GAELSCOIL NA DÚGLAISE                               

 

Healthy Eating Policy

As part of the Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) Programme at Gaelscoil na  Dúglaise 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).

To promote healthy eating habits  in  our school, we    introduced a  revised  healthy   eating   policy   starting   from  November 2016.

Aims

1.   To  promote the  personal  development  and  well -being  of  the  child

2.   To  promote  the  health  of  the  child  and   provide  a  foundation  for  healthy  living  in  all  its  aspects.

 

Objectives

1.  To enable the child  to appreciate the importance of good nutrition for growing and  developing and staying healthy

2.  To enable the child to  accept some  personal  responsibility  for  making  wise food  choices and  adopting  a  healthy  balanced diet.

3.  To  help  children  improve  concentration,  learning  and  health  levels.

 

Lunch  is  an important  food  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  provide  dietary  fibre  (Roughage).

The  traditional  packed  lunch  of  milk  and  sandwiches  is  under   attack  from  a  range  of  convenience  foods  like  crisps,  sweets,  biscuits,  chocolate  and  soft  drinks.  Parents  and  teachers  are  concerned  about  this  trend  but  some  find  it  difficult  to   come  up  with  popular  healthy  alternatives.   We  ask  you  to  encourage  a  healthy  lunch  right  from  the   start.

The   following  guide  is  designed  to  help  you  provide  quick  appetising  and  nutritious  lunches  for  your  children.

 

Bread &  Alternatives

Bread or rolls, preferably  wholemeal

Rice  -  wholegrain

Pasta  -  wholegrain

Potato Salad

Wholemeal  Scones

Bread  Sticks

Crackers

Pitta  bread

Savouries

Lean  Meat

Chicken/Turkey

Tinned Fish  e.g. tuna/sardines

Cheese

Quiche

Fruit &  Vegetables

Apples,  Banana,  Peach

Mandarins,  Orange segments

Fruit  Salad,  dried  fruit

Plum,  Pineapple  cubes

Grapes

Cucumbner,  Sweetcorn

Tomato

Coleslaw.

Drinks

Milk

Water

A word about  Milk

Growing  children  should  get  approximately  one  pint  of  milk  a  day  or  its  equivalent as  cheese,  yogurt  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  yogurt  or  a  small  helping  of  cheese  instead.

We  ask  that  children  do  not  bring the following   to  school:

Snacks  known   to  be high  in   sugar, saturated fat,  salt,  additives  and  preservatives,  including  the   following:

• Crisps  (including  crisp-style snacks)
• Fizzy drinks  (including  fizzy fruit-flavoured  water, juices,  etc.)
• Sweets
• Chocolate  biscuits/bars
• Cereal  bars
• Chewing  gum
• Fruit  winders
• Popcorn

So  as  to  take  a  proactive  approach  to  healthy  lunches,   teachers will  from  time  to  time,   reward  children  who  can   show  a  piece  of  fruit  or  other  healthy  foods  in  their  lunchboxes.

Lunch  Breaks

Two  lunch  breaks  are  time  tabled  in  Gaelscoil   na  Dúglaise.

A  ten   minute  break  at 10.35a.m.  (Naíonáin-Rang2)  an d 10.50a.m.(Ranganna  3-6).

A  thirthy  minute  break  at 12.15p.m. (Naíonáin -Rang2)  and 12.30  (Ranganna  3-6).

Children  are  advised  to  eat   thneir  own   lunches  i.e.  not  to  swap  lunches  due  to  allergies  etc.,   We advise parents to desist from sending in birthday  cakes  to  divide among  the classmates  due  to allergies  and to aid  in the implementaton  of  this  Healthy  Eating  Policy.

Treat Day

Friday will be our treat  day.   On this day, children can include one treat item in their lunchbox.  However fizzy  drinks, crisps and chewing gum are not allowed in school.

Green Flag School

With this in mind, children are asked to:

• take  home (in lunchbox)  all uneaten food, silver paper, wrappings, containers and  cartons.
• put only fruit peel in  compost bins
• not to bring in cans and glass - for safety reasons.

N.B. Parents/guardians of any child with a medical condition which requires a special diet should contact the school.

This policy was ratified by the Board of Management in November 2016.    It will be reviewed in 2018.

 

Sínithe ag_______________________________

 

Cathaoirleach an Bhoird Bainistíochta

 

Dáta__________________________