The work aims to review the preparation of cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) and their applications in food packaging, to provide theoretical support for development of food packaging materials. Different manufacturing methods of CNFs in recent years were summarized. This work focused on the gas barrier performance, antimicrobial properties, UV barrier function, hydrophobicity and freshness monitoring property of food packaging materials, and illustrated the research progress of CNFs in food packaging. The results indicated that CNFs could be fabricated by chemical method, chemical method combined with mechanical method, and enzymatic method, but there were some problems such as low yield, high energy consumption and uneven size distribution. CNFs could be used as gas barrier, antibacterial, UV protection, hydrophobic and smart packaging materials. However, the current nanofiber products were difficult to combine versatility. In summary, cellulose nanofibers-based food packaging materials are expected to replace petroleum-based plastic packaging, and have a great prospect in food packaging.