Baden-Powell and St Peter's CE Middle School

Information for Parents on our Healthy Lunchbox Policy

This policy has now been approved by our Governors.

I have selected just this section from our Healthy Lunchbox Policy for you to read as it is the most relevant part to parents making lunches. If you wish to see the full policy it is available to you in school.

As stated below our suggestions for a healthy lunchbox are guidelines not rules. At school we will continue to teach and discuss aspects of a healthy lifestyle, of which healthy eating is only one. I do hope you feel able to support our efforts to help our children to make healthy choices.
Lynn Foster.

Food and drink in packed lunches.

The school will provide a place and adequate time for pupils to eat a packed lunch and ensure that fresh drinking water is readily available at all times.

As fridge space is not available in school, pupils are advised to bring packed lunches in insulated bags with freezer blocks, where possible, especially during Summer. A good substitute for a freezer block is a frozen drink which will defrost during the morning.

During Winter, hot food could be brought in a flask.

The school will encourage pupils and parents to consider the guidelines for a healthy packed lunch listed below.

The following are intended as guidelines, not rules. However, we feel as a school that consideration of these guidelines will support the whole of the school community in developing healthy eating habits.

Packed lunches should include:

At least one portion of fruit and one portion of vegetables every day e.g. carrot sticks, cucumber, small apple or orange, banana, dried fruit, mini tomatoes, mango cubes. Dips are lovely with vegetable sticks.

Meat, fish, or vegetarian source of non-dairy protein e.g. chicken, turkey, ham, beef, pork, tuna, lentils, kidney beans, chickpeas, falafel, soya, tofu.

A starchy food e.g. bread, pasta, rice, crackers, rice cakes, oat cakes, pitta bread, tortilla wraps.

Dairy food e.g. milk, cheese, eggs, yoghurt, fromage frais.

A drink of either water, fruit juice, milk, yoghurt drink, smoothie. (No fizzy drinks please.)

Other issues:

Please do not include sweets and chocolate bars in a lunchbox. (A chocolate coated biscuit would be acceptable occasionally.)

We do not expect sweets to be eaten in school except on special occasions. (The amount of sweets would then be limited.)

Please do not include crisps in a lunchbox every day. Good alternatives are savoury crackers or breadsticks, cereal bars. (Remember to avoid nuts as we are a nut free school.)

We would hope that cake would be limited to a couple of times a week. Perhaps consider healthy recipes such as fruit cake and carrot cake.

High fat meat products such as sausage rolls, individual pies, corned meat and sausages should only be included occasionally. (Once a week.) Outdoor school trips may need extra items for energy. Healthier options such as chicken or fish could be considered.

Parents may like to include an extra item to be eaten at 3:30pm if a child has an after school activity.

Children will be encouraged to eat their savoury food first.

Children should not swop food. Parents expect their child to eat the lunch that they have provided.

Encourage children to regard foods very high in sugar or fat as treats and not staple foods for a lunchbox.

The school will, from time to time, send lunchbox ideas home.

Special diets and allergies.

Be aware of food allergies, often nuts, but not exclusively. The school recognises that some pupils may require special diets that do not allow for the guidelines to be adhered to exactly. Parents will provide the appropriate diet for that child, another reason why children should not swop food items.