A new report warns that poor nutrition in babies and toddlers is fuelling a future public health crisis and calls on the Government to act now.

Nursery Kitchen is proud to sponsor and contribute to a hard-hitting new report by the Cross Party Group on A Fit and Healthy Childhood: Early Years Nutrition – Setting the Standards for Change.

Uniting experts from health, education and the early years sector, this landmark report highlights a growing crisis: poor nutrition in the earliest years of life is being overlooked, and the price is children’s future health and wellbeing.

The statistics are stark:

• Obesity levels in preschool children are rising and prevalence in children from the most deprived areas of the UK is more than double that of those living in the least deprived areas.
• The proportion of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) in children’s diets rises between 18 months and 3.5 years, while consumption of healthy, nutrient-rich foods declines.
• Around 60,000 school days are lost every year because of children being admitted to hospital for dental extractions.

From pre-conception to pre-school, from food and nutrition to physical activity and dental health, the report’s blueprint for change calls for:

• A national nutrition strategy covering preconception, pregnancy, and postnatal periods, with professional training and expanded access to schemes like Healthy Start to reduce health inequalities.
• Mandatory nutrition composition standards for commercial baby and toddler food and drink products.
• Mandatory marketing and labelling standards for commercial baby and toddler food and drink products.
• The inclusion of baby and toddler commercial food and drink products in placement, price, and advertising restrictions.
• Targeted investment for research in early years nutrition.
• Improved access to training and resources for early years staff to help implement the new EYFS nutrition guidance.
• A consistent, practical system to monitor and assess adherence to nutrition standards in early years settings.
• The extension of free school meals (FSM) to children in early years settings.
• Mandatory oral health training for early years educators and healthcare professionals, and national roll - out of the supervised tooth-brushing programme.

The report is being launched today (16th July) at a Parliamentary reception in the House of Commons, bringing together leading voices from health, education, and the early years sector to champion improved nutrition standards for young children. Sponsored by MP Anna Sabine, the event will also welcome other Parliamentarians with the aim to drive policy change and ensure every child has the healthiest possible start in life.

Jonathan Player, Managing Director of Nursery Kitchen said:

“The Government has made welcome commitments on school food, but for a better, more resilient generation, we must start earlier. Without a strong, nutritional foundation in the early years, later interventions won’t be enough. We’re proud to support the report that makes this case so powerfully."

Nursery Kitchen coordinated a working group of early years leaders, drawing insight and expertise from over 350 settings nationwide. Their frontline experience spanned the pros and cons of current policy, food practice, and the real-life barriers that frustrate nurseries and their staff every day.

“We’re all striving for better food in early years,” he added ‘’ but ambition alone isn’t enough. This report gives us the tools, and the pressure to push for significant investment, practical solutions, and policy that works. This could be a turning point for children’s life-long health and wellbeing --- if Government chooses to take it.”

Anna Sabine MP welcomed the report, saying:

“It is really encouraging that there is now wide recognition of the impact and importance of providing an excellent standard of nutrition right from the outset in every setting and for every child. This report is aimed to support parents and early years professionals in guiding all children towards life-long health and well being.

For policy-makers, it is an opportunity to turn ambition into policy”.

Download the full report