Why does eating well matter for 1-4 year olds? Children do amazing things in the pre-school years. They grow, they develop, they learn to make a whole variety of big and small moves, they learn to talk, to reason, to imagine, to share and to play. Their immune systems are still developing and they need to eat a whole variety of foods to get all the nutrients they need to keep them healthy.
					Children of this age need regular meals and snacks which are full of nutrients, and we also want them to avoid ingredients which might do them harm (like too much salt or too much sugar). We also want to encourage young children to enjoy their good food choices, learn about where food comes from, how to prepare food, cook simple dishes and share meal times with others.
				Children in this age group should have three meals a day, and each meal should contain starchy foods for energy; meat, fish or alternatives to these foods which provide similar important nutrients like protein, iron and zinc; sources of calcium for healthy bones and fruits and vegetables for nutrients like vitamin A, vitamin C, folic acid and potassium. Young children also need to eat mini-meals between their main meals to provide extra energy and nutrients. The sorts of foods – and the amounts of foods to serve at meals and as snacks between meals – that will give children aged 1-4 years all the nutrients they need, can be seen in our food photos Where can I find out more information about eating well for 1-4 year olds Food photographs We have put together some photographs to show you the sorts of foods and amounts of foods that, meet the nutritional needs of children 1-4 years of age. We have included the recipes as well so you can see how easy it is to make tasty food for pre-school children. We have also written a simple guide with ideas of how to help children of this age eat well and details of how we put the photographs together. How can I order these food photographs?