Healthy Eating
At Brampton Village Primary School, we are committed to encouraging healthy eating habits that support our pupils' physical well-being, concentration, and energy levels throughout the school day. By working together with families, we aim to help children make informed food choices that contribute to a healthy lifestyle now and in the future.
We believe as adults in school (staff, parents, carers), we should be good role models in promoting healthy food choices so that children understand how a balanced diet can contribute to their health, happiness and well-being. Our school curriculum, including PSHE, Science, D.T and P.E, provides lots of opportunities to teach the children about the importance of a healthy lifestyle and food education.
We promote balanced meals and healthy snacks as part of our whole-school approach to well-being. Whether it’s school dinners, packed lunches, or mid-morning snacks, we encourage a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and nutritious options, while limiting sugary treats and processed foods.
School Dinners
Information on our current school menu, the cost, who is eligible for free school meals, and how to pre book your child's lunches, can be found under the our school section of the website.
Packed Lunches
School meals are a great choice for your child, but you may prefer to provide your child with a packed lunch. Please mark the outside of your child’s lunch container with his/her name and ensure that they can be easily opened by them. Any drink should be in a non-breakable plastic container. Fizzy drinks, in cans or bottles and sweets are not permitted.
As there are children who are allergic to peanuts, we would ask parents to consider substituting all foods containing nuts (particularly peanut butter) for nut-free options. However, please let your child’s teacher know if any of the packed lunch has peanuts as an ingredient.
Here is some guidance on what to put in a healthy lunch box-from NHS choices:
What to include in your child's lunchbox:
A healthier lunchbox should:
- be based on starchy carbohydrates (bread, potatoes, rice, pasta)
- include fresh fruit and vegetables/salad
- include a source of protein such as beans and pulses, eggs, fish, meat, cheese (or dairy alternative)
- include a side dish such as a low-fat and lower-sugar yoghurt (or dairy alternative), tea cake, fruit bread, plain rice/corn cakes, homemade plain popcorn, sugar-free jelly
- include a drink such as water, sugar-free or no-added-sugar drinks
The Eatwell Guide shows you how to have a healthy balanced diet and can help you decide what to put in your child's lunchbox.
Find healthy lunchbox ideas at Change4Life.
Mid-Morning Snack
Most children require a snack at morning break to keep them going through the day. Children in Reception and Key Stage 1 are provided with a fresh fruit or vegetable snack, so they do not need to bring anything from home. Children in Key Stage 2 are encouraged to bring in healthy snacks to keep them alert and to help them concentrate. Please do not send in cakes, biscuits, crisps, chocolate and sweets, as these can be high in fat and/or sugar and should make up a relatively small part of a child’s diet. Any snack should also be nut free as we have children in school with nut allergies.
Ideas for healthy snacks:
• Vegetable sticks – such as celery, cucumber, peppers or carrot, a range of colour ensures different vitamins and minerals.
• A piece of cheddar cheese
• A piece of fresh or dried fruit, high in soluble fibre and vitamins would also be a great snack– pineapple, mango, kiwi, plain raisins, apricots, blueberries, banana slices.
• Bread sticks, plain pretzels, oat/rice cakes are good snacks, providing children with carbohydrate to sustain them in-between meals.
• Homemade snack - oat/whole grain-based snack.
Celebrating Birthdays Healthily and Safely
To support our school’s healthy eating policy and to protect children with food allergies and dietary intolerances, or specific religious practices, we kindly ask parents not to send cakes or sweets into school for birthdays. Thank you for your cooperation in keeping our school community safe and inclusive.