Nutritious mealtimes for under 5’s

These are all topics that come up time and again in my work with families and early years professionals. Parents and practitioners want to do the best for children, but the information available can often feel conflicting or confusing. So, let’s unpack some of the evidence and practical guidance behind these topics.

What do we mean by “free sugars”?

The term free sugars can sometimes be confusing, and we expand on this in more detail during the podcast episode.

Essentially, free sugars are those added to foods and drinks by manufacturers, cooks, or consumers. These include the sugars found in biscuits, cakes, chocolate, confectionary, sweet pastries, flavoured yoghurts, breakfast cereals, and drinks with added sugar.

Free sugars also include the natural sugars in honey, syrups (e/g/ maple syrup, agave syrup, golden syrup etc) nectars (blossom or plant nectars for example), and unsweetened fruit or vegetable juices, smoothies, and purées. Although all the sugars from fruits and vegetables occur naturally, they are still classed as free sugars once the fruit or vegetables are blended or juiced, because the cell structure is broken down and the sugars become more readily available to the body.

By contrast, the sugars found naturally in whole fruits, vegetables, and milk or dairy foods are not free sugars and don’t need to be limited. These foods provide essential nutrients that support a child’s growth and development.

Why children don’t need much sugar

Limiting free sugar intake helps protect children’s teeth, supports healthy growth, and, perhaps most importantly, shapes their taste preferences. The more often a child eats sweet foods, the more they come to expect sweetness. On the other hand, children who are regularly exposed to less-sweet flavours, including vegetables, are more likely to accept and enjoy them in the long term.

Children under two years old should ideally avoid any added sugar in their diet. Offering sugary foods at this age can develop a preference for sweet-tasting foods and increase the risk of tooth decay.

For children aged two and over, free sugars are still not a necessary part of the diet and should make up no more than 5% of total energy intake, that’s roughly equivalent to 14g (about 3½ sugar cubes) per day for 2–3-year-olds, or 19g (about five sugar cubes) per day for 4–6-year-olds.

We talk more about this in the podcast, including how children are naturally drawn to sweet tastes, and how the early years, particularly during weaning, offer a window of opportunity to shape those preferences before they become habits that are harder to change.

Starting solids: The value of vegetables

When solid foods are first introduced, research shows that offering vegetables as first foods is a valuable strategy. All babies are born with a preference for sweet tastes, partly because of the natural sweetness of breastmilk (or formula milk) but also because the instinctive preference for sweetness has evolutionary roots. Sweet foods are typically more energy-dense and therefore linked with survival, whereas bitter flavours in nature often indicated a risk of potential toxins meaning our bodies are naturally more cautious of them.

Offering vegetables early in the weaning process can improve acceptance not only of the vegetables offered, but of a wider range of new foods too. By offering vegetables first and often, before sweeter fruits dominate, babies can learn to enjoy a broader spectrum of flavours.

That doesn’t mean fruits must be avoided altogether. Fruits are a healthy, nutrient-rich choice. Just remember that the balance and sequencing of foods offered during weaning can make a big difference. Encouraging a taste for vegetables early on sets the stage for positive, flexible eating habits that last well beyond the toddler years.

Weaning: Why purees have their place

Given we know that fruit and vegetable purees are considered free sugars, there’s been plenty of discussion about purees and shop-bought baby pouches and whether they’re an appropriate choice for weaning.

Purees are absolutely appropriate and developmentally suitable as a starting point. Around six months of age, babies are still learning how to move food around their mouths and swallow safely. Smooth or blended textures help them practise these skills in a safe, manageable way.

The key is to focus on vegetable purees which aren’t as sweet as fruits and not to stay on purees for too long. As babies become more confident, start to introduce thicker, mashed, chopped, and finger foods to support chewing skills, oral motor development, and self-feeding. These are all important milestones on the journey to independent eating.

As we discussed in the podcast, purees are a useful tool for learning about first tastes. They have a role to play, but they’re just one part of a varied, texture-rich weaning experience.

And parents shouldn’t feel guilty about using shop bought baby pouches too. These pouches can be a safe and convenient way to introduce little ones to a variety of flavours and ingredients, there are just a few things to be aware of with commercial baby foods. Here are a few simple tips for using shop-bought baby foods wisely:

• Check the ingredients list on the back of the pack. Some products include added fruit purées to sweeten the flavour and won’t always be transparent about this. Opt for options without added fruit if you’re aiming for a more vegetable-led approach.
• Serve from a bowl with a spoon. It might be tempting to squeeze the food straight from the pouch for convenience, but this bypasses valuable sensory learning opportunities. Sitting together, seeing, touching, and smelling food are all important parts of the eating experience. It also helps reduce choking risk.
• Avoid over-reliance on commercial baby foods. Homemade and family foods usually expose babies to a greater variety of tastes, smells, and textures, helping expand their palate and feeding skills over time. Shop bought baby food has its place but it’s best to avoid using these all the time.

Safe preparation of finger foods

As babies progress to finger foods, safety is understandably a big concern for both parents and early years professionals. Knowing how to prepare foods safely can reduce the risk of choking and make mealtimes more relaxed and enjoyable for everyone.

When offering finger foods, keep in mind three key factors: size, shape, and texture:

Size: Finger foods should be roughly the length of an adult’s index finger. Surprisingly, bigger is often better at this stage, larger pieces encourage babies to take manageable bites and reduce the risk of small pieces breaking off and becoming a choking hazard.

Shape: Choose foods that are wide and slim, rather than round, square or chunky. Wider pieces fill the width of the baby’s mouth, making them easier to manage and less likely to slip to the back of the throat.

Texture: Foods should be soft enough to squish easily between your thumb and forefinger, but firm enough to hold their shape when picked up. A good rule of thumb is “easily squishable but not mushy.” Soft-cooked vegetables, ripe fruits, pasta tubes, and slow-cooked strips of meat or poached fish (always check for bones) are all great examples.

For older children, choking can still be a risk and it’s important to remember that children can choke on any food, regardless of size, shape, or texture. Early years professionals play a vital role in creating a safe eating environment by supervising mealtimes closely, sitting with children while they eat, and ensuring food is presented in age-appropriate ways.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has published a helpful guide on this, which is also referenced in the most recent EYFS nutrition guidance. It includes detailed information on how to prepare foods safely and reduce choking risks in early years settings. You can find this here: Early Years Choking Hazards Table_English.pdf

Portion sizes: How much is “enough”?

Portion size guidance is designed to help ensure children receive the nutrients they need across a typical day. These recommendations are based on how much food, spread across three meals and two to three snacks, a typical child would need to meet their daily nutritional requirements, assuming a balanced variety from different food groups.

However, children don’t eat the same amount consistently. Appetite naturally varies not only from child to child but also from day to day, or even meal to meal. That’s why flexibility is key.

Rather than viewing portion guidance as a strict rule for every meal, it’s more useful to treat it as a benchmark for planning how much to serve. Begin with smaller portions and offer more if your child shows signs of hunger. This approach helps avoid mealtime pressure, reduces food waste, and, most importantly, supports children to listen to their own hunger and fullness cues. This is a vital skill for developing healthy eating habits that last a lifetime.

Many parents are surprised to learn that recommended portions are often smaller than expected. A survey by the Infant and Toddler Forum found that 79% of parents routinely serve portions larger than advised, sometimes approaching adult-sized servings. It’s easy to see how this happens, our instinct is often to make sure children have “eaten enough.” But more isn’t always better.

Understanding appropriate portion sizes can make mealtimes more relaxed and enjoyable for both adults and children. By starting small, responding to appetite, and trusting that intake balances out over time, we give children the chance to develop confidence and autonomy around food, without the pressure.

 Concluding thoughts

By combining these principles, limiting free sugars, taking a veg-led approach to weaning, progressing textures confidently, preparing finger foods safely, and following responsive portion guidance, we can help children build a positive, trusting relationship with food from the very start.

It’s not about perfection; it’s about small, consistent steps that support healthy habits for life.

If you’d like to explore these topics further, tune in to our podcast episode, where we discuss practical tips for reducing sugar, supporting self-feeding, and creating calmer, happier mealtimes for the whole family.