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Healthy Eating Policy
Oylegate N.S.
Healthy Eating Policy
Oylegate N.S., through these guidelines, aims to help all those involved in our school community in developing positive and responsible attitudes to eating, and to appreciate the contribution that good food makes to health.
Aims:
To ensure that all aspects of food and nutrition in school promote the well being of our pupils.
To foster in our pupils an awareness of the importance of having a balanced healthy diet.
To improve the current eating habits of some children.
To influence positively the future eating habits of children.
To assist parents in ensuring that children have a healthy balanced diet.
To facilitate improved concentration and learning.
To fulfill the food and nutrition guidelines issued by the Department in 2003.
It is difficult to proscribe foods, as there are lots of variations, and it can soak up a lot of a teacher’s time trying to differentiate between them, as well as policing the healthy eating policy.
Instead, Oylegate N.S. seeks to suggest from the following list of menu options:
Sandwiches, Wraps
Bread, Rolls, Pitta breads, Crackers, Pasta,
Pizza, Quiche
Vegetables, Salad, Vegetable sticks, Fruit, Dried fruit, Unsweetened pure fruit juice.
Cheese, Yoghurt, Milk, Fromage frais
Ham, Chicken, Turkey, Hardboiled eggs, Fish
Flapjacks, Plain buns, Brack, Scones
Water, Milk, Unsweetened pure fruit juice
Steps to a Healthy Lunch Box
Encourage wholemeal or wholegrain varieties of breads etc.
Use butter or spreads sparingly
Include a drink at lunch
Include salad vegetables in sandwiches and salad boxes
Include at least one piece of fruit at lunch
Encourage that milk, cheese or yoghurt is included as part of lunch
Encourage that meat, chicken, fish, egg or cheese is included as part of lunch.
Important Points
The curriculum provides an opportunity to teach about food and healthy lifestyles.
Cereal bars, sweets, bars and chocolate will be discouraged.
Fizzy drinks, chewing gum, popcorn, lollipops and crisps are not allowed.
Wrappers are to be kept at a minimum and disposed of properly i.e. brought home, to reduce litter and protect our school environment.
The children will be encouraged to bring in only healthy lunches from Monday to Friday but that they can bring a small treat on Friday.
Teachers will endeavour to provide positive modelling and supportive attitudes to encourage healthy eating.
Cans and glasses are not permitted for safety and litter reasons.Healthier choices of drink include water, milk and unsweetened juice.
Children with Different Needs: Parents have to inform the school if their child is on a special diet. This will ensure the teachers are aware of the child’s dietary needs and will make allowances for this. Allowances may be made for children in exceptional circumstances insofar as this has been approved by the principal.
For health and safety reasons hot water for soup etc. cannot be supplied.
Non Co-operation
Oylegate N.S. aims to inform and teach about healthy eating, while also suggesting alternatives to unhealthy choices a child might bring in.
A reward system will be put in place to reward the children who abide by the school healthy eating policy.
The school recognises that it cannot enforce this policy on a parent as it is purely a matter for the parent what their child eats.
However, should a child, on a consistent basis, bring in unhealthy lunch, the school may discuss with the parent why the policy is in place, and hope, in this way, to secure co-operation.
If a parent refuses to abide by the healthy eating policy, this will be noted in the child’s end of year report.