Top tips: Menu planning

Menu planning in nursery settings helps ensure children receive healthy, balanced meals that support their growth and development. A well-planned menu provides a variety of nutritious foods, allowing children to experience different flavours, textures and food groups while developing positive eating habits from an early age. Explore our top tips for successful menu planning.

Top tips for menu planning

1. Offer a wide variety of foods: Provide a diverse range of ingredients to help children experience different tastes, colours and textures. Introduce new foods alongside familiar favourites. A three to four week menu cycle can help ensure variety, balance and reduce repetition. Incorporating seasonal ingredients also keeps meals fresh and engaging 

2. Include foods from different cultures: Introduce children to a variety of cultural dishes to broaden their tastes and encourage an appreciation of different traditions and cuisines. Use your local community to ensure that meals reflect the different cultures 

3. Focus on balanced meals: Aim to include the following in each meal: 

• Starchy carbohydrates, e.g. potatoes, rice, pasta, bread 

• Protein, e.g. beans, lentils, eggs, fish, chicken 

• Vegetables or fruit 

• Dairy or suitable dairy alternatives. 

4. Provide a range of textures: Experiencing different food textures supports children’s oral development. Include soft foods (mashed potatoes, yoghurt), crunchy foods (cucumber sticks, toast) and mixed textures (stews, casseroles) 

5. Limit salt and sugar: Meals should be low in salt and added sugar. Use natural flavours such as herbs, mild spices, garlic and lemon to enhance taste 

6. Encourage food exploration: Support children’s curiosity about food by allowing them to see, smell and talk about what they eat. Discuss colours and shapes, involve them in simple food preparation and consider hosting tasting sessions with parents and carers 

7. Cater for individual dietary needs: Ensure menus clearly accommodate allergies, cultural preferences and vegetarian or vegan diets, while still providing balanced nutrition 

8. Provide healthy snacks: Snack times should be just as nutritious as main meals. Offer options such as fresh fruit, vegetable sticks, wholegrain toast, yoghurt and cheese with crackers 

9. Follow national guidance: Refer to your nation’s guidance for comprehensive advice on providing high-quality nutrition for children under five: 

• EYFS Nutrition Guidance (England) 
• Setting the Table (Scotland) 
• Food and Nutrition Guidance (Wales – English) 
• Food and Nutrition Guidance (Wales – Welsh) 

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