Nursery Meals and Food Guide

What Should a Nursery Menu Include?

A nursery menu should provide variety across the week rather than relying on the same meals every day. Individual portions and textures should be suitable for each child’s age and development.

Fruit and Vegetables

Menus may include fresh, frozen or cooked fruit and vegetables. Variety in colours, textures and preparation can help children become familiar with different foods.

Starchy Foods

Bread, rice, pasta, potatoes, oats, couscous, chapatti and other starchy foods can provide energy for active nursery days.

Protein Foods

Meat, fish, eggs, beans, lentils, peas, chickpeas, tofu and other suitable protein foods may be included across the menu cycle.

Dairy Foods and Alternatives

Suitable milk, yoghurt, cheese and fortified alternatives can contribute calcium and other nutrients. Children with allergies or medically required exclusions need an agreed alternative plan.

Drinks

Water is an appropriate everyday drink. Milk may also form part of the routine depending on the child’s age and diet.

Desserts and Puddings

A nursery may serve fruit, yoghurt, rice pudding, fruit-based desserts or other puddings. Parents can ask how frequently foods high in free sugar are offered.

Vegetarian Meals

Vegetarian options should still include suitable sources of protein, iron and energy rather than simply removing the meat component.

Questions to Ask About the Menu

• Can I see the complete menu cycle?
• How often does the menu change?
• Are meals prepared on site or delivered?
• How are ingredients and allergens recorded?
• How are baby portions and textures adapted?
• What happens when a meal is substituted?
• Can parents provide an alternative meal?
• Are meals and snacks included in the fee?

Food Allergies and Intolerances at Nursery

Parents should tell the nursery about every diagnosed food allergy, suspected reaction, intolerance and medically required diet before the child attends.

The nursery should obtain, record and act on information about special dietary requirements. The information must be kept current through ongoing communication with parents and carers.

Provide Written Medical Information

Give the nursery written details of the allergen, known symptoms, emergency response and any medication prescribed for the child.

Complete the Nursery’s Allergy Forms

A verbal conversation is not enough. Complete every required form and update it when the diagnosis, medication or medical advice changes.

Discuss Cross-Contact

Ask how food is stored, prepared and served to reduce accidental exposure. Discuss utensils, chopping boards, shared surfaces, serving spoons and food brought from home.

Check Ingredient Substitutions

A supplier may change an ingredient or the nursery may replace an unavailable meal. The provider should continue meeting the child’s dietary needs when substitutions occur.

Confirm Medication Access

Staff should know where emergency medication is stored and which trained adults can administer it. Medication must be available during outings as well as on the nursery premises.

Agree Parent Contact Arrangements

Parents should understand when the nursery will call, what emergency action staff will take and how incidents are documented.

Nursery Packed Lunches and Food from Home

When parents provide food, the nursery should explain which foods are allowed, how the lunch must be packed and whether chilled or reheated storage is available.

Follow the Nursery’s Allergy Policy

Some settings restrict particular foods because another child has a serious allergy. Do not assume a food is permitted simply because it is suitable for your own child.

Use Clearly Labelled Containers

Label lunch boxes, bottles, snack containers and specialist foods with the child’s name. Follow any additional date or ingredient labelling requested by the nursery.

Check Refrigeration

Ask whether food is placed in a nursery refrigerator or remains in an insulated lunch bag. Use suitable cold packs where the provider requires them.

Confirm Reheating Rules

Some nurseries reheat food from home, while others accept only cold lunches. Confirm the type of container and preparation instructions required.

Pack Manageable Portions

Send enough food for the session without overwhelming the child with a very large number of options. Staff should be able to identify which foods form the main meal and which are snacks.

Prepare Food for the Child’s Age

Cut and prepare food according to the child’s developmental stage. The nursery may refuse food it considers unsuitable or unsafe.

Avoid Unlabelled Homemade Food for Allergy Plans

Where a child has an allergy, the nursery may need a complete ingredient list for food made at home.

Simple Packed Lunch Structure

• One suitable main item
• A portion of vegetables or salad
• A portion of fruit
• A suitable dairy food or alternative
• Water or another nursery-approved drink
• An additional snack if required for the session

Fussy Eating at Nursery

Many toddlers eat differently at nursery than they do at home. Seeing other children eat, following a group routine and having less pressure can sometimes encourage a wider range of foods.

Nursery May Not Offer a Separate Favourite Meal

Ask how the setting responds when a child refuses the main meal. Some nurseries offer a standard alternative, while others continue with the planned menu and ensure another suitable food is available.

Small Portions Can Feel More Manageable

A large plate may overwhelm a selective eater. Staff can offer a small amount and provide more if the child wants it.

Avoid Pressure to Clear the Plate

Children should be encouraged without being forced, shamed or required to eat everything before leaving the table.

Repeated Exposure Can Help

A child may need to see or taste a food many times before accepting it. One refusal does not mean the food must disappear permanently from the menu.

Share What Works at Home

Tell staff whether the child prefers foods separated, uses specific cutlery or finds certain smells and textures difficult.

Look at the Whole Week

Appetite varies from day to day. Review the child’s general growth, energy and food intake rather than judging nutrition from one lunch.

Feeding Difficulties Need More Support

Severe restriction, distress, gagging, swallowing difficulty or poor growth is different from ordinary selective eating and may require professional assessment.

First-Day Nursery Food Checklist

Confirm the food arrangement before the first full session so staff have the right bottles, food, medical information and emergency documents.

One Week Before Nursery

• Request the current nursery menu.
• Confirm which meals and snacks are included.
• Complete allergy and dietary forms.
• Provide medical or dietitian information where required.
• Ask about bottle and milk preparation.
• Check packed-lunch and restricted-food rules.
• Discuss the child’s current food textures.

The Evening Before

• Label bottles, cups and food containers.
• Pack milk according to nursery instructions.
• Prepare age-appropriate food if required.
• Include a full ingredient list where requested.
• Check that emergency medication is in date.
• Pack the approved feeding equipment.

At Morning Drop-Off

• Tell staff when the child last ate or drank.
• Explain any recent reaction or appetite change.
• Hand food directly to the appropriate staff member.
• Confirm storage of breast milk, formula or packed food.
• Report illness, teething or digestive concerns.

At Collection

• Ask which foods were offered.
• Ask how much the child ate and drank.
• Check whether the child refused a particular texture.
• Collect unused bottles and containers.
• Ask about any reaction, coughing or feeding difficulty.
• Confirm whether more food is needed at home.