Child Nutrition
Toddler Nutrition
What 1 to 4 year olds need, in plain steps: portion sizes, meals and snacks, vitamin drops and a food variety tracker.
£14.99Buy
Child nutrition courses for busy families
Practical, UK-based help with toddler meals, fussy eaters, packed lunches, food allergies and feeding the whole family from one menu.
- 5 courses
- Tools in every course
- Certificate included
Children are not small adults when it comes to food. The Eatwell Guide applies from about age 5, and children move towards it gradually between 2 and 5. Toddlers need full-fat dairy until age 2 and are not suited to the high-fibre, lower-fat eating that suits many adults. The NHS also recommends a daily vitamin supplement containing vitamins A, C and D for children aged 6 months to 5 years, unless they have more than 500ml of formula a day.
Daily limits for free sugars and salt are lower for children and rise with age. Our courses translate these figures into real food: portion guides by age, a lunchbox builder that follows school food rules, and a calm, step-by-step way of handling fussy eating without pressure or bribes.
Help with food costs may be available. Best Start Foods in Scotland, and Healthy Start in the rest of the UK, support eligible families with young children. All infant-class pupils in England get free school meals, all primary pupils in Wales are offered them, and Scotland provides them for younger primary years. Rules differ by nation, so check the official pages for where you live.
All child nutrition courses
Child Nutrition
Healthy Lunchbox Planning
Packed lunches sorted four weeks at a time, with a mix-and-match builder, a shopping list and a check against school food rules.
£12.99Buy
Child Nutrition
Fussy Eating Strategies
No-pressure ways to widen what your child eats, with a new-food ladder, mealtime rules cards and a 7-day plan to get started.
£14.99Buy
Child Nutrition
Food Allergy Awareness for Parents
Calm, practical allergy know-how for families: label checking, eating out, nursery and school forms and an emergency information sheet.
£14.99Buy
Child Nutrition
Family Meal Planning
One week of family meals planned, shopped and batch-cooked, with one-meal-for-all tweaks for children of different ages.
£14.99Buy
Find the course for your child's age and need
- Toddler Nutrition: meals, snacks, milk and vitamin drops for ages 1 to 4.
- Fussy Eating Strategies: a new-food ladder and calm mealtime rules for children who refuse new foods.
- Healthy Lunchbox Planning: four weeks of balanced, safe packed lunches for school-age children.
- Food Allergy Awareness for Parents: labels, eating out, school plans and emergency information for a child with a diagnosed food allergy.
- Family Meal Planning: one weekly menu that works for every age at the table, with a food budget tracker.
What the child nutrition tools do
- Portion guides by age: rough amounts for toddlers and older children, shown with everyday foods rather than grams alone.
- Food exposure tracker and new-food ladder: log each time a new food is offered, so small steps are visible.
- Lunchbox builder and 4-week planner: mix and match a starchy food, protein, fruit or vegetables and a drink, then plan a month at once.
- 14 allergens checklist and emergency information sheet: share key details with nursery, school, grandparents and childminders.
- Family meal planner and cost-per-meal calculator: adapt one meal for different ages and keep an eye on the weekly spend.
When to talk to your GP or health visitor
Ask your GP, health visitor or, for school-age children, the school nurse for advice if your child:
- eats a very small range of foods and it is affecting their growth, energy or daily life
- is losing weight, or does not seem to be growing as expected
- gags, chokes or becomes distressed with many textures
- has a reaction after eating a particular food
Call 999 if a child has swelling of the mouth or throat, difficulty breathing or swallowing, or collapses after eating, as these can be signs of anaphylaxis. If they have an adrenaline auto-injector, use it first, then call.
Child nutrition courses: your questions
How much sugar can my child have?
The NHS sets maximum daily free sugars of 19g for ages 4 to 6, 24g for ages 7 to 10 and 30g from age 11. Children under 4 should avoid sugar-sweetened drinks and food with added sugar.
When can my child switch to semi-skimmed milk?
Whole cows' milk can be the main drink from 12 months. Semi-skimmed is fine from age 2 if your child eats well and is growing normally. Skimmed and 1% milk are not suitable as a main drink before age 5.
My toddler only eats a handful of foods. Is that normal?
Fussy eating is very common in toddlers and usually eases with time and calm, repeated offers of new foods. If it is affecting growth or daily life, speak to your health visitor or GP.
Can a course tell me if my child has a food allergy?
No. Only a GP or specialist can diagnose a food allergy. The allergy course is for families whose child has a diagnosis or is waiting for an appointment and wants safe, general information in the meantime.
Do the lunchbox ideas follow school food rules?
The lunchbox course uses England's School Food Standards as a reference point and covers common school policies, such as nut-free rules. Always check your own school's packed lunch policy too.
Can older children use the courses themselves?
The courses are written for adults: parents, carers, grandparents and childminders. They are not designed for children or teenagers to use on their own.
Official sources
One calmer mealtime this week
Pick the course that matches your biggest mealtime worry and try its first tool at tea time.