Health and Nutrition

Health and Nutrition - Creating Healthy Packed Lunches

Since September 2025, early years providers have been required to take account of the new DfE nutrition guidance.

As a setting, we are required to ensure that food provided from home aligns with the healthy eating options that are offered by our setting, so that children receive consistent messages about nutrition, and that food provided takes account of any allergies other children in the setting may have.

To help you make sure that the lunch you provide meets expected requirements and avoids allergens where necessary, e.g., nuts, below, we have attached a copy of our food and nutrition policy.

We have asked parents not to include eggs, popcorn or nut products within lunchboxes due to child allergies and to avoid choking/risking any cross-contamination, which may affect other children

Also, we have asked for foods such as cherry tomatoes, cheese, olives, grapes, blueberries, etc. to be presented in a particular way, e.g. cutting carrots into sticks rather than rounds, or slicing grapes lengthways.

It is important that your child’s lunch is varied from day to day, especially if they have a packed lunch regularly.

This ensures they receive all the important nutrients needed in their diet.

Every child is different, and you know your child better than anyone, so include foods that they enjoy and are familiar with.

Don’t be tempted to include too much food; keep the portions small, manageable, and appropriate for their age and stage of development.

When choosing foods, consider how well they will travel and how appealing they will look to your child when they open their lunch box.

You could use an insulated lunch bag and try to include easy-to-open containers and a fork or spoon for foods that they can’t eat with their fingers.

As a setting, we are unable to store lunchboxes in a fridge, so if yoghurts are included, pop in an ice pack to keep them cool.

You could use a lunch box that has separate sections. This is particularly useful if your child doesn’t like foods mixed up and prefers them to be kept separate from each other.

What to include in a healthy packed lunch

When planning what to put in the lunch box each day, try to include food from each of the four main food groups:

• At least 2 portions of fruit and/or vegetables (fresh, canned, frozen or dried)

• 1-2 portions of starchy foods (potatoes, bread, pasta, rice, etc. – wholegrain options where possible)

• At least 1 dairy food or alternatives (milk, plain yoghurt, cheese, plant-based alternatives)

• 1 protein food (meat, fish, eggs, beans, lentils or alternatives)

Try to avoid using ultra-processed foods.

Processed food is any food that has been changed in some way during its preparation.

Ultra-processed food has usually gone through several changes and normally includes additives.

Foods that are unprocessed (natural) should form the main part of a healthy diet.

Young children need to eat small portions of good-quality, nutritious food regularly.

Equally, don’t feel guilty for using processed foods occasionally – each family is different and has their own needs, issues, and challenges.

If your child has sensory issues in relation to certain foods, and/or selective issues around food or food avoidance, for example, then some processed foods may be a necessary part of their diet.

When you buy food, just try to ensure that there is a short ingredient list on the back of the packet, ideally less than five ingredients, to keep the amount of processing low overall.

Creating healthy packed lunches does not have to be expensive either; all that is needed is some planning when food shopping, and some preparation time, which may be easier to find the night before rather than in the morning.

You could also try cooking and preparing in bulk at the weekend for the week ahead.

Use easy-to-open containers that promote children’s independence, and all lunchboxes and containers are clearly marked with your child’s name. If you use a lunchbox that has separate sections, it can be a good way of economising, as you can cut some slices from a larger piece of cheese instead of buying individually wrapped pieces. Make use of your freezer too – defrosting bread as and when it is needed, or decanting some slices of mango from a bag of frozen fruit, are good economical options that avoid food waste.

Packed lunch ideas
You can mix and match what you provide depending on the foods your child enjoys and will eat, and depending on what you have in your fridge and cupboards.

Here are some possible lunchbox ideas that are healthy and relatively simple to prepare:

• Cheese and cucumber sandwiches, red pepper slices, raisins, plain yoghurt

• Pitta bread strips, hummus, carrot sticks, grapes

• Mini wrap with cream cheese and sliced vegetables, strawberries

• Tuna and sweetcorn pasta, tomato, satsuma segments

• Dal with chapatti, tomato, cucumber sticks, plain yoghurt

• Mixed beans with rice, red and green pepper sticks, and banana

• Tortilla wrap with chicken and cucumber, rice pudding and raisins

• Egg sandwiches, tomato, carrot sticks, mango slices

• Jerk chicken, rice, tomato, cucumber sticks, satsuma segments

• Cheese slices, breadsticks, tomato, carrot sticks, banana

• Chicken and sweetcorn couscous, red pepper slices, rice pudding and raisins