Food and nutrition
Key information on this page includes:
Feeding your child
Once your child is over 12 months old, they should be having three meals a day. They may also need (up to) two healthy snacks instead of breastmilk/formula in between meals, for example fruit, vegetable sticks, toast, bread or plain yoghurt.
Try not to give your baby salty or sugary foods, as salt harms their kidneys and sugar rots their teeth. As their bodies are still developing, you should start off by feeding them softer foods, as harder foods may damage their teeth.
Healthy eating
As your children are growing up, their bodies require lots of care and nutrients. Cook vegetables to soften them where necessary, or offer them chopped as finger foods. When introducing your child to different types of fruit and vegetables, make sure you include ones with bitter flavours. This is to introduce them to a large variety of tastes.
5 a day
Fruit and vegetables are a great source of vitamins, minerals and fibre, and an important part of a balanced diet for children and adults.
Eating plenty of fruit and vegetables helps to keep us healthy, and may reduce the risk of disease and some cancers.
Healthier foods swaps
Making simple food swaps can help cut down on sugar, salt and fat in your family's diet. Even just one or two everyday swaps can really make a difference and go a long way to making each day healthier - but the more swaps you make, the better!
Healthy Start Scheme
The Healthy Start Scheme is a great way for new parents or parents to-be to save some money on their shopping bill, when they buy healthy food to support with their child's growth. When you register for the scheme, you will receive a card containing the money to save on your shopping bill.
If you meet the criteria, you will be eligible for:
- £4.25 each week of your pregnancy (from the 10th week of your pregnancy).
- £8.50 each week for children from birth to 1 year old.
- £4.25 each week for children between 1 and 4 years old.
The scheme also gives you free access to vitamins for both the mother and child. Mothers can get them from 10 weeks of conception until 1 year after birth, if they are breastfeeding.
Children can have vitamin drops to use in their food until they are 4 years old. The vitamins that are provided can be provided by a health professional (a midwife, GP or health visitor) or from family hubs. You can apply for the Healthy Start Scheme here: Apply for healthy start
Key links
- Start for life - NHS - Contains information all about feeding your newborn from birth until 12 months.
- Healthier families - NHS
- Get help to buy food and milk (healthy start) - Information about the Healthy Start Scheme, how to apply and where you can save money with.