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Eat Better, Do Better
Childhood is a time of rapid growth and development and so it is vital
that children eat a nutritionally balanced and varied diet. Now is the
perfect time to teach children the value of healthy eating and plenty of
physical activity, to prepare them for the years ahead.
QEGS is committed, in line with government legislation, to offer and promote
healthy food and drink choices throughout the school day. The school
environment, attitudes of staff and pupils, as well as that learnt in the classroom
have a major influence on their knowledge and understanding of health. Part of
the school’s role in promoting healthy nutritious choices is to deliver clear and
consistent messages about food, providing opportunities to learn about diet,
nutrition, food safety and hygiene, food preparation and where food comes from.
Many studies continue to show that obesity in children is an issue, with worrying
effects on health. A balanced, nutritious diet is also important for a child to be
able to maintain good concentration during the busy school day. With this in
mind, we have produced this leaflet with the intention of offering practical advice
on how you can encourage your children to value the benefits of healthy eating,
in addition to defining what the school considers to be acceptable food for
consumption at break times.
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It is important to eat and enjoy
a variety of foods
Breakfast: preparing for a busy school day
Breakfast gives us the energy we need to face the day as well as some of the
vitamins and minerals needed for good health. People who skip breakfast miss
out on essential nutrients and are more likely to snack on foods high in fat,
sugar and salt.
Starchy foods: such as bread, potatoes, rice, pasta and noodles form the basis
of the diet. These should be included in every meal
 Starchy food is a good source of fibre and B vitamins
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Protein-rich foods: such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs, pulses and vegetarian
alternatives to meat such as tofu should be eaten in moderation.
 Red meat is a good source of iron, which is essential for healthy blood
cells and immune function. Other sources of iron include green leafy
vegetables, fortified breakfast cereals, eggs, pulses, wholegrain cereals,
dried fruit, nuts and seeds.
Milk and dairy products: such as cheese and yoghurt should be included in
moderate amounts
 These foods contain calcium and vitamin D, as well as other important
nutrients, and will help to build strong bones and teeth.
Fruit and vegetables: eat plenty! Aim for at least 5 different types a day.
Remember that fresh, frozen, canned, dried and juiced all count. Try eating
different colours of the rainbow too.
 Fruit and vegetables are good sources of vitamins, minerals and fibre.
Drinks: are essential to help children stay well-hydrated. Drinking will help your
child’s concentration and prevent fatigue.
 Water and milk are good choices between meals
 Fruit juices, squashes and fizzy drinks are best limited to mealtimes and
should be consumed in moderation
Snacks: can form part of a healthy, balanced diet as long as they are
appropriate to your child’s needs. Healthy snacks include fruit, fruit smoothies,
low fat milkshakes, cereals and cereal bars, bagels, vegetable sticks.
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Food labelling
Eating well is a bit of a balancing act. Food labels offer valuable nutritional
information helping to make healthy choices. You can help your child by
involving them in choosing food when shopping, reading labels to help them
work out what is healthy and what is not.
Most food manufacturers now use a traffic-light label to help.
Traffic Light Labelling
Low
Per 100g
Medium
Per 100g
Between 3g and 20g
Between 1.5g and 5g
Between 5g and 15g
Between 0.3g and 1.5g
Fat
0-3g
Saturated fat
0-1.5g
Total sugars
0-5g
Salt
0-0.3g
Source: Food Standards Agency
High
Per 100g
20g and over
5g and over
15g and over
1.5g and over
Guideline Daily Amounts (GDA) information is designed to help you get the
balance right. GDAs are based on recommendations for an average adult of
healthy weight and average activity level. Because children have different needs
to adults, they have different GDAs. See chart below to find out more about
recommended GDAs.
Guideline Daily Amounts
.
Calories
Sugars
Fat
Saturates
Salt
Women
2000
90g
70g
20g
6g
Men
2500
120g
95g
30g
6g
Children 5-10
1800
85g
70g
20g
4g
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Where to find more information
Children’s food Trust
www.childrensfoodtrust.org.uk
Food Standards agency
www.food.gov.uk
NHS – healthy eating
www.nhs.uk/livewell/healthy-eating
British Nutrition Foundation
www.nutrition.org.uk
If you have any concerns regarding your son’s weight, eating issues or general
health, please feel free to contact Mrs Norgate (Matron) on the following:
[email protected].
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Break time snacks at QEGS JS
Break time snacks can be consumed at morning and afternoon breaks.
The list below is not exhaustive but it is intended to help you plan break time
snack options with your child.
PLEASE NOTE: We are a NUT FREE SCHOOL so ask that snacks
containing nuts are not brought into school.
Allowed
Not Allowed
Food:
Fruit: fresh or dried.
Vegetable sticks
Confectionary: due to high fat,
sugar and additive content
e.g. chocolate, chocolate coated
biscuits, sweets
Cereal bars
Sandwiches (with healthy fillings)
Certain manufactured savoury
Crisp breads
snacks: due to high salt and fat
content.
E.g. crisps
Drinks:
water
flavoured water
pure fruit juice and fruit smoothies
sweetened drinks
(in moderate amounts)
e.g. cordials, fizzy, sports drinks
milk and yoghurt drinks (low
Drinks with > 5% sugar content
fat/sugar content)
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