Food & Mealtimes
Discover how we make mealtimes meaningful - plus find our latest menus, nutritional guidance, and how we keep food safe in our nurseries every day.
Nutritionally Balanced
Freshly Prepared
Served Family-Style
Introducing Our Magical Mealtimes
In our nurseries, mealtimes are about far more than what’s on the plate. They’re moments of care, connection, learning and growth – and one of the most meaningful and joyful parts of our day. We know that what children eat shapes their health, development, and mood, but it’s how they eat that nurtures their sense of belonging. That’s why mealtimes hold such a special place in our approach.
Our chefs prepare fresh, nutritionally balanced meals with care, but it’s the shared experience of that truly brings our mealtimes to life. Whether it’s the excitement of a first taste, the pride of pouring their own water, or the simple joy of sitting down with friends, each moment is a chance to pause, connect, and build habits that last a lifetime. With thoughtful attention to allergy management and food safety, our warm, family-style dining ensures every child feels safe, supported, and at home around the table.
Our Menus
All our menus are free from added salt and sugar, and thoughtfully balanced to include a variety of vegetables, whole grains, proteins, pulses, and fresh fruit. Each day, our children enjoy:
- Breakfast - offering a choice of cereals, porridge, toast, yoghurt, and fresh fruit, served with milk or water.
- Morning and afternoon snacks - featuring a rotating variety such as fresh fruit, vegetable sticks, rice cakes, crackers with spreads, crumpets, or pitta bread fingers with homemade dips, accompanied by milk.
- Lunch - A highlight of our nursery day, with family-style dining that encourages conversation, connection and a chance to try something new with our international menu and healthy desserts.
- Tea-time - A delicious way to refuel before home time, with a variety of dishes designed to support independent eating, finished with a light pudding like yoghurt or fresh fruit.
Core Menu
Offering a wide variety of balanced meals, we introduce children to a broad range of flavours and textures. This menu includes meat, fish, dairy, grains, fresh fruit and vegetables, all prepared daily and served with care.
Vegetarian Menu
Full of flavour and variety, this menu includes plant-based proteins, grains, and seasonal vegetables. It’s designed to help children build healthy habits and a love for food that’s good for their bodies and the planet.
Pescatarian Menu
For families who include fish but not meat, this menu offers a balanced alternative. It features fresh fish, plant-based proteins, and plenty of vegetables, all prepared with the same care and creativity.
Weaning Menu
We gently support babies as they begin exploring solids. With soft textures, simple flavours, and age-appropriate portions, this menu is designed to safely help little ones build confidence and curiosity with food.
See how we serve up care and connection
Find your nearest Bright Horizons nursery and let us show you around.
Nutrition Guidelines
The food children eat fuels their growth, wellbeing and learning. That’s why our meals are carefully planned to support healthy development, with balanced portions, varied food groups, and no added salt or sugar.
Food Safety & Inclusivity
Every child’s tastes and needs are unique. Through our nutrition management system, we carefully accommodate dietary requirements, allergies, and cultural preferences, ensuring every meal is both safe and delicious.
What families love about our food
"I want to know that my child is eating from a carefully planned menu – including food groups, salt and sugar content, fresh fruit and veg, textures, flavours, spices, etc. and I think this is achieved. The way the children eat at nursery is how I’d love to have the capacity to be able to feed them at home!"
"As an allergy parent, there was nothing missing on there for me. I've always felt that my son is in safe hands with Bright Horizons as they take allergies seriously."
"I think the variety of meals and flavours is very good, my child also really enjoys the opportunities to cook at nursery."
Frequently Asked Questions
Food
At all Bright Horizons nurseries, we offer children breakfast, lunch and tea as well as midmorning and afternoon snacks.
Breakfast includes a variety of options including cereals, porridge and fresh fruit, while lunch and tea see children enjoy a two-course meal in a ‘family-style’ setting where they get to share and enjoy food with their friends. The children have access to fresh drinking water throughout the day.
Our nurseries offer freshly prepared food from our carefully designed 15-day menu cycle. These menus are nutritionally planned following the Eat Better, Start Better, Setting the Table and First Steps Nutrition Trust for Children guidance, balancing food groups, appropriate portion sizes, and salt and sugar intake.
Our menus have been specifically designed to ensure every child receives a carefully balanced diet throughout the day, with all the nutrients and vitamins they need to grow up healthy and strong – and with lots of energy for a day full of activities!
Where facilities allow, our meals are prepared from scratch by our trained kitchen teams.
We work closely with families to understand any religious or cultural diets and adjust our menus where possible. For example, children who do not eat pork will be offered an alternative meal, which may be a different meat dish or the vegetarian option. Many of our nurseries cater for halal, vegetarian, vegan, and allergies. Please contact your local nursery to discuss your specific dietary requirements.
Before starting nursery, we’ll ask you to share information about your child’s allergies and how these are managed at home. These details will need to be updated regularly, so the nursery always has the correct information to keep your child safe.
Allergy information is shared with nursery and kitchen staff in several ways.
- Documents are held and displayed in the child’s room with a photo of your child and their allergy details. These documents are also used in the nursery kitchen, so that the chef can prepare individualised meals as necessary.
- Labels are printed from our Family Management system and put onto the plate/bowl, to highlight where a meal is different to the main meal being served.
- In addition, individual place settings with children’s photographs and allergen details are set out on the table before all meals and snacks commence.
- Each chef/kitchen keeps a record of all allergens and food product details.
We require written evidence from a medical practitioner, or health visitor, of all allergies and food intolerances prior to your child starting at the nursery, to make sure that we have all the necessary information available to secure your child’s safety.
Here's a link to some information on our approach to Food Safety & Inclusivity
We encourage children to try new foods and to eat a balanced diet. However, where children refuse to eat the meal provided or are still in the process of learning to try new things, we do offer an alternative, such as a sandwich. This will be provided if the child has not eaten a sizable portion of the meal, despite encouragement, to ensure that they are not hungry and are adequately fed.
The Nurture Approach
Our holistic, research-backed approach nurtures emotional wellbeing, inspires learning, and provides exceptional care - supporting your child’s development every step of the way.
Bright Beginnings Curriculum
Our curriculum is built around five distinct areas of learning, thoughtfully woven into engaging activities that nurture practical abilities and essential life skills.
Childcare Funding
Covering the cost of childcare isn’t always easy, especially in the current financial climate. The UK government offers a range of funded childcare schemes to help lighten the financial load.
Your Baby's Day
Babies are on a big adventure - gently exploring, building trust, and feeling safe with the people around them. That sense of security gives them the confidence to reach out, crawl, and start discovering the world.
Your Toddler's Day
Racing, crashing, whirling, twirling. Play is the ‘work’ of children, that’s why our activities enable them to learn about themselves, express their creativity, and start to develop key skills.
Your Preschooler's Day
Whether they're chatty and confident or a little shy and unsure, time in our preschool will help your child to find their feet, make friends, and start discovering the world around them.
