Children of all ages can benefit from a regular and consistent routine. It helps to create familiarity and can enable your child to understand and anticipate what comes next in their day.

When it comes to meals and snack it is helpful for young children to have frequent opportunities to eat across the day. Children have small tummies but because they are growing rapidly in the early years, their energy and nutrient requirements are high. The best way to support your child in meeting their energy and nutrients needs is to offer small portions of food frequently throughout the day.

For children aged 1-5 years, it is recommended to offer 3 main meals; breakfast, lunch and tea, with 2 or 3 healthy snacks in between. An example of what this routine might look like is included below.