Download Healthy Food Policy

OUR MISSION
‘To develop well educated, independent and responsible learners who are motivated and committed to life long
learning’
SCHOOL VALUES
Respect – Respecting diversity and valuing individuals
Integrity – Being honest, trustworthy and courageous to do the right thing
Responsibility – Having high expectations, perseverance and being accountable for ones actions and decisions
Compassion – Caring for people through our actions and words
Humility – The courage to admit when one is wrong, admit when one does not know the answer, and recognise when
one’s ideas are not always the best.
Working together, on a basis of mutual respect, we can help the children of Sudbury Primary achieve their
goals
WITH RIGHTS COME RESPONSIBILITIES
This policy aims to help and guide parents through the difficult and sometimes confusing
decision regarding what food to place in their child’s packed lunch box. The diet of children
is of paramount importance in ensuring good health and fitness to learn. Sudbury Primary
has acquired Healthy School Status which means cooperation between parents, pupils and
the school is extremely important to enable us to keep this.
MISSION
To ensure that all packed lunches brought from home and consumed in school (or on school
visits) provide the pupil with healthy and nutritious food that is similar to the food served
in school and regulated by national standards.
AIMS
- To ensure that all pupils receive well balanced and nourishing food whilst in school.
- A safe and easily available supply of drinking water during the school day.
- To ensure that the food provided on school site reflects the ethical requirements of
its pupil’s e.g. vegetarian dishes, halal dishes etc.
- To make school meal times enjoyable and a safe experience.
GETTING A BALANCED DIET
Packed lunches can be fun as well as healthy and tasty. Eating the right food during the
course of the day provides your body with nutrients essential for growth, energy and body
maintenance, and will help to keep your child healthy and happy.
Each lunch should include one item from each of the four groups below.
Bread and cereals – These foods provide energy, vitamins and fibre.
They include bread, pasta, chapatti, yams, crackers and potatoes. These foods should make
up about one third of what your child eats each day.
Tasty Filling – These will provide protein and minerals to help the body of your child
grow and repair itself.
Examples of food rich in protein are ham, chicken, homous, eggs, tuna lentils or baked beans.
Fruit and Vegetables
– Fruit and Vegetables are rich in vitamins, minerals,
fibre and other nutrients. It is very important to include two portions per lunch box i.e.
carrot sticks and an apple.
Dairy delights – These are rich in calcium, which is important for strong bones and
teeth.
This could be a small low fat yogurt, carton of milk, or a small piece of cheese.
Pop in a cool drink – All children need to drink at least 7 to 8 glasses of fluid each day,
being even slightly dehydrated can causes headaches and poor concentration.
Great choices are a bottle of water, milk, or a small carton of 100% pure juice with no
added sugar.
Remember more will be needed in summer months.
If your child is still hungry try popping in a small piece of malt loaf or fruit bread.
Remember, crisps, chocolate and sugary drinks are no longer allowed in school.
PACKED LUNCH IDEAS
Monday
Plain crackers or oat cakes
Houmous or a boiled egg
Carrot batons plus cherry tomatoes and a banana
Semi-skimmed milk
Or
Tuna and sweet corn / tomato and courgette pasta salad
Canned pineapple chunks in natural juice
1 small pot of low fat fruit yoghurt
Tuesday
Boiled yam or plantain or rice
Salt fish or jerk chicken
Salad, Satsuma and dried apricots
Low fat fruit yoghurt
Or
Tortilla wrap with cooked chicken, kidney beans, baby spinach and feta cheese
Handful or cherry tomatoes
3 dried apricots
Wednesday
Rice or chapatti
Channa dhal
Vegetables in the dhal and grapes
Lassi or low fat yoghurt
Or
Bagel filled with turkey or chicken and salad
Hot cross bun
Small apple
Thursday
Mini wholemeal pita filled with turkey, chickpeas, and light coleslaw
8 cucumber sticks with a soft cheese dip
1 small box of dried raisins
1 pot of fromage frais
Or
Multigrain bread
Ham slices
Tomato, pickled cucumbers and an apple
Cheese slices
Friday
Pitta Bread
Tuna
Sweet corn, grapes and dried apricots
Low fat yoghurt
Or
Granary bread filled with dhal or houmous and salad
Individual portion of cheese
Small banana
Oat cakes or plain crackers
Special Diets and allergies
The school recognises that some pupils may require special diets that do not allow for the
standards to be met exactly. In this case parents are urged to be responsible in ensuring
that packed lunches are as healthy as possible and to inform the school office and class
teacher about any allergies / special diets. Also, for this reason, pupils are not allowed to
swap food items.
HELPFUL HINTS
- Eat a variety of different foods
- Remember an adult size portion is not suitable for a child
- Give your child plenty of food rich in starch and fibre
- Eat five portions of fruit and vegetables each day
- Avoid eating foods that contain a lot of fat or sugar
SNACKS AND TREATS
Fatty and sugary foods should be left for special occasions and given as treats. This way
children appreciate them more when they get them, it saves parents money and it’s
healthier. Remember 5grams of sugar is equivalent to one teaspoon of sugar! So check the
label!
BIRTHDAYS AND END OF YEAR CLASS PARTIES
For pupils birthdays and ‘end of academic year class parties’ the children are allowed to
bring food and drink in for everybody to share. The school views these events as a ‘treat’
for the pupils and allows banned food and drinks to be brought into school for these days
ONLY. Please consider carefully what items you are sending your child in with and try to
choose the healthiest option you can. Remember that some children in the class may have
allergies whilst some parents may not wish their children to have certain items.
FOOD STORAGE & HYGIENE TIPS
It is important to ensure that all packed lunches are kept in a safe and hygienic condition
before eaten. There are a few things listed below that parents and pupils can do to help;
Parents
- Keep lunchboxes cool and clean
- Always remember to wash your hands before handling food.
- If you are putting in a milk-based food item like yoghurt into the lunchbox pop in an ice
pack to keep it cool through the day.
Pupils
- Don’t leave your lunchbox next to a radiator
- Always remember to wash your hands before eating food
Always put your lunchbox in the designated place in your classroom
BANNED FOODS
From September 2009 Sudbury Primary School has banned certain foods and drinks from
school. These are as follows;
- All chocolate bars and chocolate products
- All crisps
- Fizzy drinks
- Sugary Drinks (this includes Ribena, Fruit Shoots etc, please read the label carefully)
- Cakes, muffins and pastries
- Cereal bars (apart from Go-Ahead Bars)
STAYING HEALTHY
Sudbury Primary has put together six top tips for staying healthy during the school
year.
1. Always eat a healthy breakfast before starting your day
2. Make sure all members of the family are eating a least 5 portions of fruit and
vegetables every day.
3. Do at least 30 minutes of exercise per day
4. Wash your hands regularly – remember the saying ‘coughs and sneezes spread
diseases’.
5. Get vaccinated!
ASSESSMENT AND REVIEW
All children of Sudbury Primary School will have their lunches reviewed each day by
teaching staff, dinner ladies and by pre-identified pupil packed lunch helpers.
Pupils with healthy lunch boxes will be rewarded by stickers and / or congratulatory letters
home.
Parents and pupils who do not adhere to the Healthy Food Policy will receive a slip in
their child’s lunch box regarding the banned items and informing them of the policy. If
a pupil regularly brings a packed lunch that does not conform to the policy (three
incidents will be classed as regularly) then the school will contact the parents to
discuss this.