_______________________ Healthy Pack Lunches
A packed lunch can make a valuable contribution to your child’s diet and future health. It is important to include a balanced variety of foods so that your child can get all the nutrients they need.
Although the school will encourage healthy food to be included in packed lunches, it will be sensitive to those pupils who have inflexible diets or medical needs.
For children and young people, a healthy well balanced lunchbox, includes:
-
starchy foods – these are bread, rice, potatoes, pasta etc
-
protein foods – including meat, fish, eggs, beans etc
-
a dairy item – this could be cheese or a yoghurt
-
vegetables or salad
-
a portion of fruit
-
a healthy drink such as water or milk
For more information, please read the Eatwell Guide published by the Public Health Agency.
When providing your child with a packed lunch for school, parents/carers should follow the guidance on the Change4Life website. This suggests that all children have a main course (sandwich, wrap, pita, etc…), some fruit and a healthy snack (cereal bar, yoghurt, rice cakes, etc…). It is not necessary to provide your child with a drink as fresh drinking water will be given to each child whilst they eat their lunch. These guidelines also apply to when children are out on school visits.