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"Eat your breakfast. It's the most important meal of the day!"
Why are parents always saying that? Well, imagine you're
a car. After a long night of
sleeping, your fuel tank is empty. Breakfast is the fuel that gets you going
so you can hit the road.
In May 2006 the Government announced new
standards for school food. There are three parts, to
be phased in by September 2009. Together they cover
all food and drink sold or served in schools: school lunches,
breakfast, tuck shops, vending machines, mid-morning break services
and after-school clubs.
Why are
there new standards for every school
food outlet?
There are important reasons for
bringing in these new food standards across the
school day:
• Surveys
show that children’s health is deteriorating – in
particular there has been an alarming rise in obesity.
By 2020 it is predicted that half
of our children will be either overweight or
obese and this can bring massive health problems like
type 2 diabetes and heart disease in later life.
• These standards
are designed to promote overall health, including
helping pupils to control their weight, promote
healthy teeth and in the longer term protect
cardiovascular health.
• We know from
research that children and young people need a
great deal of help and guidance to eat
healthily at school – not just in their learning but
also by exposing them to good food environments
Messages need to be consistent
with the sorts of food they see around them. It
is not enough to provide healthier choices alongside
less healthy choices – the majority of children
will go for the latter.
These new standards reflect and
support the principles of a whole school
approach to healthy eating (where pupils receive
consistent messages about healthy eating
across the formal curriculum, food provision
and school practices).
• Feedback from
teachers suggests that when pupils eat better they do
better in the classroom – behaviour and
performance both improve.
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From September 2007 The Play Station will only provide food
and drink which meet the new standards |
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Examples of food and drinks meeting the
new standards
The food in this section
will form the basis of the menu's which The Play Station will adhere to.
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Breakfast |
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Puffed wheat
Shreddies
Shredded wheat
Wheatabix
Cornflakes
Porridge
Toast with margarine
spread/Jam
Fresh/Dried Fruit
Yoghurt |
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Snack |
Desert |
Drinks
(available throughout sessions)
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Toast with choice of
toppings
Toasted sandwiches
Crumpets
Jacket Potatoes with
choice of fillings
Pasta in sauce
Pancakes
Warm pitta bread with
filling
Noodles
Soup
Vegetable accompaniments: tomatoes
(tinned or fresh),
Raw vegetables such as carrots, peppers,
cucumber and celery |
Yoghurt or fromage
frais
Fresh Fruit
Canned fruit (in
natural juices)
Dried Fruit |
Water |
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Examples
of food and drinks restricted across the school day |
Meat products
Burgers, Sausages, Hot
dogs, meatballs, Chicken or turkey nuggets sausage rolls etc
Deep fried products
Potato wedges, Chips,
Potato skins etc
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Examples
of food and drinks not meeting the new standards |
Flavoured water
Squash/Cordial
Cereals containing
chocolate
Crisps
Biscuits
Pastries
Buns
Sweets
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