Information about children's lunches
Essex School Meals Service
The School Meals Service works with around 250 schools across Essex. We provide a complete food safety service to schools. We give advice on sourcing quality produce, seasonal menus and recipes for children to enjoy.
GOV.UK has set out standards for school food. We use these standards when making our menus. This contributes to the health and education of children and young people.
Healthy eating
We use a range of foods to encourage healthy eating:
- fibre and starchy foods like bread, wholegrain pasta, wholegrain rice and cereals
- fruit and vegetables, providing vitamins, minerals and fibre
- protein through fish, meat, beans and pulses
- calcium for bone development in milk and dairy products
- semi-skimmed milk to reduce saturated fats
The best model for learning about healthy eating is The Eatwell Guide from the NHS. It makes healthy eating easier to understand. It shows the types and amounts of foods which make up a nutritious and well-balanced diet. It can help children learn that to be healthy they need to select a variety of foods from the five food groups.
Packed lunches
We encourage children to have a school meal. But we know that some children might prefer a packed lunch.
A balanced lunchbox should contain:
- starchy foods like bread, wholegrain rice, potatoes or wholegrain pasta
- protein foods like meat, fish, eggs or beans
- a dairy item, like cheese or yogurt
- vegetables or salad
- a portion of fruit
Always check your child’s school website to read their packed lunch policy.
The NHS Change4Life has a guide for some healthy, balanced ideas.