaptations and substitutes for everyday wheat-based cereal foods
Apart from breakfast cereals, wheat commonly appears in recipes as flour e.g. cakes,
pastries and bread. There are many wheat-free flours available however some have a
limited range of use e.g., corn flour is great for thickening sauces but is not suitable for
baking. You will need to stock a range of wheat free flours to suit all purposes.
If your recipe or menu calls for a wheat-containing ingredient or food take a look at the
table of possible substitutes or replacements, you can use instead.
REMEMBER! Gluten-free foods made especially for people with coeliac disease may not
be suitable for people with a wheat allergy as the protein that causes the allergy may
still be present. Always check the ingredients and the allergy alert panel for the
presence of wheat.
Recipes that call for the use of wheat-containing ingredients e.g. flour, pastry,
breadcrumbs are relatively straight forward to adapt for children with wheat allergies.
Likewise, meals including wheat-based staple foods e.g., pasta or couscous can be
easily substituted.
Foods containing Wheat
Breakfast cereal
Bread
Pasta
Couscous
Pizza
Crackers
Flour for cakes
Flour for baking
Flour for thickening sauces
Breadcrumb coating (e.g. fishcakes)
Wheat-free alternative or substitute to use instead
Cornflakes, Rice Krispies, Porridge, Ready brek,
Wheat free bread (e.g. Dietary Specials)
Wheat free pasta, rice, potatoes, quinoa, buckwheat
Wheat free pasta, rice, potatoes, quinoa, buckwheat
Wheat free pizza bases (e.g. Dietary Specials or Ener-G)
Oat cakes
Rice flour or dietary special cake mix
Rice flour
Corn flour
Crushed cornflakes
Brands with wheat-free cereal/grain products:
Dietary Specials
Ener-G
Orgran
Doves Farm
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Recipes adaptations
If you are catering for children with a variety of allergies it may be safer and more
practical to prepare one separate dish which is appropriate for all special diets (i.e.,
milk, egg and wheat free).
Recipes which contain a combination of milk, egg and wheat are more complex and
require multiple substitutions of ingredients (or a completely different dish) in order to
produce a dish that is suitable for all children with allergies. These more complex recipe
adaptations are dealt with here.
See some examples below:
Spaghetti Bolognese
Usual ingredient Allergen present Replace with…
Pasta Wheat & egg Wheat and egg free pasta or rice
Beef mince None Same
Bolognese Sauce Milk – if butter or margarine is used Sweat off onions with sunflower oil
Grated cheese Milk Soya dairy free cheese – melting or
parmesan-type
Chicken and mushroom pie
Usual ingredient Allergen present Replace with…
Pastry Wheat, milk & egg Make pastry with wheat free flour, soya dairy
free margarine and glaze with dairy free
alternative to milk or top pie with mashed
potato made with dairy free spread and soya
dairy free alternative to milk
chicken None Same
Mushroom None Same
White sauce Wheat & milk Make with corn flour and soya dairy free
alternative to milk fortified with calcium
Macaroni Cheese
Usual ingredient Allergen present Replace with…
Macaroni Wheat Wheat and gluten free macaroni
Butter Milk Soya dairy free spread
Full fat milk Milk Soya dairy free alternative to milk fortified with
calcium
Plain flour Wheat Corn Flour
Grated cheese Milk Soya dairy free alternative to cheese
Chopped chives none same
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White sauce
Allergen present Replace with…
Usual ingredient
Full fat milk Milk Soya dairy free alternative to milk fortified with
calcium
Butter Milk Soya dairy free spread
Plain flour Wheat Corn Flour
Grated cheese Milk Soya dairy free alternative to cheese
Parsley none same
Sponge pudding /cakes
Usual ingredient Allergen present Replace with…
Butter Milk Soya dairy free spread
Self-raising flour Wheat Rice Flour
Sugar None -
Eggs Egg Whole egg replacer
Or use a milk, egg and wheat free cake mix
Or replace with flapjack or cornflake cake
Apple pie and custard
Usual ingredient Allergen present Replace with…
Butter Milk Soya dairy free spread
Plain flour Wheat Rice Flour
Sugar None -
Egg glaze Egg Whole egg replacer
Apples None -
Custard Milk & Egg Soya dairy free custard
Or replace with fruit crumble and dairy free custard
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Useful contacts
& information
British Dietetic Association
For general information about allergies
and intolerance see their ‘fact sheets’.
www.bda.uk.com
Allergy UK
A national medical charity established to
represent the views and needs of people with
allergy, food intolerance and chemical
sensitivity www.allergyuk.org
Alpro soya
Producer of a wide range of soya dairy free alternatives to milk,
yogurt, flavoured milk shakes, desserts and custard available in all
major supermarkets. www.alprosoya.co.uk
Dairy Council
Is a non-profit making organisation which provides science-based
information on the role of dairy foods as part of a healthy balanced
diet and lifestyle www.milk.co.uk
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Brands specialising in foods free from allergens
TRUfree An extensive range of wheat and gluten free sweet biscuits, crackers, savoury snacks and sweet
treats
Telephone Careline: 07041 544 044 (9am - 5pm, Mon to Fri)
E-mail
info@trufree.co.uk
Website www.trufree.co.uk
Where to buy The ‘free-from’ sections in most major supermarkets; From health food stores: Holland and Barrett
and Tree of Life
Mail order from: www.goodnessdirect.co.uk
Orgran A range of over 70 products that are all wheat, egg, milk, gluten and yeast free. All products are
suitable for vegetarian and vegan diets. The range includes pasta, biscuits and cookies, flour, bread
and cake mixes, crispbreads and savoury snacks, breakfast cereals, soups and egg replacer
Telephone 01455 556878 Naturally Good Food is the contact in the UK for all enquires about Orgran products
E-mail
info@orgran.co.uk
Website http://www.orgran.co.uk
Where to buy Mail order from: www.naturallygoodfood.co.uk or www.goodnessdirect.co.uk
Dietary
Specials
A wide range of gluten free and wheat free products, including bread, bread and cake mixes
biscuits and crackers, pasta and Yorkshire puddings.
Telephone Careline: 07041 544 044
E-mail
info@dietaryspecials.co.uk
Website www.dietaryspecials.co.uk
Where to buy The ‘free-from’ sections in most major supermarkets
Mail order www.goodnessdirect.co.uk
from:
Ener-G General Dietary provides a wide range of ready-baked foods that are completely free from gluten,
wheat and milk, and also have products free from soya, yeast and egg. All products are free of
peanuts and tree nuts. They are suitable for vegetarians and are also certified kosher. Their range
includes breads, rolls, pizza bases, doughnuts, cookies, bread crumbs, egg replacer and pasta.
Telephone 0208 336 2323 General Dietary is the contact in the UK for all enquires about Ener-G products
E-mail
info@generaldietary.com
Website www.generaldietary.com
Where to buy The ‘free-from’ sections in most major supermarkets
From leading health food stores
Direct from the General Dietary website
Pure
A range of three spreads free from milk and dairy products: Pure Soya, Pure Sunflower and Pure
Organic. All are suitable for cooking and baking
Telephone 0800 028 4499
E-mail
info@puredairyfree.co.uk
Website www.puredairyfree.co.uk
Where to buy Available from major supermarkets
From health food stores: Holland and Barrett
Cheese A range of dairy and egg free cheeses and cheese spreads including Cheddar style and Edam-style
Website www.buteisland.com/index.htm
Where to buy Mail order from: www.healthstore.co.uk or www.goodnessdirect.co.uk
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11. Training Notes -Food allergy versus food intolerance
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Nutritional
guidelines for
infants
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12. Nutritional guidelines for infants
Breastfeeding
The Department of Health recommends exclusive breastfeeding until 6 months. All
infants in your care who are breastfed at home should have to opportunity to continue
this whilst in child care. The childminder needs to support breastfeeding by accepting
expressed breast milk.
Safe preparation of formula milk
How should formula be prepared and stored?
Infant formula powder is not sterile and may contain microorganisms, such as
Enterobacter sakazakii and salmonella, although infection from these is rare. To reduce
the risk, it is important to understand that good hygiene practices, following the
manufacturer’s guidance and local policies are adhered to.
The following detailed guidance on preparing feeds was produced by the Department
of Health (FSA&DH, 2006).
The key points
• Wash and dry hands, clean the work surface, sterilize all bottles and equipment
• Use the scoop provided with the tin of formula feed, ensuring this is level and not
compacted
• Make up the feed with powder and freshly boiled water cooled to a
temperature above 70 degrees. This means using water that has been left
covered for just less than 30 minutes after boiling. Cool the bottle under cold
running water before feeding.
• It is best to make up infant formula fresh for each feed. These guidelines appear
on all tins of infant formula
• Where this is not possible or practical, prepare feeds in separate bottles and
store in a fridge at a temperature below 5 degrees for no more than 24 hours.
Remove from the fridge just before needed, and then warm in a bottle warmer
or with warm water.
• Do not use a microwave
• Any feed started should be discarded within an hour
• Any unused feed kept out of refrigeration should be discarded after three hours.
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Weaning
Weaning is the gradual introduction of semi-solid foods to the baby’s diet. The weaning
process is a staged process occurring over a period of months, whereby the amount,
range and textures foods are introduced and increased. “Up to the age of about 6
months, breast milk or infant formula will provide all the nutrients and fluid that the
majority of babies need” – it is from this evidence that the Department of Health,
following WHO guidance, recommends that babies should not be given any solid foods
until they are 6 months of age (12/05/04).
Despite this statement there remains confusion among health professionals and
manufacturers about when babies should be weaned. Some babies may be
successfully weaned from around 17 weeks (see further notes). It is well acknowledged
that Breastfeeding is the best form of nutrition for infants. Exclusive breastfeeding is
recommended for the first six months (26 weeks) of an infant’s life as it provides all the
nutrients a baby needs.
A special note on vitamin D
Although breast milk is nutritionally complete, recent surveys have identified the low
plasma vitamin D in 13% to 28% of women of childbearing age. For some ethnic groups
there is an increased risk of vitamin D deficiency especially as pigmented skin is less
efficient at synthesizing vitamin D and the traditional wear that involves covering most
of the skin. Babies born to these mothers, who have lower levels of vitamin D, are in
turn, born with lower vitamin D levels. Low levels of vitamin D in breast milk are then
expected. If there is any doubt about a mother’s vitamin D status, vitamin D
supplementation should start from as early as 1 month. (Further information about
vitamin drops can be found under the section on vitamin D in Key Nutrients).
It has to be acknowledged that many parents will wish to wean earlier than 6 months.
Should they wish to do this, four months or 17 weeks should be regarded as the earliest
age at which solids should be introduced (DoH, 1994).
Grub4life recommend that no infants your care are offered any solids before they
reach 26 weeks. The only exceptions being when parents choose/ have chosen to
introduce solids at an earlier stage.
NO SOLIDS should ever be offered to babies under the age of 17 weeks.
There are nutritional and developmental reasons why infants need solid foods from 6
months. At this age babies need more iron, vitamins and other nutrients than can be
provided by milk alone. One particularly important nutrient for babies is iron, as by 6
months the body stores of iron that an infant is born with have been used up and the
baby needs to obtain iron from the diet.
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Breastfeeding and or/formula feeding should be continued after solids are introduced
until at least 1 year of age. In infants who are at risk of nutritional deficiencies
breastfeeding or formula feeding could be prolonged after the age of 1 year.
For those infants who have been introduced to solids before 26 weeks, there are certain
foods that can cause an allergic reaction in some babies. It is therefore recommended
that babies should not be given some foods before 6 months of age:
Foods to avoid before six months:
• Foods containing gluten – such as bread, pasta, chapattis, cereals
• Nuts and seeds – you may have a nut free policy
• Eggs
• Raw or cooked shellfish
• Shark, swordfish and marlin
• Strawberries, citrus fruits and juices
• Foods containing plant sterols, e.g. some margarines and yoghurts
• Honey should not be given to children under the age of 12 months
Other practices to avoid:
• Foods should not be added to bottles of milk! This does not allow the infant to
learn how food feels in the mouth or how to chew and it may cause choking.
• No manufactured weaning foods should be used in your care, although these
might be offered at home as the parent’s choice.
Key points on weaning:
Apart from nutritional reasons, it is also important to introduce the baby to the taste and
textures of different food. Chewing, biting and moving food around the mouth using
the tongue is important for early oro-motor skills for speech development. It is important
to offer a variety of flavours and soft textures. Between 6 months and 1 year, provide
food, which allows the infant to learn to chew and accept a wide variety of food
textures.
Infants who are weaned at or near 6 months may be able to accept a greater variety
of foods and changes in food textures more quickly than those weaned earlier.
It is important to go at the baby’s pace.
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Foods high in iron including meat, oily fish and pulses should definitely be introduced at
or around 6 months, depending on when the baby was first weaned. It’s important to
note that by about 6 months of age some infants can have finger foods. It is generally
advised that babies who are sitting could be offered finger foods.
In order to help understand the oral development of infants and their ability to ‘eat’ a
variety of foods, weaning has been divided into different stages. Although these stages
are often linked to certain ages, especially on commercial foods, the weaning process
should be a natural flow and the stages should be flexible for each baby.
Babies often show signals they are ready to move on, and staff should know how to
pick up the different signals. The stages should not necessarily be connected to an age
and there should be a flow between the stages – at the baby’s pace.
Smooth first tastes
Stage 1 describes the first introduction of solids, with the aim of introducing taste and
texture. During stage 1, the introduction of solids is solely an introduction to food and to
develop new feeding skills and the main nutritional source for the infant remains breast
milk/formula milk.
How to start the introduction of solids:
Start with 1-2 teaspoons of solids and increase the amount according to the baby’s
appetite.
First solids should be introduced at any suitable mealtime, when the baby is not too
hungry or overtired
There are some suggestions that offering solids half way through milk feed is a good
time to try the first few times.
If the baby refuses the solids, the attempt should be stopped and offered again at a
later stage
Remember to smile whilst feeding the infant
Start with 1-2 teaspoons of food once a day and when the baby is happy to take more,
offer solids twice a day.
The earlier weaning is started, the longer this stage will take.
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Moving on to textures
There should be a natural flow between the stages of weaning and not a fixed time
limit. The second skill, which babies have to master, is how to get the food from the
spoon to the back of their mouth. Normal sucking involves pushing the tongue forward.
Therefore, it is quite normal for babies when they are first introduced to solids to push
the tongue forward and the food back out of their mouth. This should not be confused
with the baby spitting food out. It usually takes a few attempts before they master and
learn how to coordinate the food to the back of the mouth to be swallowed.
Suitable foods for stage 1 weaning
• Baby rice/mashed potatoes/baby cereal mixed with breast milk or formula milk.
• Baby cereal should be gluten free, especially if offered to the infants between 17
weeks and 26 weeks
• Mix the formula food with milk so that they are slightly thicker than milk, like a
runny yoghurt, this can be thickened to suit the baby
• Vegetable or fruit purees could also be used e.g. root vegetables such as
potato, yam, carrot, parsnip, sweet potato, and other vegetables and fruits such
as broccoli cauliflower, cooked apple, ripe pear, peach, banana
• There is no reason why fruit and vegetables cannot be mixed together
• Start with vegetable only puree eg. Sweet potato and broccoli, then after a few
weeks you can include protein foods (meat, fish, poultry and pulses) e.g. Sweet
potato, broccoli and chicken.
First stage weaning purees can be prepared alongside the main recipes by simply
preparing a little extra of two or three fruits or vegetables and from the recipes.
Some pointers
• Remember that during this stage the breast milk/formula milk remains the main
source of nutrition
• Aim to get the baby into a routine and definitely offer solids at least twice a day.
• As soon as babies are able to coordinate the food better, they will begin to take
larger quantities.
• At this point they also realise that the food will satisfy their hunger
• It is a good point to start offering solids before milk feed.
• Foods high in iron are needed so it is important to move on quickly from ‘first
tastes’
• Once the baby is used to different flavours and textures purees can be made
thicker
• Give a variety of flavours – both savoury as well as sweet
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• Iron-containing food such as meat, pulses (dahl, beans, lentils, peas), and
chicken can be used as early weaning foods, all depending on when a baby is
weaned.
• As the baby learns to take food from the spoon they will take more and
determine how much they want.
• Use a variety of foods that offer texture to food such as lentils, risotto rice, and
small pasta shapes etc. or simply mash the food well!
• The closer the baby is to 6 months, the more quickly can be progressed to thicker
purees and finger foods than if you wean at an earlier age.
• At this stage, a typical meal can be made up with 1/3 meat/pulses, 1/3 starchy
food e.g. rice/pasta/potato and 1/3 vegetables
• Mild spices and herbs can be used for flavour e.g. masala, coriander, a variety of
herbs
• Towards the end of this stage, babies could well be eating 3 meals a day and it
will be normal for babies to gradually want less milk.
Starting soft lumps or soft mashed food and finger foods to learn chewing
Some babies are ready to learn to chew at 6-7 months when they can sit upright by
themselves and have good head control. It is important to give babies the opportunity
to learn to chew at this age. Initial refusal of lumps and lumpy food is common.
Start with food with soft lumps by mashing soft ripe fruit or cooked vegetables with
pasta and grated cheese, fish or chicken, rather than pureeing it down as in previous
stages. Other examples of meals may be: scrambled egg with fingers of toast, flaked
fish with mashed potato and vegetable sticks, chapatti with vegetable curry
Soft finger foods can also be introduced, such as soft cooked vegetable sticks, soft
peeled fruits, and fingers of toast
Never leave the baby alone in case of choking and always ensure the baby is securely
seated in a harnessed seat.
Involve babies with feeding and encourage making mealtimes a pleasant experience
by giving them their own spoon to try with and expect a mess!
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Finger foods
Encourage fine finger control development; this usually starts around seven months,
when the baby can hold objects in their hand. It is not necessary to wait until the baby
has teeth. They should initially be soft or melt in the mouth to avoid choking. Different
shapes and colour finger foods make interesting objects for babies to explore with their
hands and mouths. Aim to include or offer some finger foods at each meal
• Start with softer foods such as ripe fruit e.g. pears, bananas, melon, avocado,
halved seedless grapes, mango, papaya, and kiwi fruit
• Lightly cooked vegetables such as sticks of carrot, potato or parsnip, baby sweet
corn, florets of cauliflower/ broccoli
• As they become more competent at chewing, the variety of snacks can be
increased
• Try: cooked pieces of meat, chicken or turkey
• Quarters of hardboiled egg
• Cubes of cheese
• Rice cakes, bread sticks, toast fingers,
• Cooked pasta shapes,
• Slices of raw apple, dried fruit, raisins, sultanas, apples
• Raw vegetables, e.g. cucumber, carrots and peppers
Time for family meals
From nine months, some references say definitely by 11-12 months most babies should
be enjoying family meals and eating the same food as the rest of the family, although
chopped up, mashed down consistency or cut up into smaller pieces.
During this stage babies are keen to try most foods
• Keep on smiling
• Allow mess
• Eat with the babies, this encourages social development
• Breastfeeding should continue until at least 1 year of age or at least 500 ml
formula milk/ 3 portions of dairy foods, or a combination should be given daily
Summary and main tips for weaning
According to the WHO and DoH recommendations it is accepted that infants can be
exclusively breast fed or formula fed until 6 months (26 weeks). Breastfeeding is best for
babies.
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However, it has been common practice to start weaning at an earlier stage. The
recommendation is to delay weaning until at least 17 weeks. For those parents who wish
to introduce solid foods earlier, there should be sufficient support and guidance
Infants who wean at 26 weeks should progress with weaning more quickly than those
who wean earlier.
Soft cooked meat; fish, chicken and pulses (all good sources of iron) could be included
as early weaning foods and can be introduced before the infant reaches 6 months.
From 6 months all babies should be having iron rich foods. Offer a variety of flavours
and textures. Between 6 months and 1 year, give food which allows the infant to learn
to chew and accept a wide variety of food textures. Eggs given to babies or toddlers
should be cooked until both the yolk and the white are solid
Whole cow’s milk can be used as an ingredient in weaning foods, for example to
moisten mash potato, on cereal, as a white sauce, but cow’s milk should not be the
main drink for infants under 1 year. Cow’s milk in cooking or as a yoghurt or custard
could be introduced prior to 6 months, in the case of those infants who have been
weaned earlier.
As weaning progresses, introduce soft lumps, and finger foods.
Do not add salt to foods for infants
Do not add sugar or salt to foods for infants. Use naturally sweet fruits such as apples
and bananas to sweeten foods
Do not add artificial sweeteners to food for infants.
Baby Led Weaning:
• Baby Led Weaning (BLW) is an alternative, and increasingly popular method of
weaning a baby from a milk only diet to solid foods.
• It allows a baby to control their own food intake by self-feeding from the very
beginning of the weaning process.
• To put it simply, BLW dispenses with the need for purees and weaning spoons,
and the baby feeds themselves.
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The basic principles of Baby Led Weaning:
• At the beginning of the process babies are allowed to reject foods, but these
can be reintroduced later.
• Babies are allowed to decide how much they want to eat. You don’t take over
and start feeding when they have finished themselves.
• Meals should not be hurried
• Sips of water are offered with meals
• Initially, soft fruits and vegetables are given. Harder foods are lightly cooked to
make them soft enough to chew without teeth.
• Food is offered in baton shaped pieces or in natural shapes that have a
“handle” (such as broccoli florets), while a baby is learning to bite off
manageable pieces.
• Non finger foods, such as porridge and yoghurt, may be offered with a spoon so
that babies can learn to use cutlery.
• BLW requires a lot of supervision to reduce the risk of choking and should only
ever be started with babies who can sit up. BLW is not generally recommended
for use in a childcare environment.
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Table 21. Infant developmental stages
s
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What should babies be drinking?
Infants between birth and 6 months:
• Breast milk is the ideal and preferred drink for infants from birth
• Exclusively breastfed babies do not need extra water, even in very hot weather,
as they will increase their fluid intake by demanding more feeds
• In childcare, where babies are not able to demand additional feeds, the
situation should be reviewed
• Infant formulas are the only recommended alternatives to breast milk in babies
first year.
• Due to the constant composition of these formula, babies may be offered extra
cooled boiled water in hot weather
• Infant formulas provided by parents should be used and prepared appropriately
according to the guidelines for babies
• Water, tap water or bottled water must be boiled and cooled for babies under 6
months. Most bottled still waters are suitable but natural mineral waters with a
high sodium content (above 150 mg/l) should not be used. Once weaning onto
solid foods have become established, babies should be offered water from a
cup with their meals.
• Babies under the age of 12 months should not be receiving cow’s milk as their
main drink. Although cow’s milk is nutritious and provides energy, fat, protein, it is
also low in iron and vitamin D and would not meet the requirements of a growing
baby.
Fluids from 6 months - Breast milk
Infant formula: - note that the volume of milk consumed may decline as weaning onto
more solids is established.
Full cream cow’s milk can be used in cooking or on cereal as from 6 months, or even
younger depending on when the baby was weaned.
Fluids from 12 months
Although it has historically been the age when infants stop drinking infant formula and
have cow’s milk as a main drink, there is no reason why breastfeeding or an infant
formula could not be continued. It is important to identify those babies who have an
over dependence on milk feeds or at the same time, identify those who may be
nutritionally at risk, who would benefit from either breast milk or infant formula.
Cow’s milk. Whole or full fat cow’s milk can be introduced as the main drink for babies
from 12 months old. Infants at this age should drink between 350 ml – 600 mls per day
and this can be partially or wholly substituted with full fat yoghurts and other dairy
products such as cheese/white sauce.
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All infants and toddlers should only be offered milk (either breast milk, infant formula or
full cream cow’s milk or semi skimmed cow’s milk after 2 years) or water in your setting.
Fruit juices, are acidic and contain the fruit sugar fructose and therefore should be well
diluted, offered in a cup and not a bottle. Fruit juices should only be offered at meal
and snack times. It is recommended that fruit juices should be diluted 1 in 10 with
water. Fruit juice however would not have the same benefits as fresh fruit and due to
dilution would provide only a very small amount of the beneficial vitamins compared to
whole fruits high e.g. vitamin C fruit juices, such as blackcurrant and citrus juices, the
vitamin C enhances the absorption of iron from foods
The following drinks are available and often used, but are not recommended for infants
and toddlers in childcare. Here is the most up to date guidance:
Fruit juices drinks and squashes and baby juices
Fruit juice drinks are sweetened with sugar and can contain artificial colours and
preservative with only 5-10% fruit juice added. Like squashes the sugar and acid
content make them carcinogenic when drunk frequently. Large quantities leave
babies and toddlers full and can spoil their appetites to more nutritious food.
Fizzy drinks/carbonated drinks: These drinks are not suitable for babies
Low sugar squashes may contain sweeteners such as aspartame and saccharin, which
are not suitable for children under 3. If these are given these should be diluted with at
least 10 parts of water and confined to mealtimes.
Tea and coffee, tea is a popular drink in the UK and is often given to babies. Tannins in
tea can inhibit iron absorption and should therefore not be offered to babies. Both tea
and coffee are unsuitable for babies
Herbal teas and powdered fruit drinks, herbal teas and powdered drinks for babies, if
sweetened, are equally damaging to teeth as other sugary drinks and are not suitable
for babies.
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How many drinks per day?
• Parents should be guiding the amount of milk babies take during their stay at
childcare, but carers should also use their discretion when extra feeds are
required e.g. during illness.
• Infants should/could be offered water or the appropriate milk at meal and snack
times.
• Water in a cup can be introduced to babies before the age of 6 months,
depending on the infant.
• Remember that cup feeds will initially complement the milk feeding until the
child reaches an age where larger volumes can efficiently be taken from a cup.
• By the baby’s first birthday the cup needs to ideally be used exclusively and
bottles should be stopped completely
• The toddlers should be offered water or the appropriate milk at each meal &
snack time.
Drinking cups
• You should use free-flow lidded feeding cups, without a valve or an open
topped cup. These should be introduced at the weaning stage.
• Avoid using cups that require the infant to suck the drink. These cups are also
sometimes called a ‘drinker feeder or a non-spill cup’.
• Sucking drinks across the teeth can contribute to tooth damage.
13. Training Notes - Nutritional guidelines for infants
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The Eating
Environment
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14. The Eating Environment - Encouraging children to enjoy mealtimes
The dining area:
The dining area offers an opportunity to encourage children to develop social skills and
learn about food. For those children who don’t eat at the table with their family at
home, eating with you may be the only opportunity they have to experience social
dining. Aim for children to sit together at meal times, each child should have their own
place mat and conversation should be encouraged during the meal. It’s also a time to
promote table etiquette, such as please and thank you.
Creating an attractive table:
Table cloths should be bright and attractive, use flowers or plants make the dining area
feel homely and inviting. Crockery and cutlery should be of a high standard.
The area could have displays illustrating healthy eating, these may include fruit and
vegetable displays, “eat a rainbow” charts, pictures of the children taking part in
cookery and other food preparation activities.
Table laying:
Children should be encouraged to help staff lay and clear tables. This helps establish a
feeling of “occasion” about meal times.
Are you eating with children?
Young children learn about foods by example. It is good practice for childminders to
eat with children.
During mealtimes actively encourage children to try new foods and talk to them about
the meal they are eating.
Mealtimes are an opportunity to observe children who may be experiencing common
feeding issues, you can then work with parents to identify strategies to help children
overcome these issues.
Examples of activities to help children feel comfortable with new foods include using
fruits and vegetables in play, collage, and printing. Studies show that this type of play
will encourage a child to eat a new fruit or vegetable, once they have had the
opportunity to touch, small and even taste the food away from a mealtime.
Growing fruits and vegetables in the garden (use pots or grow bags if space is limited).
Children will learn about the lifecycle of food and will enjoy caring for plants as they
grow and produce fruit and vegetables. You can grow cress and other sprouting
vegetables indoors too. Children should be regularly involved with preparing food and
simple cooking. Preparing vegetables and fruit, making bread or biscuits and choosing
their own fruit at snack times are all useful ways to engage children with food.
115 | Page

Communicating
your commitment to
excellence in Food
and Nutrition
116 | Page

15. Communicating your commitment to excellence in Food & Nutrition
Effective communication between a childminder and parents about food can help to
overcome nutritional issues. Good communication can reassure parents who are
concerned or anxious about their child’s eating and establish YOU as an expert
resource regarding food and nutrition.
Special diet provision- the Food Allergy and Intolerance manual will help you identify
those children with diagnosed food allergies and intolerances from those children with
common food preferences. It is the Childminder’s role to liaise with the parents of
children with common food preferences to work together to help them overcome their
aversions to specific foods through play, cooking and mealtime activities.
Menu planning – menus should be displayed for parents to see and recipes can be
copied and given to parents to use at home. The recipes produce 10 toddler portions
but are generally suitable for 4-5 family portions too (2 adults and 3 older children)-
parents can also be encouraged to join www.grub4life.org.uk where they can freely access
a range of resources relating to children’s nutrition and recipes for healthy, family and
toddler meals.
Stock control- by using standardised recipes you will be able to manage food budgets
and food ordering more effectively.
Procurement
An important part of your nutrition ethos may be about using local suppliers- bakeries,
farm shops, milkman etc. Details of your local suppliers should be displayed for parents
to see. Suppliers may also be invited to attend the Food and Nutrition Open days.
Food and nutrition open days
• You may like to hold open food themed events; these might include cookery
sessions, support around weaning and food related issues like problem eating as
well as tasting sessions.
• Open days may simply be an invitation to lunch where you prepare some key
dishes from the menu for parents to taste
• Summer barbecues can be held in garden areas to show parents vegetable
growing projects and encourage them to get involved
• You may choose to hold special food and nutrition open days to focus on
weaning or problem eating- these are ideal opportunities for parents to meet
discuss recipes and cooking tips.
• It’s recommended to aim to hold at least one food and nutrition open day for
parents and potential new clients each year. This is an ideal opportunity to
promote your commitment to high standards in food and nutrition.
117 | Page

• Any opportunity you have to invite parents along to see and taste your food or
to discuss food and nutrition issues they may be experiencing with their children
at home is an opportunity for YOU to be seen as an expert in food, who can
genuinely support parents.
If you require support or advice to help plan a Food and Nutrition open day contact
any of the team at Grub4life www.grub4life.org.uk
Lunch boxes- guidance for parents
Bringing food from home
If trips are arranged where children may need a packed lunch the childminder should
work in partnership with parents to promote healthy packed lunches.
It will be useful to give parents written guidance as to what a healthy lunch box should
comprise of.
Guideline for nutritious packed lunch:
A lunch box should ideally comprise of:
• 1-2 portions of fruit and vegetables
• Use salad vegetables in sandwiches or in a rice or pasta salad
• Include snack vegetables like cherry tomatoes or carrot sticks, cucumber slices
• Include pieces of fruit, a fruit salad, dried fruit, or a fruit juice. Canned fruit, in natural
juice
• Make use of easy to eat fruit such as Satsumas, tangerines, clementines (peeled and
wrapped), small bananas, seedless grapes (for smaller children, cut the grapes in half to
reduce the risk of choking)
• Canned fruit can be transferred to a pot
• 2-3 portions of bread (1 slice=1 portion), other cereals and potatoes
• Choose a variety of breads – sliced breads, bread rolls, pita bread, chapatti, naan,
bagels, baps, baguettes, crisp breads, tortilla wraps
• Choose a variety of breads including whole grain or granary varieties for extra variety
• Pizza slices, pasta / rice/ cous cous salads, samosas, quiche slices and bread sticks –
these are alternative to sandwiches
• 1 portion of meat, fish and alternatives
• These can be added to sandwiches or salads e.g. tuna and pasta salad with light
mayonnaise and sweetcorn, egg and cress sandwich, chicken in a tortilla wrap, dahl
and chapatti, vegetable and chickpea soup with a roll, falafels
• 1 portion of milk or dairy foods
• Yoghurts, fromage frais, milk puddings or milk smoothies, cheese cubes or creamed
cheese. The portion of dairy could either make up part of the main lunchbox items or
could be the dessert
Drinks
• Water or milk are the only drinks allowed
118 | Page

Food related
customs
119 | Page

16. Food related customs
A guide to some food choices and variances observed in different religious and cultural groups
120 | Page

17. Celebrations and parties
At some points during the year, there will be cultural or religious celebrations. Food is an
important part of any celebration, but this often means buying in a range of processed
sweet and savoury party food- often with high levels of salt, sugar and inappropriate
ingredients for children under 5. General party foods should be kept simple and may
include sandwiches, unsalted savoury snacks, plain cupcakes, fairy cakes, flapjacks,
cookies and muffins. You may choose to alter the menu on a particular day to
celebrate a specific festival.
• Christmas
o Gingerbread Snowflake cookies
o Christmas Dinner p
o Santa Cookies
• Diwali and Eid
o Paneer and vegetable skewers
o Spiced cauliflower
• Easter
o
Hot Cross Buns
• Hanukkah
o Potato Latkes
• St Andrew’s Day
o Cock-a- leekie soup
• St David’s Day
o Welsh Onion cake
o Welsh Cakes
• St George’s Day
o Lancashire Hotpot
• St Patrick’s Day
o Irish Stew
o Irish Soda Bread
121 | Page

Christmas - Gingerbread snowflake cookies
Ingredients: makes 26 cookies
375g plain flour, plus extra for rolling
2tbsp (30g) ground ginger
1tsp (5g) ground cinnamon
1tsp (5g) baking powder
1tbsp (15g) cocoa powder
125g unsaturated spread
125g light muscovado sugar
1tbsp (15g) black treacle
1tbsp (5g) golden syrup
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Method:
Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas 4.
Sift together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking powder and cocoa powder.
In a separate bowl, beat together the butter and sugar with an electric hand whisk until it is
slightly creamy. Add the treacle, golden syrup and egg. Beat until smooth.
Using a wooden spoon, gradually add the flour mixture, a little at a time, and then finish off with
your hands, to form a smooth dough, kneading lightly on the worktop.
Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to around the thickness of a £1 coin.
Using a pastry cutter, cut out as many small or large biscuit shapes as you like. Place on greased
baking sheets. There is no need to space them well apart as the dough won’t spread while
cooking.
Place in the preheated oven and cook for 10-12 minutes, until they are starting to firm up.
Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Once cold, the biscuits can be decorated like snowflakes
Use white writing icing tubes
• FOR WHEAT FREE DIETS, USE WHEAT FREE PLAIN FLOUR
• FOR DAIRY FREE DIETS, USE NON DAIRY SPREAD
FOR EGG FREE DIETS, USE ORGRAN EGG REPLACER
Nutrition analysis per serving
Energy Protein (g) Fat Carbohydrate (g) Sugar Salt (g) Iron Calcium (mg)
(kcals)
(g)
(g)
(mg)
115 1.9 4.6 18 6 0.2 1.1 33
122 | Page

Christmas Dinner - Roast Turkey & trimmings with roast potatoes, vegetables & gravy
Serves 10
Ingredients:
1kg Turkey roasting joint
10 (200g) quorn chipolatas
20 (1kg) potatoes, peeled and cut in half
2 x 400g seasonal vegetables (Brussels sprouts, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower)
600ml pints of Kallo low salt chicken stock
Cornflour
Method:
Pre heat oven to 180c,.
Place turkey in a roasting tin, and in the oven. Cook for approx 11/2
hours or until meat juices run clear. Cooking times will vary
according to size of turkey joint. Cook until well done.
Blanche potatoes for 8-10 minutes.
Place the blanched potatoes in another roasting tin and coat with
oil.
Roast in the oven for 1 hour, turning once.
20 minutes before the end of the cooking place the sausages in a
small dish and cook in the oven.
When turkey is cooked, allow to stand for 10 minutes.
Add the vegetables to boiling water and cook for 5-6 minutes.
Carve turkey, wrap in foil and keep hot.
Make gravy by thickening stock from corn flour paste.
Serve 1 slice of turkey, 1 chipolata sausage, 2 roast potatoes and one spoon of each
vegetable as a portion. Pour gravy over meat.
• FOR VEGETARIAN DIETS- SERVE VEGGIE BURGER WITH VEGETARIAN SAUSAGE AND
POTATOES AND VEGETABLES
• PREPARE A GRAVY USING KALLO LOW SALT VEGETABLE STOCK.
Nutrition analysis per serving
Energy Protein (g) Fat Carbohydrate (g) Sugar Salt (g) Iron Calcium (mg)
(kcals)
(g)
(g)
(mg)
373 39g 12g 31g 0 1g 2.5g 70g
123 | Page

Christmas - Santa Cookies
Makes 20 cookies
Ingredients:
125g unsaturated margarine
50g caster sugar
175g plain flour
For decoration:
White water icing
Red water icing (use red currant concentrate for
colouring)
Currants
Method
Pre-heat oven to Gas 2, 150c, 350F.
Whisk the margarine thoroughly in a bowl until really soft, then beat in the sugar a little at a
time. Finally fold in the flour to make a dough.
Roll out the dough on a floured surface to the thickness of ½ cm.
Then knead and re-roll the dough and using a cut 5.5 cm pastry cutter, cut 20 cookies.
Place the cookies on a greased baking sheet, and in the oven for 25 mins.
Remove the cookies from the oven and transfer to a wire cooling rack.
Make the red water icing. Starting at the top of each cookie, cover in red icing to about ¼
towards the middle to make a Santa hat.
When all the cookies have hats, make the white icing.
First, underline the bottom of the hat with a line of white icing to give the fur trim. Then follow
the outer, bottom edge of the cookie with white icing to make a beard.
You should now have a semi-circle of un-iced cookie making the bearded face.
Place 4 dots of white icing, to stick currants to the cookie making, eyes, nose and a mouth.
Allow the icing to set before serving.
• FOR WHEAT FREE, EGG FREE AND MILK FREE DIETS, SERVE TRUFREE OR GLUTAFIN
• SHORTBREAD BISCUITS DECORATED AS DESCRIBED ABOVE.
Nutrition analysis per serving
Energy Protein (g) Fat Carbohydrate (g) Sugar Salt (g) Iron Calcium (mg)
(kcals)
(g)
(g)
(mg)
103 0.8g 5g 14g 8g 0.1 g 0.3mg 14mg
124 | Page

Diwali and Eid - Paneer and vegetable skewers
Ingredients: serves 10
For the marinade
130ml Greek-style yoghurt
½ tsp mild chilli powder, or to taste
Small knob (5g) fresh ginger, peeled and 1 tsp garam masala
roughly chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped 3 tbsp lemon juice, or to taste
2 tbsp sunflower oil 1 tsp cumin powder
1 tbsp chickpea flour 8 ground cardamom seeds
For the skewers
300g paneer, cut into cubes
1 large onion, cut into small pieces to fit on
the skewers
1 green and 1 red pepper, cored and cut
into the same size pieces as the onion
Sunflower oil
5 wooden skewers
2 tbsp melted butter
chaat masala (a dried spice mixture
available from Asian grocers)
Preparation method
Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6 and
grease a baking sheet.
Mix together all the marinade ingredients in a
bowl and add the paneer, onion and
peppers.
Cover with cling film and allow the paneer
and vegetables to marinate for one hour in
the fridge.
Take the soaked skewers and thread the
vegetables and paneer alternately onto
them.
Bake in the oven for seven minutes, pour over
the melted butter, turn and cook for another
6 minutes or so until charred at the edges.
When cooked, sprinkle with chaat masala and serve half a skewer per portion (remove skewers
before serving).
Cook’s tip: Serve a pre prepared and frozen vegetable puree for weaning diets.
• FOR DAIRY FREE DIETS OMIT YOGHURT, PANEER AND BUTTER. USE SOYA YOGHURT, TOFU
AND PURA SPREAD.
Nutrition analysis per serving
Energy Protein Fat (g) Carbohydrate (g) Sugar Salt (g) Iron Calcium
(kcals) (g)
(g)
(mg) (mg)
221 11 8 3.9 2.7 0.6 0.7 98
125 | Page

Diwali and Eid - Spiced Cauliflower
Ingredients: serves 10
2 tbsp sunflower oil
2 tsp mild chilli powder
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp turmeric
2 tsp ground black pepper
1 cauliflower broken into small florets
Method:
Bring a large pan of water to the boil
Add the cauliflower florets, reduce the heat and simmer for 5-6 minutes, or until the
cauliflower is tender but not soft.
Drain well.
Heat a frying pan over a medium heat and add the oil.
Add the spices and fry for 2-3 minutes, or until they release their scents.
Add the cauliflower to the frying pan and stir to coat the cauliflower with the hot spice
mixture.
Cook’s tip: Prepare extra cauliflower and another vegetable to make a puree for
weaning diets.
Nutrition analysis per serving
Energy Protein Fat (g) Carbohydrate Sugar Salt (g) Iron Calcium
(kcals) (g)
(g)
(g)
(mg) (mg)
131 4 3.1 6.9 0.7 0.3 0.7 32
126 | Page

Easter: Hot Cross Buns
Ingredients: serves 12
450g plain flour
1 1/2 tsp (7.5g) fast action dried yeast
200ml milk
1 level tsp (2.5g) mixed spice
75g caster sugar
50g melted unsaturated spread
1 medium egg
50g currants
25 chopped mixed peel (or extra dried fruit)
40g caster sugar
50ml water
Method:
Preheat the oven to 200C/gas 6/390F
Put all the dried ingredients including the yeast into a bowl. Stir in the melted spread.
Mix the egg and milk in a jug, and gradually mix into the dried ingredients a little at a time.
Knead well until you have a smooth, but not sticky dough. Add a little more flour if needed.
Knead the dough on a floured surface until perfectly smooth, put back into the bowl and cover
the bowl with cling film. Leave in a warm place to rise for an hour.
Grease and flour two baking trays.
Divide the dough into 12 pieces and shape into buns. Set the buns well apart on the prepared
trays and leave them in a warm place until doubled in size. Make two cuts on the top of each
bun to form a cross.
Bake just above the centre of the oven for 15-20 mins. Leave the buns to cool on a wire rack;
while still warm brush them with a glaze made from 40g caster sugar dissolved in 2 tablespoons
water.
Cook’s tip: Hot cross buns can be made up to four days in advance and kept in an air tight
container. They also freeze very well.
• FOR WHEAT FREE DIETS, USE WHEAT FREE PLAIN FLOUR
• FOR EGG FREE DIETS, USE ORGRAN EGG REPLACER
• FOR DAIRY FREE DIETS, USE NON DAIRY SPREAD
Nutrition analysis per serving
Energy Protein (g) Fat Carbohydrate (g) Sugar Salt (g) Iron Calcium (mg)
(kcals)
(g)
(g)
(mg)
223 5 4 44 15.5 0.1 1.4 105
127 | Page

Hanukah - Potato Latkes
Ingredients: Makes 10 Latkes
1kg old potatoes, peeled
1 onion, peeled
25g plain flour or fine matzo meal
1 egg, beaten
Freshly ground white pepper
Olive or sunflower oil, for frying
To serve
400g soured cream
200g apple sauce
Method:
Finely grate the potatoes and onion and mix together.
Place the grated potato and onion into a colander and squeeze out as much moisture
as you can. Or roll up the potato and onion in a clean kitchen tea towel and wring well
to extract the liquid.
Mix the potato and onion with the flour, egg and freshly ground white pepper.
Heat the oil in a frying pan until moderately hot and then place heaped tablespoons
of the mixture into the pan to shallow-fry.
Lower the heat to medium, flatten each latke with the back of a spoon and fry for
about five minutes on each side, turning over when the edges turn golden-brown.
If the heat is too high, the latkes will become dark-brown on the outside before they
are cooked inside.
Remove the latkes from the pan and drain on brown paper bags (they absorb the oil,
leave the latkes crisper and the latkes won't stick to the paper).
Serve the latkes hot with soured cream and apple sauce
Cooks Tips: FOR WEANING DIETS SERVE A PRE PREPARED FROZEN VEGETABLE PUREE
• FOR EGG FREE DIETS OMIT EGGS AND USE A LITTLE MILK TO BIND THE MIXTURE
• FOR DAIRY FREE DIETS OMIT SOUR CREAM AND SERVE PLAIN SOYA YOGHURT.
Nutrition analysis per serving
Energy
(kcals)
Protein (g)
Fat
(g)
Carbohydrate
(g)
Sugar
(g)
Salt
(g)
Iron
(mg)
Calcium
(mg)
237 15 19 22 12 0.2 0.2 326
128 | Page

St Andrews Day Cock-a-leekie soup
Ingredients: serves 20
1.75kg skinless, boneless chicken thighs, diced
2.5L water
1 (150g) onion, chopped
50g pearl barley
275ml kallo very low salt chicken stock
7 (770g) leeks, sliced
2 (50g) stalks celery, sliced
1 (5g) sprig fresh thyme, leaves chopped
Small handful (15g) chopped fresh parsley
Freshly ground black pepper
Method:
In a large pot over high heat, combine the chicken, water, onion and pearl barley. Bring to the
boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 1 hour.
Add the chicken stock, leeks, celery, thyme leaves, parsley and pepper.
Simmer for 30 more minutes, or until all vegetables are tender.
Serve with crusty bread.
Cook’s tip: For puree diets, prepare some potatoes and additional leeks to make a leek and
potato puree.
• FOR VEGETARIAN DIETS, OMIT CHICKEN THIGHS AND REPLACE WITH DRY LENTILS. USE VEGETABLE
STOCK.
• FOR WHEAT FREE DIETS, SERVE WITH WHEAT FREE BREAD
Nutrition analysis per serving
Energy Protein (g) Fat Carbohydrate (g) Sugar Salt (g) Iron Calcium (mg)
(kcals)
(g)
(g)
(mg)
175 23 8 3.3 0.9 0.1 1.2 21
129 | Page

St David’s Day - Welsh onion cake
Ingredients: serves 10
100g unsalted butter, melted and warm
500g white onions, sliced
A couple of rosemary sprigs
1kg floury [Desiree or Maris Piper] potatoes
Method
Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5.
Heat about a quarter of the butter in a large
pan, set over a medium heat.
Sweat the onions with a little salt and the rosemary sprigs.
Slowly cook on a gentle heat with a lid on for about 20 mins. Remove rosemary and set aside.
Take a large bowl and pour in the rest of the melted butter
Peel the potatoes [do not wash] and cut into wafer-thin slices [the thinner the better] into the
bowl
Season with salt and pepper.
Line an ovenproof, non-stick frying pan with a round of baking paper.
Layer potatoes neatly into the dish in a circle, slightly overlapping.
Continue to pile in half of the potatoes, then add the melted onions.
Continue to layer all the ingredients in that order.
Set the pan over a medium heat and gently begin to colour the bottom of the dish for 5 mins
Transfer to the oven and cook for 45-50 mins until the potatoes are soft.
Remove from the oven and leave to rest for 10 mins.
Invert onto a serving plate and allow to set for a minute or two before serving.
Cook’s tip: Prepare extra potatoes and another vegetable to make a puree for
weaning diets.
• FOR DAIRY FREE DIETS OMIT BUTTER AND USE PURA NON DAIRY SPREAD.
Nutrition analysis per serving
Energy Protein (g) Fat Carbohydrate (g) Sugar Salt (g) Iron Calcium
(kcals)
(g)
(g)
(mg) (mg)
254 4 14 30 2.7 0.1 0.9 22
130 | Page

St David’s Day: Welsh Cakes
Ingredients: serves 10
225g plain flour
85g caster sugar
½ tsp (2.5g) mixed spice
½ tsp (2.5g) baking powder
100g unsaturated spread
50g currants
1 egg, beaten
Splash (20ml) milk
25g unsaturated spread, melted for brushing the cakes
before baking.
Method:
Preheat the oven to 200C/gas 6/390F
Tip the flour, sugar, mixed spice, baking powder into a bowl. Then, with your fingers, rub in the
spread until crumbly. Mix in the currants.
Work the egg into the mixture until you have soft dough, adding a splash of milk if it seems a little
dry - it should be the same consistency as shortcrust pastry.
Roll out the dough on a lightly floured work surface to the thickness of your little finger.
Cut out rounds using a 6cm cutter, re-rolling any trimmings. Grease a baking tray and brush the
cakes with a little melted spread. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown, crisp
and cooked through.
Cook’s tip: Delicious served warm with butter and jam, or simply sprinkled with a little caster
sugar. Cakes will stay fresh in a tin for 1 week.
FOR WHEAT FREE DIETS, USE WHEAT FREE FLOUR
FOR EGG FREE DIETS, USE ORGRAN EGG REPLACER
FOR DAIRY FREE DIETS, USE DAIRY FREE SPREAD AND SOYA MILK
Nutrition analysis per serving
Energy Protein (g) Fat Carbohydrate (g) Sugar Salt (g) Iron Calcium (mg)
(kcals)
(g)
(g)
(mg)
205 3 9 30 13 0.3 0.7 48
131 | Page

St George’s Day: Lancashire Hotpot
Ingredients: Serves 10
900g stewing lamb, cut into large chunks
15ml unsaturated oil
2 (330g) medium onions, chopped
4 (400g) carrots, peeled and sliced
25g plain flour
2 tsp (10ml) Worcestershire sauce
500ml kallo very low salt chicken stock
2 bay leaves
900g potatoes, thinly sliced.
Method:
Heat oven to 360F/ 140C/gas 3.
In a large shallow casserole dish, brown the lamb in batches, lift to a plate and keep warm.
In the same pan, fry the onions and carrots in the oil. Sprinkle over the flour, allow to cook for a
couple of mins, shake over the Worcestershire sauce, pour in the stock, and then bring to the
boil.
Stir in the meat and bay leaves, then turn off the heat. Arrange the sliced potatoes on top of the
meat, and then drizzle with a little more oil. Cover, then place in the oven for about 1½ hrs until
the potatoes are cooked.
Remove the lid, then turn the oven up to brown the potatoes, or finish under the grill for 5-8 mins
until brown.
Serve with green vegetables
Cook’s tip: For puree diets, prepare extra carrots and green vegetables to make a puree.
• FOR VEGETARIAN DIETS, OMIT LAMB AND REPLACE WITH 500g BUTTER BEANS AND 400g SLICED
MUSHROOMS. OMIT WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE AND USE MIXED HERBS. USE KALLO VERY LOW SALT
VEGETABLE STOCK.
• FOR WHEAT FREE DIETS USE WHEAT FREE FLOUR
Nutrition analysis per serving
Energy Protein (g) Fat Carbohydrate (g) Sugar Salt (g) Iron Calcium (mg)
(kcals)
(g)
(g)
(mg)
239 20 9.3 19 4.4 0.2 1.9 36
132 | Page

St Patrick’s Day- Irish Stew with soda bread
Ingredients: serves 10
1kg diced lamb
1 litre of kallo very low salt chicken stock
2 (200g) carrots
1(200g) large onion, peeled and chopped
2 (20g) celery sticks, chopped
1 (110g) leek, peeled and sliced
2-3 (10-15g) garlic cloves, crushed
1 large bay leaf
1 (5g) large sprig fresh thyme
Freshly ground black pepper
150g small carrots
150g small onions
1 large (300g) floury potato, peeled and diced finely
2 (20g) spring onions, thinly sliced
5g little fresh chopped parsley
Method:
Place the meat into a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring slowly to the boil, skim
off any scum, then immediately drain into a colander and rinse in cold running water. This
scalding removes fat.
Return the meat to the pan and cover with the stock.
Add the carrots, onion, celery, leek and garlic followed by the thyme and bay leaf and bring to
the boil. Turn down the heat and simmer partially covered, for about 30 minutes, or until the
meat is tender.
Meanwhile, peel the small carrots and cut into 1cm chunks. Peel the small onions and add these
along with the carrot chunks to the stew and cook for another five minutes.
Then add the diced potato and cook for another 10-15 minutes, until it starts to dissolve into the
stew and thicken it. Finally check the seasoning, adding black pepper if necessary.
Garnish with sliced spring onion and parsley.
Serve the stew with soda bread.
Cook’s tip: For puree diets, prepare extra potatoes and carrots and make a puree.
• FOR VEGETARIAN DIETS, USE CANNED MIXED BEANS INSTEAD OF LAMB AND VEGETABLE STOCK
• FOR WHEAT FREE DIETS, USE WHEAT FREE BREAD
Nutrition analysis per serving
Energy Protein (g) Fat Carbohydrate (g) Sugar Salt (g) Iron Calcium (mg)
(kcals)
(g)
(g)
(mg)
188 21 8 9 4 0.2 0.4 18
133 | Page

St Patrick’s Day- Irish Soda Bread
Ingredients: serves 10
500g plain flour
2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp fine sea salt
Approx. 400ml buttermilk or live yoghurt
A little milk, if necessary
Method:
Sift the flour and bicarbonate of soda into a large mixing bowl and stir in the salt. Make a well in
the centre and pour in the buttermilk, stirring as you go. If necessary, add a tablespoon or two of
milk to bring the mixture together; it should form a soft dough, just this side of sticky.
Tip it out on to a lightly floured work surface and knead lightly for about a minute, just long
enough to pull it together into a loose ball but no longer – you need to get it into the oven while
the bicarb is still doing its stuff. You're not looking for the kind of smooth, elastic dough you’d get
with a yeast-based bread.
Put the round of dough on a lightly floured baking sheet and dust generously with flour. Mark a
deep cross in it with a sharp, serrated knife, cutting about two-thirds of the way through the loaf.
Put it in an oven preheated to 200°C/gas mark 6 and bake for 40-45 minutes, until the loaf
sounds hollow when tapped underneath.
Cool on a wire rack if you like a crunchy crust, or wrap in a clean tea towel if you prefer a soft
crust.
• FOR WHEAT FREE DIETS, USE WHEAT FREE PLAIN AND SELF RAISING FLOURS.
• FOR DAIRY FREE DIETS, OMIT BUTTERMILK AND USE SOYA YOGHURT
Nutrition analysis per serving
Energy Protein (g) Fat Carbohydrate (g) Sugar Salt (g) Iron Calcium (mg)
(kcals)
(g)
(g)
(mg)
223 7 4.8 41 2.5 0.6 1 120
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