Food, Nutrition & Allergies Policy.
How we promote healthy eating and safely manage allergies and dietary requirements.
At Wildflowers, we want every child to develop a happy, healthy relationship with food.
The early years are an important time for children to develop healthy eating habits, and we want to work together with families to give children the best possible start.
The Department for Education has introduced specific nutrition guidance for early years providers. Since September 2025, early years settings in England are required to have regard to this guidance and should follow it unless there is a good reason not to.
Our packed-lunch approach has been developed with support from an NHS Startwell nutritionist and is informed by the Department for Education’s Early Years Foundation Stage Nutrition Guidance.
Our aim is not to make lunchtime complicated or stressful for families. Instead, we want to provide clear, practical guidance to help you choose healthy and nutritious foods that your child will enjoy.
Why Healthy Eating Matters
A healthy, balanced diet helps young children:
- grow and develop properly;
- get the energy and nutrients they need;
- support their physical and emotional wellbeing;
- develop concentration and learning skills;
- develop healthy eating habits for life;
- build a positive relationship with food.
The DfE guidance recognises that good nutrition is particularly important during the early years because children are growing and developing rapidly.
Our Approach to Packed Lunches
We ask packed lunches provide a good balance of nutritious foods.
We understand that every child is different and that some children have dietary requirements, allergies, intolerances or particular food preferences. We are always happy to talk to families about individual circumstances.
What should be in your child’s lunchbox?
Where possible, we ask that packed lunches include the following:
Fruit and vegetables
Please aim to include at least two portions of fruit and/or vegetables.
Examples include:
- fresh fruit;
- berries;
- cucumber;
- tomatoes;
- peppers;
- carrots, prepared appropriately for your child’s age;
- sweetcorn;
- other suitable vegetables.
Fruit and vegetables provide important vitamins, minerals and fibre.
Starchy foods
Please include a starchy food to provide energy throughout the day.
Examples include:
- wholemeal or wholegrain bread;
- wraps;
- chapatti;
- pasta;
- rice;
- noodles;
- breadsticks;
- crackers.
Where possible, choosing wholegrain or higher-fibre options is encouraged.
Protein and iron-rich foods
Children need protein and iron as part of a healthy, balanced diet.
Suitable choices include:
- chicken;
- fish;
- eggs;
- lentils;
- kidney beans;
- chickpeas;
- hummus;
- other suitable plant-based protein sources.
Dairy or suitable alternatives
Dairy foods provide important nutrients for growing bones and teeth.
Examples include:
- cheese;
- plain, unsweetened yoghurt;
- plain Greek yoghurt;
- an appropriate dairy alternative where required.
Please let us know about any allergies or dietary requirements so that we can work with you to find suitable alternatives.
Foods We Ask Families Not to Include
To support the health and wellbeing of all our children, Wildflowers does not permit foods that are particularly high in fat, salt or sugar to be included in packed lunches.
This includes:
- crisps and similar salty snacks;
- sausage rolls;
- Peperami and similar processed meat snacks;
- pasties;
- fried foods such as samosas;
- chocolate bars;
- sweets;
- chocolate-coated biscuits;
- other confectionery or highly sugary foods.
These foods are not necessary as part of a young child’s everyday lunch and can contribute to children consuming too much salt, sugar or saturated fat.
The DfE’s current guidance for children aged 1 to 5 encourages healthy, balanced diets and recommends limiting foods high in salt, sugar and saturated fat.
Processed Meats
Processed meats such as ham and salami can be high in salt and saturated fat.
If you choose to include processed meat, we ask that this is limited to once a week.
Healthier alternatives for sandwich fillings could include:
- chicken;
- tuna;
- egg;
- cheese;
- hummus;
- other suitable protein-rich fillings.
How Much Food Should I Pack?
Young children have smaller stomachs than adults, so they do not need large portions.
We encourage families to provide child-sized portions rather than filling the lunchbox with more food than your child is likely to eat.
Too much food can sometimes feel overwhelming for young children and may make mealtimes less enjoyable.
A good approach is to start with small, manageable portions. Your child can always let us know if they are still hungry.
The DfE provides specific portion-size guidance for children aged 1 to 5, recognising that young children need appropriately sized portions.
Water
Fresh drinking water is available to children throughout the day.
Please provide your child with a labelled water bottle containing plain water.
We encourage water as the main drink for children because it helps keep them hydrated without adding sugar to their diet. Current early years guidance recommends fresh tap water and plain milk as the main drinks for young children.
Keeping Food Safe
As we do not have sufficient fridge space for children’s packed lunches, we ask families to use an insulated lunch bag with a suitable ice pack/freezer block where possible.
This helps keep food cool and reduces the risk of food becoming unsafe during the day.
Please make sure your child’s lunchbox and containers are clean and suitable for their age.
Food should also be prepared in a way that is appropriate for young children and reduces the risk of choking. For example, grapes, cherry tomatoes and similar small round foods should be cut lengthways and into quarters, and other foods should be prepared according to your child’s age and ability.
Allergies and Special Diets
Nut-free setting
For the safety of children with nut allergies, Wildflowers is a nut-free setting.
Please do not send nuts or foods containing nuts in your child’s packed lunch.
If you are unsure whether a product contains nuts or may contain traces of nuts, please speak to a member staff before bringing it into the setting.
Allergies, intolerances and medical diets
We recognise that some children have allergies, intolerances, cultural or religious dietary requirements, or other special dietary needs.
We will always work with families to make reasonable arrangements for children who cannot follow the standard packed-lunch guidance.
Please speak to your child’s key person if your child has a dietary requirement so that we can agree the safest and most appropriate approach.
The DfE states that food allergies and intolerances must be taken seriously and appropriately managed within early years settings.
A Positive Approach to Food
We want lunchtime to be a positive and enjoyable experience.
Children develop their food preferences at different rates, and it is completely normal for young children to be unsure about new foods or to have foods they particularly like or dislike.
We will encourage children to explore and enjoy a variety of healthy foods without creating pressure or anxiety around eating.
Our aim is to help children understand that healthy food can be enjoyable and to give them opportunities to develop positive eating habits that can continue as they grow.
Working Together
We appreciate that changes to lunchbox expectations may take a little time to get used to, and we do not want families to feel overwhelmed.
There are lots of simple and affordable options that can make a healthy packed lunch. If you are unsure what to put in your child’s lunchbox, please speak to us we are very happy to help.
Our intention is to work alongside families.
By working together, we can help children develop healthy habits while making lunchtime at Wildflowers enjoyable, relaxed and positive.