April 23rd, 2026
Many families are surprised to find their child eats more adventurously at nursery than at home. Here's how we approach mealtimes at Partou, and what might help at home too.
It’s one of the questions we hear most from families: “My child won’t touch vegetables at home, but apparently they ate everything at nursery today. How?”
You’re not imagining it, and you’re definitely not alone in wondering about this. Mealtimes at nursery naturally look a little different to mealtimes at home, and a lot of it comes down to environment, routine, and the extra company. Here’s a look at how we approach food and mealtimes at Partou as well as a few things that might be worth trying at home too.
Mealtimes are a valued part of the day, offering children opportunities to develop healthy relationships with food and enjoy positive social experiences with their peers and team members. We create calm, consistent routines that help children feel secure and involved, such as helping to prepare lunch, washing their hands, finding their placemat, and serving their food.
We take things at each child’s pace. If a child doesn’t want to try something, that’s fine. We might describe what the food tastes or smells like, or we might chat about something else entirely and let the moment pass without making it a thing. We know it can take 10 to 15 tries before a child genuinely accepts something new, so we keep gently offering without any fuss.
Praise at mealtimes comes when a child gives something a go, not when they clear their plate. Children can have pudding regardless of how much of their main course they’ve eaten, and if they’re still hungry after their first helping, they’re offered more.
Children notice what the people around them are doing. Where possible, our nursery team members will sit and eat the nursery lunch alongside the children; the same food, at the same table, so children can see adults genuinely enjoying it rather than simply being encouraged to try it themselves.
Children also watch each other. A child who is unsure about something on their plate will often have a go after seeing a friend tuck in happily, with no adult involvement at all. We sit children who are less confident with food, alongside those who tend to be more adventurous eaters. No labels, no pressure; just a relaxed table where trying new things feels normal.
Mealtimes are also a chance to chat. Our team talk with children about their day, about what the food looks and smells like, or whatever the children feel like talking about. Keeping things relaxed and conversational takes the focus away from eating itself and this is often exactly when children are most willing to explore what’s in front of them.
Where possible, we serve the different components of a meal in separate dishes placed in the centre of the table, rather than combining them. For example, children might have pasta, sauce and vegetables separately. This allows them to self-serve each element, choosing more of the foods they feel confident with while trying smaller amounts of something new. It also supports children who are unsure about a particular food, as they can still enjoy the parts they are comfortable with without the whole dish being affected by something they may not like.
It also means our team get to know what each child genuinely enjoys. If your child consistently loves the pasta but tends to leave the sauce, that’s useful to know. We can offer a bit more of what they like, alongside gentle encouragement to try the rest, rather than presenting the same meal in the same way every time.
Our menus are planned on a three-weekly cycle, with a spring/summer and an autumn/winter version, so children come across a wide range of seasonal flavours and ingredients across the year. Meals are balanced and age-appropriate, drawing on fruits, vegetables, wholegrains, lean proteins, and dairy in line with Department for Education guidance. Because variety is simply part of what mealtimes look like at nursery, trying something new feels far less like a big moment and more like a typical mealtime experience.
Families receive copies of our menus when they join a Partou nursery, and whenever the seasonal menu changes. If your child comes home talking about something they ate at nursery and you’d like to give it a go at home the please ask us for the recipe! Cooking it at home together can be a lovely way to build on what they’re already enjoying.
Children’s appetites naturally vary , and some days they’ll eat less than others. If a child has eaten very little at a mealtime, food can be set aside and offered again a little later in the session. If a child has eaten very little throughout the day, we might offer something simple and familiar, such as toast or a sandwich, to make sure no one goes home hungry. We leave a gap of around 45 minutes to an hour before doing this, so we’re not accidentally creating a pattern where not eating means getting something different straight away.
We also suggest families offer a small snack at home about an hour before bedtime, as nursery tea is a lighter meal following a larger lunch. It’s a small thing, but it can make for an easier transition to bedtime and means little tummies are full ahead of a good night’s sleep.
Every child is different, and what works at nursery won’t always translate directly. Here are some approaches you might find helpful to try at home:
• Place each part of the meal in serving bowls on the table and support your child to serve themselves. This gives children a sense of control and avoids the all-or-nothing feeling that can sometimes put them off a whole dish.
• Share the same meal together as a family and use this time to talk about your day. Try to keep the focus on enjoying time together rather than how much has or hasn’t been eaten, as even well-meaning comments can sometimes add pressure and make children less likely to eat.
• Offer something familiar alongside something new, so there’s always something a child can reach for with confidence.
• Keep pudding non-conditional, so it isn’t something children feel they have to earn. This reduces pressure and supports children to listen to their own hunger cues.
• Continue to offer new foods without any expectation. Many children need time to become familiar with a food just by seeing it at the table before they feel ready to try it, and it can take 10 or more experiences for them to begin to enjoy it.
Most of all, try not to worry too much. A child who eats adventurously at nursery is already building a healthy relationship with food; even if home mealtimes feel like a different story right now. That’s more common than you might think, and it does tend to even out over time.
If you have any concerns about your child’s eating, please do talk to us. We’re always happy to work with you on a consistent approach that supports your child both at home and at nursery.
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