Healthy Lunchbox Guide

If you are deciding to send your child into school with a packed lunch from home, please note the following recommended guidelines set out by the British Nutrition Foundation.

A child’s lunch should include only the following:

• A portion of starchy food, e.g. wholegrain bap/bread, sesame seed pitta bread, plain crackers, pasta or rice salad
• Fresh fruit and vegetables, e.g. apple/orange/banana, cherry tomatoes, carrots sticks, mini fruit chunks, etc
• A portion of milk or dairy food, e.g. cheese, plain/fruit yoghurt, etc.
• Small portion of lean meat, fish or alternative, e.g. two slices of ham, chicken, beef, Quorn, cheese, tuna, egg or hummus, etc.
• A drink - fruit juice (not fizzy or diluted squash), water (not flavoured), milk (not flavoured)

We also advise to include an ice pack. Food products, prepared and stored in ambient temperatures, can after a period of between two to four hours, have increased levels of bacteria in them, which may be harmful to your child. Although the school provides ambient storage facilities, the school cannot take legal responsibility for foods prepared at home and then brought into school.

In addition, we request that you do not include the following items in packed lunches:

•     Sweets (including Winders), chocolate, etc.
•     Crisps or any packeted savoury snacks high in salt and fat
•     Fizzy drinks/sugary drinks
•     Sweet cakes, e.g. sugary cakes, doughnuts, etc.
•     Sweet nut bars, etc.
•     Foods containing salted nuts, etc.
•     Packets of salted nuts

If you have difficulty following these guidelines please contact the school.