Packed Lunch Policy

At The Wild Monkeys Childcare Forest Nursery, we provide meals for children at a small cost. Parents are also welcome to provide meals for their own children. Children who bring their own meals will always be able to sit and eat with the children who are eating the setting’s food (unless there is a specific reason that this is not possible, e.g. allergies).

As there is no fridge space available for lunchboxes, we encourage parents to bring meals in insulated bags with freezer blocks if required.

We encourage parents to provide healthy lunches, as eating healthily is an important part of children’s physical development, as well as a great opportunity to discuss self-care as part of their personal, social, and emotional development. This doesn’t mean that children can never have treats, but these should be as part of a balanced meal.

Guidance from the British Nutrition Foundation suggests that packed lunches should:
●      Be based on starchy foods, like rice, pasta, bread, etc – it’s best to choose wholegrain varieties where possible
  • Include plenty of fruit and vegetables – ideally one or two portions
  • Include a portion of protein – this could be beans, eggs, fish, meat, dairy, or a non-dairy source of protein like fortified soya yoghurt
  • Avoid fizzy drinks and drinks with lots of sugar – we always offer water to all the children, but if you’d like to include a drink in your child’s lunchbox the best options are water, milk or a smoothie
  • Avoid salty or sugary snacks like crisps and chocolate – possible alternatives are nuts, seeds, savoury crackers, and breadsticks
●      Avoid salty or processed meat products as much as possible – for example, sausage rolls, corned meat, or individual pies
●      Do not give Popcorn or marshmallows due to them being a choking hazard.

We understand that some children may have dietary requirements which mean that they aren’t able to eat certain foods or need to eat more high-fat foods or similar. When a child joins us, we ask that parents let us know about any dietary requirements and keep us up to date on any changes with this. Children are not allowed to swap food items.
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We are a peanut-free due to severe allergies – we ask that parents do not send in any products containing peanuts. If your child has a product in their lunchbox which contains peanuts, they will not be able to eat this, and we will put a note in the lunchbox to let you know. This is for the safety of our children. For more information, please see our Allergy and Anaphylaxis Policy.
Policy Last Reviewed: January 2025
Policy Review Date: January 2026