Ballyshannon NS

Healthy Eating Policy

Introduction

As part of the Social, Personal and Health Education (S.P.H.E.) Programme we encourage the children to become more aware of the need for healthy food in their lunch boxes.

 Aims:

1.     To promote the personal development and well-being of the

child.

2.     To promote the health of the child and provide a foundation

for healthy living in all its aspects.

Rationale:

1.    For primary school children to achieve their full potential, it is essential that they eat a healthy diet. Healthy eating provides the building blocks for lifelong health and well-being. Primary School children are at a time of physical growth and development – the most rapid since infancy requiring adequate intake of energy and nutrients.

2.    The Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children (HBSC, 2014) report has shown that many primary school children have poor eating habits.

3.    The home plays the major role in determining healthy eating habits. The school, in partnership with parents, can make an important contribution. A Healthy Eating Policy developed in consultation with the whole-school community which includes Teachers, Parents, Students and the Student Councils as part of the school planning process will help to integrate healthy eating into school life.

 Objectives:

1.     To promote a healthy lifestyle and healthy eating patterns for the students

2.     To enable the child to appreciate the importance of good

nutrition for growing and developing and staying healthy.

3.     To enable the child to accept some personal responsibility

for making wise food choices and adopting a healthy,

balanced diet.

4.     To help develop student concentration and improve energy levels

5.     To inform the adults of the school community about healthy eating in school

6.     To have a healthy school community

Lunch is an important meal for school-going children. It should provide one third of their recommended daily allowance of nutrients without being high in fat, sugar or salt.  It should also provide dietary fibre (roughage).

The traditional packed lunch of milk and sandwiches is under attack from a range of convenience foods like crisps, sweets, biscuits, chocolate and soft drinks. Parents and teachers are concerned about this trend but some find it difficult to come up with popular healthy alternatives. We ask you to encourage a healthy lunch right from the start.

Pupils should be encouraged to have a role in preparing their own lunches and meals in order to promote responsibility or their own health and nutrition.

We encourage children to bring in a water bottle (that can be recycled) so they can have access to water throughout the day. Hydration is important for concentration.

Curriculum/Education

• There are many opportunities in the primary school curriculum for learning about the importance of living a healthy

• The importance of balanced nutrition and healthy food choices is explicitly taught through the SPHE curriculum. Food and Nutrition is an important part of the Strand Unit: Taking Care of My Body at each class level and is taught each year. These themes are also dealt with in other subjects such as Science and

• A copy of the healthy food pyramid is on display in every classroom. Healthy eating week is held annually.

• As part of our environmental awareness programme and in keeping with our green school’s status lunches should be packed in recyclable boxes avoiding the use of tin foil, cling film and plastic bags. All litter and uneaten food are to be taken home.

The following guide is designed to help parents provide quick, appetising, and nutritious lunches for our children:

Bread & Alternatives

Savouries

Bread or rolls (preferably whole-

meal, whole-grain or whole- wheat varieties)

Wraps Pitta bread

Bread sticks

Rice – wholegrain Pasta – wholegrain Wholemeal Scones/ Crackers.

Lean Meat (e.g., chicken/turkey, ham)

Eggs

Tinned Fish eg tuna/sardines/salmon

           Potato Salad

Hummus

Drinks

Water or Milk are the ideal choice Fruit juices - without added sugar. Pure

fruit juice also contains natural sugar and should be diluted with water)

Yoghurt

Dairy

           Milk

Natural Yoghurt

Cheese (triangles/slices/ small blocks of cheddar/gouda/edam etc)

Fruit & Vegetables

Apples, Banana, Peach Mandarins, Plums

Orange segments

    Fruit Salad, dried fruit 

Pineapple cubes Grapes

Cucumber, Sweetcorn, Tomato

Pepper slices

Carrot batons

A very simple approach to healthy eating is to use the Food Pyramid:

                              Sugar                           Sparingly

                         Sweets etc

                          Meat, Fish                                  2 portions per day

                          Peas/Beans                                                                                 

                          Milk, Cheese                              3+ portions per day

                          Yoghurt                         

                          Fruit & Vegetables                     4+ portions per day

                          Bread, Cereals & Potatoes       6+ portions per day

Implementation/Monitoring:

If children bring prohibited food or drink into school, they will be asked to put it away until after school as they are not permitted to eat “junk food” in school.

If children persist in bringing unhealthy food to school, the class teacher and principal will organise a meeting with their parents/guardians to remind them of the Healthy Eating Policy. It is very difficult to implement the policy successfully if all children do not adhere to the guidelines. It is also not fair on the children who comply with our Healthy Eating Policy to see children who clearly do not obey the rules

Friday is treat day.  On treat days pupils are allowed a small portion from the top shelf of the food pyramid e.g., fun size chocolate bar/small iced bun/biscuits.

Foods with artificial additive and colours e.g., Smarties, M & M’s, boiled sweets, cereal bars etc. should be avoided.  Special events and celebrations e.g., Green Flag days, food festivals, food demonstrations, end of term parties - on these occasions foods other than fruit or vegetables may be offered, but the staff will remind the children that this is an “occasional” treat and not “every day food”.

Other Considerations

Allergies

The school community is aware of the possibility of food allergies within the school population, particularly nut allergies. Parents or carers of children who are on special diets for medical reasons, or who have allergies, will be asked to provide as much information as possible about which foods are suitable or foods which must be avoided. This information will be relayed to all staff.

 There is a total ban on nuts and nut products due to serious allergies of some pupils.

Useful Links with Ideas for Healthy Lunches: (these URLs may be subject to change)

http://www.safefood.eu/SafeFood/media/SafeFoodLibrary/Documents/Education/2012- Safefood-Healthy-Lunchboxes-Leaflet-v4.pdf http://www.publichealth.hscni.net/sites/default/files/Healthier_Lunchbox_Leaflet_09_10_Ir ish.pdf

www.indi.ie (Irish Nutrition and Dietetic Institute website) You will find a leaflet ‘Are you packing a healthy lunch www.healthpromotion.ie

http://www.nhs.uk/Change4Life/Pages/healthy-lunchbox-picnic.aspx http://www.freshforkids.com.au/lunch_box/lunch_box.html http://www.nutritionaustralia.org/national/packing-school-lunchbox

 Roles and Responsibilities:

Role of Parents:

• Provide a healthy well-balanced lunch for children

• Encourage healthy eating

• Inform the school of any child’s special dietary needs

• To implement school policy by not allowing their children to bring chewing gum, crisps, chocolate bars or sweets to school except on treat day.

Role of Children:

• To eat their lunch

• To bring home any uneaten lunch

• To help make their lunches and remind parents of the Healthy Lunch Policy

• Not to bring chewing gum, crisps, chocolate bars or sweets to school except on treat days.

Role of School Staff

• To promote and encourage healthy eating.

• To educate children by teaching the appropriate content from the curriculum.

1. Responsibility for review:

A policy review will take place in autumn 2024

.

1. Communication and Ratification

A copy of the reviewed policy will be sent to all parents and a copy will be included in the enrolment pack for new pupils.  The policy will be published on the school website