The Nursery Assistant Healthy Eating for Toddlers

The government recommends the following

as a guide to the number of portions of each 5 fruits and vegetables
food group that toddlers should eat per day: 5 starchy foods
3 dairy foods
2 protein foods (3 if the child is a vegetarian)

1. Design a pie chart representing the portions of each food group as a ratio, 5:5:3:2

2. Design a pie chart representing the portions for a vegetarian child in the ratio 5:5:3:3

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Examples of starchy foods and appropriate
portions for toddlers:
½ to 1 slice of bread
1 to 2 rice cakes or oat cakes
3 to 5 tablespoons of breakfast cereal
1 to 3 tablespoons of mashed potato
2 to 4 tablespoons of cooked pasta/rice

3. Work out the minimum quantities (all measurements as previously stated) that would need
to be bought to supply 3 of the 5 recommend starchy foods for nurseries with:

a. 20 toddlers

b. 65 toddlers

Quantity for Quantity for Quantity for

Food
1 toddler 20 toddlers 65 toddlers
1
slices of bread 2

rice cakes or oat cakes 20

tbsp breakfast cereal

tbsp mashed potato 65

tbsp cooked pasta/rice 2

c. There are approximately 20 slices of bread in a medium loaf. How many loaves would a
nursery with 65 toddlers need to buy as a minimum for two weeks? The nursery is only
open Monday to Friday.

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Examples of dairy foods and appropriate
portions for toddlers: 1 beaker of milk (100ml)
1 pot of yoghurt (125ml)

4. A nursery orders 3.5 litres of milk and 5 litres of yoghurt.

a. Assuming each toddler has one portion of each, work out whether this is enough milk and
yoghurt for 40 toddlers. You must show your working and give a reason for your answer.

b. Work out how much of each item the nursery would need to order for 50 toddlers. You
must show your working and give your answer in litres.

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The Nursery Assistant Healthy Eating for Toddlers Answers

The government recommends the following

as a guide to the number of portions of each 5 fruits and vegetables
food group that toddlers should eat per day: 5 starchy foods
3 dairy foods
2 protein foods (3 if the child is a vegetarian)

1. Design a pie chart representing the portions of each food group as a ratio, 5:5:3:2

5 + 5 + 3 + 2 = 15
360° ÷ 15 = 24°
Fruit and vegetables angle: 24° × 5 = 120°
Dairy foods
Starchy foods angle: 24° × 5 = 120°
Fruit and vegetables Dairy foods angle: 24° × 3 = 72°
Protein foods angle: 24° × 2 = 48°
Protein foods

Starchy foods

2. Design a pie chart representing the portions for a vegetarian child in the ratio 5:5:3:3

5 + 5 + 3 + 3 = 16
360° ÷ 16 = 22.5°

Protein foods Fruit and vegetables angle: 22.5° × 5 = 112.5°

Starchy foods angle: 22.5° × 5 = 112.5°
Fruit and vegetables
Dairy foods angle: 22.5° × 3 = 67.5°

Dairy foods Protein foods angle: 22.5° × 3 = 67.5°

Starchy foods

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Examples of starchy foods and appropriate
portions for toddlers:
½ to 1 slice of bread
1 to 2 rice cakes or oat cakes
3 to 5 tablespoons of breakfast cereal
1 to 3 tablespoons of mashed potato
2 to 4 tablespoons of cooked pasta/rice

3. Work out the minimum quantities (all measurements as previously stated) that would need
to be bought buy to supply 3 of the 5 recommend starchy foods for nurseries with:

a. 20 toddlers

b. 65 toddlers

Quantity for Quantity for Quantity for

Food
1 toddler 20 toddlers 65 toddlers
1
slices of bread 2 10 32.5 or 33

rice cakes or oat cakes 1 20 65

tbsp breakfast cereal 3 60 195

tbsp mashed potato 1 20 65

tbsp cooked pasta/rice 2 40 130

c. There are approximately 20 slices of bread in a medium loaf. How many loaves would a
nursery with 65 toddlers need to buy as a minimum for two weeks? The nursery is only
open Monday to Friday.

32.5 × 5 days = 162.5 slices

162.5 × 2 weeks = 325 slices
325 ÷ 20 = 16.25 loaves
17 loaves needed
Or
33 × 5 days = 165 slices
165 × 2 weeks = 330 slices
330 ÷ 20 = 16.5
17 loaves needed

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Examples of dairy foods and appropriate
portions for toddlers: 1 beaker of milk (100ml)
1 pot of yoghurt (125ml)

4. A nursery orders 3.5 litres of milk and 5 litres of yoghurt.

a. Assuming each toddler has one portion of each, work out whether this is enough milk and
yoghurt for 40 toddlers. You must show your working and give a reason for your answer.

1000ml = 1litre
5 × 1000 = 5000ml
5000 ÷ 125 = 40 portions of yoghurt
3.5 × 1000 = 3500ml
3500 ÷ 100 = 35 portions of milk
They have ordered enough yoghurt but not enough milk (5 portions short).

b. Work out how much of each item the nursery would need to order for 50 toddlers. You
must show your working and give your answer in litres.

50 × 100 = 5000ml

5000 ÷ 1000 = 5l of milk

50 × 125 = 6250ml

6250 ÷ 1000 = 6.25l of yoghurt

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