The Children's Food Pyramid

The Department of Health, together with a team of nutrition experts has created the first ever collection of National Healthy Eating Guidelines for 1 to 4 year olds.

The Children’s Food Pyramid was designed to help parents, healthcare professionals and crèche managers teach good eating habits to children.

It lays out clearly what foods children should be eating, recommends portion sizes and outlines how often children should be given treats.

To give your child the best possible start in life download: A Visual Guide to the Children's Food Pyramid

• Healthy eating habits last a lifetime

Parents should eat a variety of healthy foods at home to lead by example and instill healthy eating habits from an early age.

• Small servings for small tummies

Children aged 1 – 4 years old should be given 3 small meals and 2 to 3 healthy snacks a day. Download the food pyramid to see what child-friendly portion sizes look like.

• Milk is essential

Offer your child 3 servings of milk, yogurt or cheese every day.

• Limit treat foods

To avoid childhood obesity, you should only allow your child tiny amounts of foods high in fat, sugar or salt just once a week.

• Forget fizzy drinks

Fizzy drinks and some cordials can damage your child’s teeth. Offer them water or milk instead.

• Stick to a routine

Start every day with a healthy breakfast and stick to regular times for meals and snacks.

• Top up vitamin D in winter

Young children should be given 5 micrograms of vitamin D every day from Halloween (31 October) to St Patrick’s Day (17 March).

• Keep them strong with iron

Offer your child red meat three times per week and choose breakfast cereals with added iron. 1 – 3 year olds who are small for their age could need more iron. Ask your GP.

Further resources are available on Healthy Ireland and on the HSE's My Child guide.