Healthy Eating Policy
As part of the Social, Personal & Health Education (SPHE) Programme, at SN Muire gan Smál, we encourage the children to become more aware of the need for healthy food in their lunch boxes.
What people eat is known to be a key factor influencing health. Research indicates a strong link between diet and performance (e.g. a low sugar intake promotes concentration, lessens hyperactivity, protects teeth, and lessens the risk of diabetes. A low salt intake reduces the risk of heart disease in later life).
To promote healthy eating habits in our school, we introduced a healthy eating policy starting from 1990 and continue to promote healthy eating today.
Aims:
1. To promote the personal development and well-being of the child.
2. To promote the health of the child and provide a foundation for healthy living in all its aspects.
Objectives:
1. To enable the child to appreciate the importance of good nutrition for growing and developing and staying healthy.
2. To enable the child to accept some personal responsibility for making wise food choices and adopting a healthy, balanced diet.
Lunch is an important meal for school-going children. It should provide one third of their recommended daily allowance of nutrients without being high in fat, sugar or salt. It should also provide dietary fibre (roughage).
The traditional packed lunch of milk and sandwiches is under attack from a range of convenience foods like crisps, sweets, biscuits, chocolate and soft drinks. Parents and teachers are concerned about this trend but some find it difficult to come up with popular healthy alternatives. We ask you to encourage a healthy lunch right from the start.
The following guide is designed to help you provide quick, appetising, and nutritious lunches for your children.
Bread & Alternatives Savouries
Bread or rolls, preferably wholemeal Lean Meat Pasta – wholegrain Chicken/Turkey Wholemeal scones Tinned fish eg. Tuna/sardines Bread sticks Quiche Crackers Pizza Pitta Bread
Fruit & Vegetables Drinks
Apples, Banana, Peach Milk Mandarins, orange segments Fruit Juices Fruit Salad, dried fruit Squashes, i.e. low sugar Plum, Pineapple cubes Yoghurt
(not encouraged junior level due to spillages) Grapes Cucumber Tomato Carrots Celery
We ask that children do NOT bring the following to school:
Snacks known to be high in sugar, saturated fat, salt, additives and preservatives, including the following:
· Crisps (including crisp-style snacks)
· Fizzy drinks (including fruit-flavoured water, juices, etc.)
· Sweets
· Chocolate biscuits/bars
· Chewing gum
· Fruit winders
· Popcorn
We also ask that pupils do NOT bring nuts or nut related products to school due to some children having severe nut allergies.
So as to take a proactive approach to healthy lunches, teachers will from time to time, reward children who can show a piece of fruit or other healthy foods in their lunchboxes.
A very simple approach to healthy eating is to use the Food Pyramid:
Fats, Sugar: Sweets etc. Sparingly
Meat, Fish, Peas/Beans 2 portions per day
Milk, Cheese, Yoghurt 3+ portions per day
Fruit & Vegetables 4+ portions per day
In the interest of a greener environment, children are asked to:
Take home (in lunchbox) all uneaten food, silver paper, wrappings, containers and cartons, as litter in the school is a safety hazard for the children.
· Put only fruit peel into compost bins (no orange peels)
· Not bring in cans and glass – for safety reasons.
N.B. Parents/Guardians of any child with a medical condition which requires a special diet should contact the school.
As part of the Social, Personal & Health Education (SPHE) Programme, at SN Muire gan Smál, we encourage the children to become more aware of the need for healthy food in their lunch boxes.
What people eat is known to be a key factor influencing health. Research indicates a strong link between diet and performance (e.g. a low sugar intake promotes concentration, lessens hyperactivity, protects teeth, and lessens the risk of diabetes. A low salt intake reduces the risk of heart disease in later life).
To promote healthy eating habits in our school, we introduced a healthy eating policy starting from 1990 and continue to promote healthy eating today.
Aims:
1. To promote the personal development and well-being of the child.
2. To promote the health of the child and provide a foundation for healthy living in all its aspects.
Objectives:
1. To enable the child to appreciate the importance of good nutrition for growing and developing and staying healthy.
2. To enable the child to accept some personal responsibility for making wise food choices and adopting a healthy, balanced diet.
Lunch is an important meal for school-going children. It should provide one third of their recommended daily allowance of nutrients without being high in fat, sugar or salt. It should also provide dietary fibre (roughage).
The traditional packed lunch of milk and sandwiches is under attack from a range of convenience foods like crisps, sweets, biscuits, chocolate and soft drinks. Parents and teachers are concerned about this trend but some find it difficult to come up with popular healthy alternatives. We ask you to encourage a healthy lunch right from the start.
The following guide is designed to help you provide quick, appetising, and nutritious lunches for your children.
Bread & Alternatives Savouries
Bread or rolls, preferably wholemeal Lean Meat Pasta – wholegrain Chicken/Turkey Wholemeal scones Tinned fish eg. Tuna/sardines Bread sticks Quiche Crackers Pizza Pitta Bread
Fruit & Vegetables Drinks
Apples, Banana, Peach Milk Mandarins, orange segments Fruit Juices Fruit Salad, dried fruit Squashes, i.e. low sugar Plum, Pineapple cubes Yoghurt
(not encouraged junior level due to spillages) Grapes Cucumber Tomato Carrots Celery
We ask that children do NOT bring the following to school:
Snacks known to be high in sugar, saturated fat, salt, additives and preservatives, including the following:
· Crisps (including crisp-style snacks)
· Fizzy drinks (including fruit-flavoured water, juices, etc.)
· Sweets
· Chocolate biscuits/bars
· Chewing gum
· Fruit winders
· Popcorn
We also ask that pupils do NOT bring nuts or nut related products to school due to some children having severe nut allergies.
So as to take a proactive approach to healthy lunches, teachers will from time to time, reward children who can show a piece of fruit or other healthy foods in their lunchboxes.
A very simple approach to healthy eating is to use the Food Pyramid:
Fats, Sugar: Sweets etc. Sparingly
Meat, Fish, Peas/Beans 2 portions per day
Milk, Cheese, Yoghurt 3+ portions per day
Fruit & Vegetables 4+ portions per day
In the interest of a greener environment, children are asked to:
Take home (in lunchbox) all uneaten food, silver paper, wrappings, containers and cartons, as litter in the school is a safety hazard for the children.
· Put only fruit peel into compost bins (no orange peels)
· Not bring in cans and glass – for safety reasons.
N.B. Parents/Guardians of any child with a medical condition which requires a special diet should contact the school.
