EYFS Nutrition Consultancy

I am Harman Bajwa, Founder of NutrificientLife and an AfN Registered Nutritionist (RNutr). For six years, I worked as a Registered Nutrition Professional and Independent Consultant with Early Years Alliance’s Early Years Nutrition Partnership, managing nursery portfolios to improve compliance with nutrition and health standards, and designing and delivering strategic training programmes for early years professionals covering nutrition, food safety, and sustainable food practices. I also bring a public health background, having worked with the NHS and local councils on food and nutrition policy. Today, I support nurseries, preschools and childminders in meeting the Department for Education’s new EYFS Nutrition Guidance — reviewing menus and food policies, delivering staff training, and helping settings evidence they have properly had regard to the guidance. You can read more about my background on the About page.

EYFS Food and Drink Requirements: What Changed in 2025

In April 2025, the Department for Education published new EYFS Nutrition Guidance for early years providers, setting out the current EYFS food and drink requirements. From September 2025, having regard to this guidance became part of the statutory safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage — meaning Ofsted-registered nurseries, preschools and childminders are expected to follow it, or have a clear, justifiable reason for any departure from it.

For many settings, this raises practical questions: does our current menu meet the food and drink requirements? Is our nursery’s healthy eating policy up to date? Are staff aware of what has changed? I’d always recommend checking the current position of the guidance against your own setting type before relying on general information.

Who Does It Apply To?

The guidance applies to Ofsted-registered early years settings delivering the EYFS in England — nurseries, preschools, childminders, and reception classes. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own separate early years frameworks, so this specifically concerns providers operating in England.

“Having regard to” the guidance has practical implications for how a setting can evidence its approach to food and nutrition at inspection. A policy or menu review is the fastest way to establish exactly where your setting already meets the guidance and where there is a gap.

How I Can Help Your Setting

I provide practical, setting-focused nutrition support, covering:

• EYFS Nutrition Guidance policy audits – reviewing your setting’s current food and drink provision against the guidance.
• Healthy eating, nursery food policy & food safety policy review or development – drafting or updating clear, practical policy documentation.
• Menu review – assessing menus against the nutrient-based principles in the current guidance.
• Staff training & briefing sessions – building understanding of the new requirements across your team.
• Support evidencing compliance – helping your setting document how it has had regard to the guidance, for parents, staff and Ofsted.

Who I Work With

• Nursery managers and owners
• Preschool leads
• Childminders
• Multi-site early years providers
• Local authority early years teams

With six years managing nursery portfolios for Early Years Alliance, alongside a wider public health background, I combine hands-on early years experience with nutrition science to help settings meet the new statutory guidance practically and confidently.

You can see indicative packages and pricing on the Services page, and if you’re looking for one-to-one support for your own child rather than setting-wide policy support, see my Children’s Nutrition service instead.

Frequently Asked Questions