Healthy Eating Policy

Introductory Statement

This policy has been formulated by the staff of Ballagh NS.

Aim

The aim of this policy is to ensure children eat a healthy, well-balanced lunch, thus promoting a healthy lifestyle. By encouraging healthy eating patterns we educate children for later life.

Healthy Lunch Options

A healthy lunch leaflet was given to each family which contains ideas and tips on how to prepare a healthy lunchbox.  We encourage children to choose from the following foods regularly

  • Bread/scones
  • Pitta bread
  • Fruit
  • Raw vegetables
  • Cheese, lean meat, eggs, fish, salad
  • Fruit Juice
  • Yoghurt Drinks
  • Milk
  • Water
  • Soup

Treat Foods

We recommend foods such as:

  • Fresh fruit
  • Raisins
  • Yogurt or Yogurt drinks

Chewing gum, crisps, chocolate and bars, sweets, fizzy drinks are not allowed

Roles and Responsibilities:

Role of parents:

  • Provide a healthy well-balanced lunch for children
  • Encourage healthy eating
  • Inform the school of any child’s special dietary needs
  • To implement school policy by not allowing their children to bring chewing gum, sweets, crisps, chocolate bars or fizzy drinks  to school

 Role of Children:

  • To eat their lunch
  • To bring home any uneaten lunch
  • To help make their lunches and remind parents of the Healthy Lunch Policy
  • Not to bring chewing gum, crisps, chocolate bars or sweets or fizzy drinks to school

Role of School:

  • To promote and encourage healthy eating.
  • If children bring chewing gum, crisps, chocolate bars, sweets or fizzy drinks to school they will not be allowed to eat them while in school. If children have these foods and no other food or no food for their lunch a lunch will be made up by the siblings of the child or other children in the class sharing with the child for that day.

Implementation: 

This policy was reviewed and implemented in January 2016.

As part of the Social Personal and Health Education curriculum reasons for healthy eating will be discussed with the children regularly by staff.

A healthy eating week is usually held the second week of September.

Teachers will continue to give children a sweet treat on occasions in recognition of work done, improvements in work or behaviour and in an effort to promote positive behaviour. Sweet treats used prudently by teachers will not interfere with the health of the children.