There are Department for Education guidelines covering food provided in early years settings. We follow them at V&Me, and in several places we go above and beyond them. They also apply if you send your child in with a packed lunch.
Here is what they actually require, in plain terms.
Lunch is the larger meal of the day
Lunch at nursery is classed as the larger meal of the day, and it should have two different courses. That can be a main course and a savoury starter, or a main course and a dessert.
If you provide your child with a packed lunch, these guidelines should be followed as well.
Protein
A portion of protein should be provided as part of lunch each day. That covers beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meats and other proteins.
There needs to be variety across the week, and one lunch should be vegetarian for all children each week.
Starchy foods
Starchy food should be provided as part of lunch every day, as part of a balanced meal. Across the week there should be at least three different starchy foods, which is something we plan out carefully each week.
You also need variety between wholegrain and white starchy foods, with a wholegrain option once a week.
It is worth understanding why it is not simply more wholegrain everywhere. You do not want to fill children up too much on wholegrain foods at every mealtime, because that can reduce their appetite for other foods and therefore affect their overall nutrient intake. Some wholegrains, balanced sensibly, is the aim.
Fried starchy foods should be limited to once a week.
Fruit and vegetables
One portion of vegetables and one portion of fruit every day, with variety across the week.
This is the eating the rainbow principle, and getting a range of different fruits and vegetables in genuinely matters.
Oily fish
Oily fish should be on the menu at least once every three weeks.
We tend to offer it more often than that, because there is really good evidence around how good it is for children's brain development and cardiovascular health.
Sweet foods and desserts
The overall approach to sweet foods is to keep desserts to fruit or dairy based options, low in sugar, and to limit cakes and biscuits.
Offering sweet and savoury together can work well, because it avoids putting sweet food on a pedestal. If the dessert is low in sugar, there is no good food and bad food, and children can eat them in whichever order they like. They often surprise you.
Drinks
Fresh tap water should be available at each mealtime, and there should be some milk available during the day.
Those are the only drinks that should be allowed.
Portion sizes
Portion sizes are checked to make sure they are appropriate for the age group. There is an average, and some children growing on higher percentiles may need more than a child growing on a lower centile, so the aim is a sensible average.
At home, if you are finding your child is not finishing meals, it is worth checking portion size. A recent survey found that 80 percent of parents may overestimate how much their child needs, and a larger portion can override a child's self regulation. Start small and add more, because you can always top up, and it avoids food waste.
What we do beyond the guidelines
Our meals have no added salt and no added sugar, and they are well balanced. Rather than adding salt and sugar, we impart flavour using different cooking techniques, herbs and spices.
We plan seasonal rotational menu cycles, which give children repeated exposure to foods without meals becoming repetitive. Every few weeks the same types of meals come around again, and that repetition is a large part of how children come to accept new foods.
We taste test rigorously and always look for feedback, so the menus develop as a joint effort.
If you send a packed lunch
Nurseries are now obliged to make sure packed lunches are healthy and conform to the same guidelines as any food provided by the setting. So the two courses, the daily protein, the daily starchy food, the fruit and vegetables and the drinks guidance all apply to what you pack as well.
