Whitings Hill Primary School

Healthy Schools

Whitings Hill Packed Lunch Guidance

 Packed lunches

We encourage parents to provide healthy well balanced packed lunches.

Preparing a healthy well balanced child’s lunchbox, includes:

  • Starchy foods – these are bread, rice, potatoes, pasta etc
  • Protein foods – including meat, fish, eggs, beans etc
  • A dairy item – this could be cheese or a yoghurt
  • Vegetables or salad
  • A portion of fruit
  • A healthy drink such as water or milk

INCLUDE:

-  Minimum of 1 portion of fruit and 1 portion of vegetables everyday

-  Meat, poultry, fish and non-dairy protein e.g. pulses

-  Oily fish at least once every few weeks (e.g. sardines, salmon)

-  Starchy food such as bread, pasta, rice, potatoes including wholegrain varieties

-  A dairy product milk, cheese and yoghurt (unsweetened, low/medium sugar) and low/medium fat for children aged 5+, any dairy alternatives should be unsweetened and fortified

-  Water or milk (semi-skimmed or skimmed).

 

LIMIT:

-  Processed meat products sausage rolls, pies, sausages etc

-  Cakes and biscuits to be enjoyed as part of a meal occasionally not as a snack

-  Fruit juice: no more than 150mls per day (restricted to children aged 5+)

 

DO NOT INCLUDE:

-  Salty snacks such as crisps, nuts etc

-  Sweets and chocolate

-  Sugary soft drinks

Packed lunches and break time snacks MUST NOT include:

  • Nuts – including peanut butter and Nutella – because of the life threatening risk to any other child who may have a severe allergy.
  • Confectionery such as chocolate bars and sweets.
  • Fizzy drinks
  • Crisps

Packed lunches and break time snacks CAN include:

  • Plain rice cakes
  • Oatcakes
  • Plain breadsticks
  • Fruit
  • Vegetables

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Special diets and allergies

The school also recognises that some pupils may require special diets that do not allow for the guidance to be met exactly. In this case parents are urged to be responsible in ensuring that packed lunches are as healthy as possible.  For these reasons pupils are also not permitted to swap food items. Please be aware of nut allergies.

For ideas for healthy packed lunches try these links:

  1. NHS - Lunchbox ideas and recipes
  2. BBC Good Food - School packed lunch inspiration
  3. Strong 4 Life - Quick and healthy school lunches

 

Message from Mrs Greene

Thank you to all of the children who entered the recent poster competition.  We were thrilled to see such a wonderful array of creativity.  Every entry showcased unique ideas and imaginative designs.  It was a tough job picking just three winners.  We appreciate the time and dedication your children put into their work and for supporting us promote healthy eating.

Winners

1st Prize - Supreeti, Year 3 Topaz

2nd Prize - Metin, Year 4 Turquoise 

3rd Prize - Lydia, Year 2 Emerald

1st Prize Winner

 2nd Prize Winner

 

3rd Prize Winner

 

World Oral Healthy Day - 20th March 2025

 

On World Oral Healthy Day, we will be teaching the children about how to brush their teeth correctly twice a day and that it is imperative to maintain oral hygiene as this will help maintain a healthy heart, brain and lungs and a happy, healthy being.  A happy mouth is a happy body!

 
The heart, and brain - because swollen sore gums/ gum disease can cause the heart and brain to swell as well.
 
A new report shows that good dental health is linked to better brain health. The study, published in Neurology, found that gum disease and tooth loss were associated with shrinking in the hippocampus, a part of the brain critical for memory and learning and one of the first areas to be damaged by Alzheimer's disease.
 
Poor dental hygiene has an association with various forms of cardiovascular disease, including coronary artery disease, clogged arteries, and stroke. Many believe this association results from increased inflammation throughout the body that occurs in people with poorer oral hygiene.
 
The lungs - Dirt/plaque from the teeth can be inhaled into the lungs
Bacteria live in dental plaque, a film that forms on teeth. The bacteria will continue to grow and multiply. You can stop this by removing plaque with thorough daily tooth brushing and flossing. Some bacteria can be inhaled into the lungs on tiny droplets of saliva.

Useful Websites: 

https://www.worldoralhealthday.org/about

 World Oral Health Day 2024 presents

Toothie the beaver in ‘A Happy Mouth is…A Happy Body’

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqcDLwpNKs4

How to brush teeth correctly

 EYFS/ SEN Video 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_mgHakWC1g

KS1/2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=synTxcnHyrA

 

 

healthy start dl leaflet jan 2022.pdf

 

oral health for children pdf.pdf

 

supporting childrens mental health 2025.pdf

 

toilet training support for parents.pdf