Packed Lunches

The hot meals that we provide have to meet strict government legislation to ensure balanced and healthy meals across the week. 

As yet there is no legislation regarding packed lunches but, as many of our pupils bring their own lunch to school we have put together guidance and helpful practical tips in choosing healthy food and drink to put in your child’s lunch box.  These tips follow the UK healthy eating model the “Eatwell Guide”.

 A school packed lunch should:

1. Be based on starchy foods: this can be rice, pasta, bread, couscous, wraps etc. Try to choose wholegrain or wholemeal varieties.
2. Include plenty of fruit and vegetables: aim for 1-2 portions in a lunchbox, add sliced vegetables to pasta dishes or sandwiches.
3. Include a portion of beans, pulses, eggs, meat or dairy/non-dairy protein source: eg meat, fish or eggs in sandwiches, cheese sticks, yoghurts
4. Include a healthy drink: we are a water only school

 A packed lunch needs to contain a good range of nutritious food to ensure children are not hungry in school. 

You should NOT include the following in your child’s packed lunch:

• Sandwiches, snacks or cake bars that contain nuts and sesame seeds are not to be brought to school
• Fruit juice, squash, fizzy drinks

Following discussions in House Circles, the children have produced their own guidance for lunches

 Eating at School

Food is important and we want to eat food that helps us to be healthy. We have decided on these rules for packed lunches:

1. Only drink water. Our bodies get used to sugary tastes and some fruit juices damage our teeth. We already have water bottles in school and we can use these at lunch times.
2. Sweet and chocolate bars are not allowed at school. We can have small cake bars or small biscuits for a sweet treat.
3. Try and reduce plastic packaging as much as possible. We thought about using paper bags or long life plastic tubs to help us with this.
4. Eat all of your sandwich – including the crusts! Some children say that they don’t like crusts but this means wasting good food.
5. Try and reduce the amount of sugary foods that you have. You could replace a sugary food with a chunk of cheese or a low sugar yoghurt or a lovely piece of fruit.

Bring your packed lunch in a box or bag that seals so that nothing falls out.   

Water bottles should have a sports top so that they don't leak or pour out if they get knocked over.