A Parent’s Guide to…. school lunches

Putting fruit in their bag even if they normally buy school lunches….  

When they feel that pang of hunger, it may actually be easier to reach into their bag to grab that orange you left there than walk over the canteen and queue. By making the healthier option the easier option they are more likely to stick to healthy snacks rather than being tempted by whatever the tuck shop is enticing them with.  

If you are already providing a healthy packed lunch for them they don’t need extra money to go to the shop. They are much less likely to eat what you have provided if they also have the means to buy whatever they want.  

Often if you look at the school lunch caterers, they will have a weekly rolling menu. Download this and look at it at home with your child and discuss the healthy options. If your child is at primary school, you can choose the options for your child in advance so that you know what they are being served is the healthiest option.  

Often the salad bars at schools will be self-service, however, the ‘salad’ often also includes pasta and potato salad as well as highly ‘mayo’d’ coleslaw. If we look at our Eatwell Guide these ‘salads’ wouldn’t fall into our fruit a vegetable section, as we would want a salad to. Make sure your child is clued up on how to build a balanced plate so that they don’t overdose on carbs and skimp on the veggies.  

Most secondary schools now have a pre-paid card or even a fingerprint system to pay for food in the canteen. This also stores all the info on what has been bought so you as a parent can check. If this is something that works for both of you, this can be an easy way to check what your child is buying for lunch at school, and discuss it at home if necessary. 

Joint problem solving is when both you and your child work towards a solution that you are both happy with. Could there be one day in the week when they’re allowed to choose whatever they want – as long as the rest of the week they choose the healthier options? It is important that you both agree the terms. What will be the consequences if this agreement is not stuck to? Do you both understand why you have made this agreement? 

It is important to remember energy balance. Whatever is eaten for lunch needs to be considered when deciding what to eat for dinner. For example, some children may find that their school lunch is their main meal of the day, this means that their evening meal doesn’t need to be as big. This will help keep us healthy and in energy balance.  

You wouldn’t order takeaway pizza everyday so why have it at school every day? Often pizza is an option every day and one of the cheapest things on the menu! They don’t make it easy. It’s also one of the easiest options to eat on the go. Remind your child that this is not a healthy option and should just be enjoyed occasionally.