Happy New Healthy Year!

Happy New Year to everyone. We hope you have had a good break. School opens for the children on Tuesday 8th January 2013 at the  normal time. As this is the start of a new year we thought we would help everyone to stay healthy by updating our Packed Lunch Policy.

Our Packed Lunch Policy applies to snacks brought in for break times and after school whilst on school premises.

BREAK TIME SNACKS – ALLOWED 

• Fresh fruit
• Vegetables (carrot, cucumber, celery sticks etc)
• Dried fruit(raisins, sultanas etc.)
• Water (water fountains are available to fill up bottles)

 BREAK TIME SNACKS – NOT ALLOWED 

• Confectionery such as chocolate bars, chocolate-coated biscuits and sweets.
• Crisps
• Any products with nuts in
• Meat products such as sausage rolls, individual pies, corned meat, Mattesons meat products and sausages/chipolatas, chicken nuggets and chicken goujons. (Meat products are allowed for packed lunches only).

Don’t forget that if your child has a packed lunch you should follow this guidance:

PACKED LUNCH – ALLOWED 

• At least one portion of fruit and one portion of vegetables every day.
• Meat, fish or other source of non-dairy protein (e.g. lentils, kidney beans, chickpeas, hummus and falafel) every day
• Oily fish, such as salmon, at least once every three weeks.
• A starchy food such as any type of bread, pasta, rice, couscous, noodles, potatoes or other type of cereals every day.
• Dairy food such as semi-skimmed milk, cheese, fruit yoghurt, fruit fromage frais or custard everyday
• A drink such 100% fruit juice, semi-skimmed milk, yogurt drink or a bottle of water

PACKED LUNCH – NOT ALLOWED 

• Snacks such as crisps.
• Nuts and nut products (we have a number of children with severe nut allergies in school)
• Drinks with added sugar, sweeteners, colouring or additives (school will supply water for all children)
• Confectionery such as chocolate bars and sweets.
• Processed meat products such as sausage rolls, individual pies, corned meat, sausages and Mattesons meat products such as ‘Fridge Raiders’. Should only be included occasionally. 

One cake or biscuit is allowed but encourage your child to eat these only as part of a balanced meal which includes a good range of the elements on the ‘allowed list’ above.

The lunchtime staff will be monitoring children’s lunches to ensure that everyone is being as healthy as they can be. We will also be promoting healthy eating in assembly. If your child accidentally brings in an item of food that is not allowed, it will be passed on to their class teacher who will return it to them at the end of the school day. A healthy eating slip will be put in your child’s lunch box as a reminder of what to is allowed and what is not.