This policy will be communicated to staff and the school community as appropriate and will be subjected to yearly review, unless there is a compelling reason to review it earlier.
Click on the following link to download the
St. Brigid’s National School
Trafalgar Road, Greystones, Co. Wicklow
As part of the Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) Programme at St. Brigid’s NS 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).
The aims of this policy are:
- To promote the personal development and well-being of the child
- To promote the health of the child and provide a foundation for healthy living in all its aspects.
Objectives:
- To enable the child to appreciate the importance of good nutrition for growing and developing and staying healthy
- To enable the child to accept some personal responsibility for making wise food choices and adopting a healthy, balanced diet.
Lunch Breaks – There are two lunch breaks over the course of the school day.
- Sos Beag – (10 mins) Fruit/Vegetable break. The children bring some fruit/vegetables to yard to eat at this break time. Accommodations will be made for children with a sensitivity/ intolerance/ allergy to fruits/vegetables after consultation with the class teacher.
- Lón (30 mins)–The children eat lunch before going to yard for big break.
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). We ask you to encourage a healthy lunch right from the start.
Our school has a healthy lunch policy and 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 Rice – wholegrain Pasta – wholegrain Potato Salad Wholemeal Scones Bread sticks Crackers Pitta bread | Lean Meat Chicken/Turkey Cheese Quiche Pizza |
| Fruit & Vegetables | Drinks |
| Apples, Banana, Peach Mandarins, Orange segments Fruit Salad, dried fruit Plum, Pineapple cubes Grapes (cut in half) Cucumber, Sweetcorn Tomato Coleslaw | Milk Water |
A Word About Milk
Growing children should get approximately one pint of milk a day, or its equivalent as cheese, yoghurt or milk pudding. This ensures that they get enough calcium, which is essential for healthy bones and teeth. If a child does not drink a glass of milk at lunch, encourage him to have a carton of yoghurt or a small helping of cheese instead.
The following is a list of foods and drinks children are not allowed to bring to school:
· Crisps (including crisp-style snacks)
- Sweets
- Chocolate biscuits/bars
- Cereal bars with chocolate
- Chewing gum
- Fruit winders
- Frubes
- Popcorn
- Nuts
- Foods containing nuts – Because of the prevalence of nut allergies in our school, any foods containing nuts or traces of nuts are strictly forbidden.
- Lollipops
- Fizzy drinks (including fizzy fruit-flavoured water, juices, etc)
* Occasionally the children may receive a sweet treat from staff, for example, at Christmas, Easter etc. We understand that children with allergies may not be able to accept these treats and having consulted with parents an alternative will be given to them.
A very simple approach to healthy eating is to use the Food Pyramid:
| Fats, Sugars, Sweets | Sparingly |
| Meat, Fish, Peas, Beans | 2 portions per day |
| Milk, Cheese, Yoghurts | 3 + portions per day |
| Fruit and Vegetables | 4 + portions per day |
| Bread, Cereals and Potatoes | 6 + portions per day |
Green Flag School
As we are a Green School the children are asked to:
- use paper lunch bags or reusable lunch boxes
- use reusable beakers/ drink containers
- not to use cling film or tinfoil
- not to bring in cans and glass – for safety reasons.
- take home all uneaten food and put only fruit peel into the compost bins
Children with medical conditions or allergies
Parents/guardians of any child with a medical condition which requires a special diet or whose child has a food allergyshould contact the school in writing with details.
A record (including photographs) of all children with underlying medical conditions and food allergies is kept at the school. This record is reviewed annually.
At the beginning of each school year an email is sent to all parents/guardians informing them of any child/children in their child’s class with a specific food intolerance or allergy. Parents will be asked to exclude these food items from their child’s lunch boxes.
It is the responsibility of the parents/guardians to ensure that all medications stored at the school are in date, labelled with the child’s name and instructions for use.
Implementation
Ratified by Board of Management and communicated to the school community.
Signed: Tom Sherlock Date: 18th March 2021
Tom Sherlock
Chairperson, BOM