The School Food Trust has produced some information and advice on healthier packed lunches.
Research carried out by the Trust suggests that the nutritional quality of school dinners are benefiting from the introduction of the food-based standards and the nutrient-based standards for school food. These improvements are not reflected in the nutritional quality of packed lunches. This highlights the potential for inconsistency between food served in school and food brought from home.
The Trust advocates the introduction of Packed Lunch Policies to support healthier eating. Where implemented, after proper consultation with pupils, parents and staff, they offer clear guidance and an opportunity to improve food consumed by all pupils.
The Trust is currently working with schools, caterers and Local Authorities to transform school meals and we believe an effective Packed Lunch Policy which applies similar standards to those for food supplied by the school should be an integral part of any school meal strategy.
Step by step guide
The Trust has developed a step by step guide to provide information, advice and guidance to schools on how to develop a healthy packed lunch policy.
By providing information and links to specific resources, tips and tools, we hope to help schools to use a consistent approach to healthy school lunches, both school and home provided. Developing this toolkit and the associated menus aims to ensure that parents and pupils have access to the knowledge and skills to select a healthy packed lunch.
Step by step guide to developing a packed lunch policy.
Click here to download (Adobe pdf doc 132KB)
Packed Lunch Policies are most effective when introduced as part of a Whole School Food Policy.
Teachers and Governors can take a look at our example Packed Lunch Policy to see how packed lunches can support the food-based standards and the nutrient-based standards regulating food in schools. There is also a free downloadable packed lunch poster and handout and two draft letters to parents in our consultation with parents section … both of which can be downloaded and edited to suit.
Parents and pupils can gather inspiration from the packed lunch ideas section – three week’s worth of packed lunch ideas that are in line with the standards for food served in schools.
