Description
Why does a nursery need a packed lunch policy?
Since the release of updated nursery charging guidance (2025), many parents are now requesting to bring in packed lunches. This creates operational challenges around:
• Food allergies and intolerance risks
• Storage and hygiene
• Nutritional requirements for early years
• Cross contamination, especially high risk items such as nuts.
NDNA’s Packed Lunch Policy template helps nurseries:
• Set clear expectations for parents
• Maintain high nutritional and hygiene standards
• Prevent cross contamination and manage allergy risks
• Ensure compliance with food safety and EYFS requirements.
Nurseries that do not accept packed lunches do not need this policy. These settings should instead refer to the Nutrition and Mealtimes Policy. Please note that these are templates that you should adapt according to the needs of your setting. All information is correct at the date of publishing. Settings have the responsibility to ensure they are up to date with legislation in between each published update of the templates (usually January and July each year). We appreciate all settings are unique, so we recommend you read through each template carefully before making appropriate changes. The templates are in Word format so they are easy to personalise and brand
