Healthy Lunchbox and Snack Guidelines

Water

It has been recognised that children’s concentration and behaviour improves when children drink water throughout the day. Dehydration can give children headaches and make them tired. Therefore, we encourage pupils to bring a clearly named plastic bottle of water to school each day. This will allow children to have fresh drinking water throughout each day.

The following guidelines for snacks and lunchbox contents may help parents and ensure health and equality for all children.

Packed lunches may include:

• A starchy food such as bread, bagel, pasta, rice, noodles, couscous
• A sandwich that includes a savoury filling (e.g. egg, tuna, cheese, cooked meat)
• At least one portion of fruit and or vegetables (e.g. cucumber sticks, cherry tomatoes, dried raisins)
• Meat, fish or other source of non-dairy protein (e.g. lentils, chick peas, hummus)
• Dairy food such as cheese or yogurt
• A biscuit or cake not coated in chocolate
• Savoury snack or baked/low fat/low calorie snacks e.g. Pom bears, Quavers, French Fries, Mini Cheddars, seeds, savoury crackers, breadsticks etc.
• A bottle of water, a smoothie or yogurt drink or real fruit juice carton

Packed Lunches should avoid:

• Confectionery such as chocolate bars, chocolate coated biscuits and sweets.
• Large, full size sausage rolls, pasties and pies
• No fizzy drinks
• Nuts – we are a nut –free school.

Mid-Morning Break Toast, Milk and Juice is available to purchase for all year groups via parent pay each half term.

Reception and KS1 (Year 1 and 2)

· Each student will receive one piece of fruit or vegetable free per day. This is provided under the NHS Free Fruit and Vegetables for Schools Scheme and will be prepared onsite.

 · You may wish to send a piece of fruit in with your child. However if your child is unable to peel the fruit, please peel them and wrap or store in a suitable way.

KS2 (Year 3, 4, 5 and 6)

· Fruit / vegetables/ dried fruit or cereal bar – this may be sent in with your children.

The school requests that parents and carers observe that we are a nut-free school and therefore do not include nuts, or any traces of nuts, in packed lunches.

Please note that if you send in grapes or cherry tomatoes with your child then they must be cut in half.

Our school aims to meet the needs of all children and ensure equality of provision whilst taking account of this diversity and difference. We understand that some children are ‘fussy eaters’ and that it is a major step to get some children to eat anything at all. We want parents to let us know if this is the case so that we can deal with such children sensitively and with encouragement and praise for what they have eaten. We will encourage pupils to eat and drink as much of their morning snack or lunch as possible. As fridge space is not available in school parents are advised to send in packed lunches in a cooler bag or food that does not require refrigeration. In the summer term perhaps but an ice pack in your child’s lunchbox to keep items cool.

Natasha's Law

The UK Food Information Amendment, also known as Natasha's Law comes into effect from the 1st October 2021. This requires schools and businesses to provide full ingredient lists and allergen labelling on prepacked food. St Alban's will be providing this information when food is prepared for school trips and the list attached below shows the food options. Please get in touch with the School Office if you have any queries.