Story Wood Lunch Box Guidance

                                                          Why do we have a lunch box policy ?
We have a lunch box policy to encourage healthy choices for all children in school and to ensure that all food and drinks brought from home consumed at school or on trips, provide pupils with healthy and nutritious food. All food served in schools between 8am and 4.30pm is governed by legislation. This includes breakfast clubs, packed lunches prepared by school catering staff, lunch time food and after school clubs. It is therefore important to have the same approach for food and drink brought in from home.
The policy hopes to encourage good lunchbox contents so that:
 Lunches make a positive contribution to children's health
 They support the schools healthy eating ethos
 We encourage a happier and calmer atmosphere
 We promote consistency between food brought from home and food provided by school

                                              What do parents need to do?

Parents can support the school policy by not including the following items in lunchboxes:

• Any food containing Nuts we do have a number of children with severe nut allergies
•  Snacks such as crisps (alternatives include savoury crackers or breadsticks)
• Chocolate bars, chocolate coated biscuits and sweets (alternatives include shortbreads, flapjack or plain biscuits )
•  Fizzy drinks, drinks with added sugar or sweeteners, flasks, drinks in glass bottles or ring pull cans.
•  The remains of previous day's take-away.

Lunch boxes should not regularly include items that are high in fat or salt. For example cooked sausages, sausage rolls, corned meat, individual meat pies.

Mid—Morning Break

The children in Foundation and KS1 are provided with a piece of fruit & milk.

Children in KS2 will be provided with a piece of toast. Where possible KS2 children may also bring a piece of fruit for playtime for mid morning break.

Please ensure that no chocolate, crisps, sweets or food containing nuts are sent in to school. 

                     What should a good lunch box include ?

•   At least one portion of fruit  and vegetables (e.g. small apple,  orange, grapes, dried fruit, cherry tomatoes, salad) should be included each day.
•  There should be a portion of starchy food included such as bread, chapatti, bagels, tortilla wrap, pitta pocket, crisp breads, pasta, couscous, rice, noodles or potato salad. 
•  Dairy food such as milk, cheese, yoghurt or fromage frais should be included each day.
•  Meat (chicken, turkey, ham, beef, pork ) or fish (tuna, salmon) or alternatives such as lentils, kidney beans,  chickpeas or hummus.
• Drinks should be water, semi-skimmed or skimmed milk, 100% Juice, low sugar squash or yoghurt drinks.

                                                       What will Story Wood School do?

 The school will ensure that eating food from home is a sociable experience where staff will provide support and guidance for children. Our policy aims to ensure that:

 · The dining environment is appropriate, hygienic and attractive with a seat and a place to sit at

 · Good behaviour and consideration for others is maintained

· Fresh drinking water is provided

· Staff supervising pupils eating food from home are aware of school policy and hygiene procedures

Lunch boxes that regularly contain unhealthy options will be monitored and parents will be contacted to see how the lunchbox can be improved.

Our Healthy Lunchbox Policy can be found on the school website and contains more detail for parents.

 May 2021