At Lisavaird National School, we strive to promote all aspects of healthy living. From the outset of their education, we will provide links between proper nutrition and good physical and mental health. We will educate the children about the benefits of a balanced, nutritional diet, as well as the potential hazards of an excessive intake of unhealthy foods.
While promoting the benefits of healthy eating, we will, on occasion, reward the children with treats on rare special occasions in the hope that these will have a positive impact on the children’s mental well being.
Packed Lunches
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).
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 will ask you to encourage a healthy lunch right from the start.
Also, please, only give your child something you feel they can easily manage to eat.
Children are not normally very hungry at school, so a little snack will do.
Start with the Basics
A healthy packed lunch should contain bread or an alternative, a savoury filling which provides protein, a suitable drink and some fruit and/or vegetables. Children are allowed to bring a small treat on a Friday such as a fun size bar or home baking.
A Word about Milk and Water
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 or her to have a carton of yoghurt or a small helping of cheese instead.
It is important that the children stay hydrated throughout the day. While fizzy drinks are not permitted, the children may bring fruit juice as part of their lunch. However, we ask that all children have a refillable drinking container in school for water, which they will be allowed to refill as required throughout the day.
A copy of the schools Healthy Eating Policy is available on request.