The Food Foundation Podcast Just the Start: Nutrition in Early Years Settings
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Oct 31, 2025 
Neil Leitch, CEO of the Early Years Alliance, shares insights from the frontlines about food poverty in childcare settings. Sarah Ambrose discusses the importance of curriculum-led food education and the practical challenges of meal planning. Dayna Brackley highlights gaps in the policy surrounding free meals for under-fives. Charlotte Stirling-Reed emphasizes the significance of nutrition in the critical first 1,000 days of a child's life. Together, they advocate for better training, funding, and regulations to ensure every child has a nutritious start.
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Child Found Taking Food From Backpacks
- A child arriving at nursery was found taking sandwiches from backpacks because he had not eaten that morning.
- Neil Leitch used this story to illustrate real, everyday food insecurity in early years settings.
Staff Sneak Food For Families
- A nursery staff member put extra food into a child's rucksack so the family would have a meal that evening.
- Neil Leitch used this to show staff sometimes must covertly help families facing food poverty.
Early Diets Set Lifelong Health
- Early nutrition shapes dental health, brain development, and lifelong eating patterns from day one.
- Charlotte Stirling-Reed warned that early diets influence long-term risks like obesity, diabetes and mental health.