Fibre is having a bit of a moment and rightly so. What better opportunity than ‘Fibre February’, to shine a light on an often-overlooked nutrient that plays a big role in children’s health, wellbeing and long‑term eating habits.
This article breaks down what fibre is, why it matters for young children, how much they need and how your nursery menu can help children reach fibre recommendations in a realistic, child‑friendly way.
What is fibre?
Fibre is a nutrient found in foods such as wholegrains, fruits, vegetables, beans, pulses, nuts and seeds. Unlike other foods, fibre isn’t digested in the small intestine. Instead, it travels through the digestive system where it is eventually broken down by bacteria in the large intestine.
There are two main types of fibre:
- Insoluble fibre: helps food move through the gut and supports regular bowel movements. Insoluble fibre is found in wholegrains, some vegetables and nuts.
- Soluble fibre: absorbs water, helps to soften stools and feeds beneficial gut bacteria. Soluble fibre is found in oats, beans, lentils and some fruits.
Most plant foods contain a mix of both types, which is why variety in the diet is so important.
Why is fibre important for young children?
Fibre plays a key role in both children’s and adult’s health, including:
- Supporting healthy digestion and keeping the gut working as it should
- Helping to prevent constipation
- Feeding the friendly bacteria in your gut microbiome, which supports immunity, protects against inflammatory diseases and can reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, type two diabetes and bowel cancer.
- Supports overall wellbeing
How much fibre do we need?
In the UK, recommended daily fibre intakes are:
- 2-5 years 15g fibre per day
- 5-11 years 20g fibre per day
- 11-16 years 25g fibre per day
- 17 years+ 30g fibre per day
Despite these recommendations, most adults and children in the UK do not meet their daily fibre needs. This makes early years settings a vital opportunity for positive change.
What does 15g fibre look like for children?
Achieving 15g fibre daily doesn’t have to be difficult. When fibre rich foods are spread across meals and snacks it quickly adds up. For example, a typical day’s meals and snacks at nursery, using Nursery Kitchen meals, might provide…
Breakfast: 1 Weetabix with ½ banana ~ 2.25g fibre
Morning snack: Hummus with 1 rice cake ~ 2.7g fibre
Lunch: cowgirl millies sweet potato chilli with potato wedges ~ 5.5g fibre
Second Course: Braised apples and raisins with yoghurt ~ 1.3g fibre
Afternoon snack: pears ~ 0.9g fibre
Tea: chana masala with white rice ~ 4.7g fibre
Second Course: satsumas ~ 0.5g fibre
Total: 18g fibre
This shows how achievable fibre targets can be, even for young children, when meals and snacks are well planned and include a balance of food groups.
Top tips for increasing fibre intake
- Add fruits and crushed seeds to breakfast cereals and yoghurts
- Opt for wholegrain breakfast cereals which are low in sugar and salt such as Weetabix or oats.
- Add extra vegetables, beans and pulses to sauces, curries, soups and stews
- Use a mixture of brown and white rice, 50:50 bread or wholegrain and white pasta
- Leave skin on fruits and vegetables where appropriate
- Swap white crackers for oatcakes or wholegrain crackers with hummus
- Check back-of-pack food labels for the fibre content. 3g fibre or more per 100g counts as a source of fibre.
Remember…
- To offer plenty of water throughout the day too. Fibre needs fluid to help keep stools soft and support digestion.
- To increase the amount of fibre gradually, especially for young children. Sudden increases can cause bloating, increased gas and digestive discomfort.
By prioritising fibre in the early years, we’re not just supporting healthy digestion, we’re laying strong foundations for children’s health now and for the future.
January is a big month in the early years. New children are settling into nursery life, routines are finding their rhythm, and for many little ones, mealtimes can feel unfamiliar and sometimes a little overwhelming.
If you’re welcoming January starters right now, you might be seeing cautious or reluctant eaters, food refusal, or children who are still finding their confidence at the table. The good news? This is all completely normal, and with the right support, mealtimes can quickly become calmer, happier, and more positive for everyone involved.
At Nursery Kitchen, we believe mealtimes should feel calm, reassuring, and positive. Even when children don’t eat much, simply sitting with their peers, seeing familiar foods, and feeling safe at the table all play an important role in building confidence over time.
That’s why our Head of Nutrition and Policy, Catherine Lippe has created a practical, supportive resource to help nurseries navigate mealtimes with January starters and beyond.
Our free resource is packed with gentle, evidence-based strategies to help early years practitioners:
- Create calm, reassuring mealtimes
- Support children who feel unsure around food
- Encourage positive eating without pressure
- Build confidence and curiosity at the table
At Nursery Kitchen, supporting positive mealtimes is at the heart of everything we do. From freshly prepared, chilled meals to menus that meet (and often exceed) EYFS nutrition guidance, we're here to help nurseries feel confident and supported every day.
Download our resource to explore all seven tips and support children to feel safe, secure, and curious at the table... one mealtime at a time.
At Nursery Kitchen, we believe every bite in the early years counts - not just for filling tummies, but for fuelling growth, shaping taste preferences and building lifelong healthy habits.
That's why we created the Mighty Menu Checklist, a practical tool that helps nurseries plan balanced, nourishing menus that support healthy development and happy mealtimes.
But it is more than just a checklist.
Our new guide shares the thinking behind it, from our high standards in early years nutrition to the values that shape every meal we make.
Here is what's inside:
Why early years nutrition is so important
What makes our checklist different (and better!)
How to become a 'Nutrition Superhero' with our accreditation
Become a nutrition superhero!
Meet every standard in the Mighty Menu Checklist, and you can apply for our Nutritionist Approved Nursery Menu Accreditation. It's our way of celebrating settings that go above and beyond for children's nutrition.
The root of our checklist 🥕
Download and discover why we created it, what makes it different and how it supports better nutrition for every child
Our Mighty Menu Checklist is here to help you build balanced, varied menus that tick all the right boxes.
Menu planning just got a whole lot sweeter🍓
Download our Mighty Menu Checklist
Your everyday companion for building tasty nourishing menus that little ones and grown ups can feel good about.
Helping little ones to grow strong and flourish starts with the choices we make every day - and understanding food labels is a pea-sy way to make a real difference!
Our latest guide, Understanding food labels: how much is too much? breaks down how to spot when sugar, salt, or saturated fat sneak a little too high.
With just a few simple swaps, you’ll be serving up meals that nourish curious minds and busy bodies.
What's inside?
Why sugar, salt, and saturated fat matter for little ones
How to read food labels quickly and confidently
Simple tips for making healthier choices that add up over time
View guide to understanding food labels
Because small changes help little ones grow strong, healthy and berry brilliant!
Written by Early Years Nutritionist & Feeding Therapist, Catherine Lippe (RNutr), this short guide will support you in choosing foods that help little ones thrive.
Planning nourishing meals for little ones doesn’t have to be tricky. Once you know your food groups, you’ve got the perfect starting point for balanced menus that support growing bodies and curious minds.
Our easy guide takes you through the four key food groups - what’s in them, how often to serve them, and why they matter. Think of it as your go-to helping hand for building variety, boosting nutrition, and keeping mealtimes exciting.
What's inside?
What counts in each food group
How often to offer each one across the day
Simple tips to create balanced, wholesome menus children will love
View guide to understanding food groups
From peas and pasta to yoghurt and lentils, getting food groups right helps children feel their best with the energy to play, learn, and thrive.
Written by Early Years Nutritionist, Catherine Lippe (RNutr), this short guide will help you to plan balanced, nourishing meals with confidence.
Healthy food supplier for young children, Nursery Kitchen, has been awarded with not one but two awards for its meals at this year’s Nourish Awards.
Their cheese bolognese pasta took home gold in the Meals and Convenience Foods category and their swish fish pie took silver in the same, recognised under the Kids Awards Winners 2023 section.
The Nourish Awards, now it its fifth year, focuses on nutrition and exemplary flavour in the food and beverage sector, with the Kids Awards focusing more specifically on reduced processing and sugar, and increased creativity. The well-respected awards are known in the industry for having a rigorous entry and judgement process.
This achievement marks Nursery Kitchen’s third win at the Nourish Kids Awards, with the company winning gold and silver for its paneer and pea curry and salmon and pineapple Thai curry respectively in the ‘Baby & Toddler Food’ category in 2022.
Jonny Player, MD at Nursery Kitchen said: “To be awarded gold for our much-loved cheese bolognese pasta and silver for our popular swish fish pie at the Nourish Kids Awards is an outstanding accomplishment. With over 350 entries across the categories, to take home two awards speaks volumes about the quality, outstanding flavour, and innovative menu that Nursery Kitchen is proud to produce.
“These awards are testament to the incredible work of our Food Innovation Team to create a diverse and varied menu, with each meal maintaining or exceeding nutritional and taste standards.
“All our meals are packed with variety and natural flavours from around the world, encouraging children to develop varied and expansive palates, and it’s fantastic to be recognised by qualified nutritionists specialising in child nutrition or products developed specifically for this market.”
This delicious Italian dish takes inspiration from the Tuscan countryside recipes of rich bean stews. We simmer lots of vegetables and tomatoes with butterbeans, cannellini beans and borlotti beans until they are soft and creamy and finish with some fresh green herbs and a splash of lemon juice.
What do we love about our italian bean stew?
Our bean stew recipe is low in saturated fat and we’ve crammed it with lots of vegetables such as courgette, carrot, green beans, and kale.
Ingredients
- olive oil
- onion
- carrot
- ½ butternut squash
- garlic cloves
- drained butterbeans
- drained borlotti beans
- drained cannellini beans
- tomato paste
- chopped tomatoes
- tomato passata
- water
- veg stock
- nutritional yeast
- courgette
- green beans
- kale
- basil leaves
- lemon
Download the full italian bean stew recipe, HERE.
Inspired by tagines from Morocco, our new fruity lamb stew is packed with exciting flavours from cinnamon to cumin all the way to rose petals in our ras el hanout spice blend
What do we love about our fruity moroccan lamb stew?
Everything is deliciously simmered together with potatoes, tomatoes, carrots, raisins and apricots creating a tantalizing, fruity taste. Serve with cous cous, pitta bread, falafel and dips to make this a real treat!
Ingredients
- cooking oil
- onion
- lamb mince
- new potatoes
- carrots
- garlic
- ginger
- ras el hanout
- tomato paste
- dried apricots
- raisins
- chickpeas
- passata
- water
- lamb stock cube
- red pepper
- lemon
Download the full fruity moroccan lamb stew recipe, HERE.
Sugar is a sticky topic when it comes to children. As a nation, we generally know that we shouldn’t consume too much of it but just how much is okay for our bodies? Or should our children not be consuming it altogether? Let’s tuck in to find out, honey!
Developing healthy tastes for life
Encouraging children to develop good food habits early on in life is vital to lay the foundation for the future of our children’s health. The first 1000 days of a child’s life are when the brain begins to grow and develop at a rapid rate. It’s also when the foundation for their lifelong health is built and when general eating habits and patterns are formed.
The early years therefore provides the optimum time to expose children to a wide range of healthy and nutritious foods, so that they can develop healthy tastes for life. So, can sugary foods ever be nutritious? It all depends on whether the sugar is naturally occurring or not.
Are naturally occurring sugars good for us?
Sugar that is found naturally in foods such as fruit, vegetables, and milk, does not need to concern us. There is no need to reduce these types of food in our diet, as they provide additional health benefits such as vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients.
When do we need to be concerned about sugar?
We do need to be aware of sugar which is added to our food and ‘free’ sugars:
- Added sugar is commonly added to manufactured food and drinks such as biscuits, breakfast cereals, flavoured yoghurts, fizzy drinks, and sometimes in foods where it wouldn’t be expected too e.g., pasta sauces and condiments like ketchup.
There are a multitude of words used to describe the sugars added to food and drinks, e.g., cane sugar, sucrose, fructose, fruit juice concentrate, date syrup, brown rice syrup, and molasses.
- Free sugars - these are sugars found in honey, syrups (e.g., maple, agave and golden), unsweetened fruit and vegetable juices, smoothies, and purees. These sugars occur naturally, where the sugar has been released from the cell wall.
Are free sugars harmful to health?
According to the British Nutrition Foundation: “Having a diet high in free sugars (more than 5-10% of total energy intake) can be harmful to health as it is associated with dental decay and may lead to excess consumption of energy (calories)”. A diet containing many foods that are high in fat, sugar and salt is unlikely to provide the balance of energy and nutrients that young children need and may contribute to them becoming overweight and having a poor nutrient intake.
There’s no guideline limit for free sugar for children under the age of 4, but the NHS recommends that this age group should avoid sugar-sweetened drinks and food with sugar added to it. It’s debatable whether this is realistic based on the current climate and food environment we live in, due to exposure to clever marketing techniques and the many food options which are high in fat, sugar, and salt available to buy so readily and cheaply.
Low sugar tastes so sweet!
At Nursery Kitchen, we recognise the importance of limiting the amount of added and free sugars children have in their diet. We understand that a high intake of sugar may lead to tooth decay (and potentially tooth extractions), but it can also lead to obesity and poor heath in later life. So, we believe it’s important to avoid sugary foods and snacks as much as possible.
We want to empower children to love the taste of good foods that do not contain added or free sugars, so that they can develop a healthy taste palate. To support this, we encourage the consumption of milk and water as main drinks, and we do not offer squash, fruit juice or fizzy drinks on our menus.
We’ve also recently switched to serving only full-fat, plain yoghurt on our nursery menu. This is because when infants and toddlers are offered sweeter yoghurts, they’re less likely to accept heathier, plain varieties going forward.
Dessert doesn’t need to be sugary!
At Nursery Kitchen we offer a range of delicious desserts on our menu that do not contain added sugar. Our popular ‘fruit oaty crunch’, which is available with a variety of different fruits, always goes down a treat with children (and adults, too!)! Comprising of antioxidant rich and naturally sweet fruit, high fibre oats, topical coconut, and exciting spices, it makes a tasty and nutritious dessert, snack or even breakfast for children.
We have also just launched our brand-new rice puddings. They are bursting with comforting flavours from ginger, vanilla, and raisins in one rice pudding, and sweet apricots, coconut, and vanilla in the other. Both are low in saturated fat and contain no added sugar. Providing healthy and yummy food to children sets them up in the best possible way to learn, play and develop!
Learn more about what’s on our menu, here.
We’ve used a variety of herbs, spices and citrus to really make this dish shine! Our curry is full of flavour but warming rather than a spicy kick, so just perfect for little ones. Herbs and spices are a great way of bringing flavour to food, rather than adding salt. We’ve flavoured our curry recipe with ginger, garlic, lime juice, coriander and a mild curry powder.
What do we love about our coco mango chicken curry?
Our curry recipe contains both fruit and vegetables, in the mango, peppers and onion. We’ve also added chickpeas, chicken and red lentils to our curry making this dish a good source of protein which is important for growth and muscle repair.
Ingredients
- cooking oil
- onion
- minced chicken
- ginger
- garlic cloves
- ground cumin
- ground coriander
- mild madras curry powder
- ground turmeric
- red lentils
- chickpeas
- water
- chicken stock
- coconut milk
- mango
- red peppers
- lime
Download the full coco mango chicken curry recipe, HERE.
