All persons involved in catering for young children with food cooked and provided packaged or ready-to-eat, have a legal and professional responsibility to consider the nutritional and dietary implications of their products. This includes all those with responsibility for the planning of menus and selection of ingredients at childcare or early years settings.
This award is designed to develop an awareness and understanding of the important role that well balanced nutrition plays in the health, development, and wellbeing of young children, and the associated need for well-planned and well-managed nutritionally appropriate catering. Based on the nationally recognised syllabus and legal and professional standards, this award covers the basic principles of nutrition which underpin the production of healthy food, the effect that nutrition has on the health and wellbeing, and how to plan and prepare nutritionally balanced and appropriate
food including special diets in an early years setting. It is co-authored and co-presented by Dr Mabel Blades (PhD. A. Dip. PRPH Nutr, BSc Hons, SRD, DMS, MPhil, MIFST, MBA, RSH), an acclaimed nutritional Author, Advisor and Academic.