Healthy Eating

Eaton Valley will always encourage children to make healthy food choices and this extends to what food they bring to school in their packed lunch boxes. If you choose to send your child with a packed lunch, we ask that you pack healthy and nutritious foods that are low in sugar. We have some children in school with severe nut allergies, so we ask that you do not put any nuts (in any form) into your child’s packed lunch.

Seven Steps To A Healthy Lunchbox

There are seven easy rules to follow for better nutrition.

When packing your child’s lunchbox, remember to include:

1. Foods that your child will enjoy
2. A variety of foods
3. Adequate portion sizes
4. Foods rich in starch and fibre
5. Lots of fruits and vegetables
6. Fewer foods that are high in fat
7. Fewer sugary foods and drinks

We would like to bring to your attention the Change 4 life website which has lots of healthy lunchbox ideas for you to consider!

https://www.nhs.uk/change4life/recipes/healthier-lunchboxes

How much is enough?

It’s easy to say “eat more of this” and “eat less of that,” but often parents find it confusing to know just how much of a certain food, or food group, is enough. General guidelines for school aged children include:

A third of your child’s daily food intake should be bread, cereal or potatoes.

Motivate your child to “strive for five” by eating 5 different fruits and vegetables per day.

Remind your child to eat 2-3 servings of milk or dairy per day.

Serve sensible portions of meat, fish or alternatives, including 2 servings of fish per week.

A serving (or less!) of sugary foods per day, including sugary drinks.

Encourage your child to drink at least six glasses of water per day, more if they are athletic and active.