Gimme 5 School Meals Booklet

‘GIMME’5!
Reasons
why
school
meals are
better
than ever!
00

FOREWORD
CONTENTS...
Dear Parent/Guardian,
Here in Torfaen we have undergone a
revolution. New standards for school
meals have meant they have never before
been so nutritious and varied. Making the
food we provide in schools healthier has
only been half the battle. Young people
have to want to eat them and this has
been achieved with hard work and
enthusiasm by all the schools’ catering
teams across Torfaen.
We have been privileged to take part in a
two year action research project, Appetite
for Life. The main benefits of which have
been investment in new equipment and
extensive training for catering staff.
1
OVERVIEW
Pages 4-5
2
YOUNGER
DINERS
Pages 6-7
We hope this little booklet will highlight
to you the good work that has been
achieved and why school meals are a
good value, nutritious option at lunchtime.
I’m confident you will understand and
appreciate that our knowledge and
experience will assist your child with
making the healthy choice at lunchtime.
Toni Edwards
Head of Catering and Cleaning
Torfaen County Borough Council
3
OLDER
DINERS
Page 8
4
SCHOOL
MENU
Page 9
5
APPETITE
FOR LIFE
Pages 10-11
00

1
OVERVIEW
School meals have never
attracted so much public
attention. Scientists are
discovering that when young
people eat healthy food
regularly they are sharper and
more alert.
We serve roughly 8,900
school meals a day and new
standards mean we have
reduced fat, sugar and salt in
our recipes and increased fruit
and vegetable consumption,
therefore contributing
significantly to our young
people’s healthy diet.
‘
I GIVE HER
SCHOOL DINNERS TO
ENCOURAGE HER TO
EAT A HOT DINNER IN A
SOCIAL SITUATION.
THEY ARE NUTRITIOUS
AND GREAT VALUE
FOR MONEY.
‘
Parent Diane Hambley,
Coed Eva
Healthy eating is high on
the agenda in both primary
and secondary schools. Our
younger children have taken
part in drama workshops
investigating healthy eating.
Many are involved with growing
vegetables and diets are
discussed extensively at school
council meetings.
Our older children have taken
part in a survey investigating
likes and dislikes and diet is
debated in ‘School Nutrition
Action Groups’ (SNAGs).
Although meals are healthier
than ever, it’s all about striking
a balance and the ‘proof of the
pudding’ is that the uptake of
school meals has increased.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
BENEFITS
OF SCHOOL MEALS
They are healthy and
nutritionally balanced
Convenient - can help you
save time in the mornings by
not having to prepare a
packed lunch
Children benefit from sitting
down together at a table
and can try new foods
Help children concentrate
and perform well at school
5. target of consuming ‘5-a-day’
7.
8.
9.
Help your child towards the
Promote children’s social skills,
table manners and ability to
make informed meal choices
Allow children to relax in a
safe, supervised environment
with friends
Your child can enjoy special
theme menus such as a
St. David’s Day special
Good value for money
WAYS WE ARE
ENCOURAGING
HEALTHY EATING
● Torfaen Schools participate
in the Healthy Schools
Scheme which promotes
healthy living
● Ensuring a whole school/
cross curricular approach to
healthy eating
● Opening fruit tuck shops
● Free milk for all nursery and
infant pupils
● Providing breakfast
● Forming School Nutrition
Action Groups (SNAGs) so
pupils can influence healthy
meal choices
● Promoting a healthy lifestyle
4
5

2
YOUNGER
DINERS
‘
PARENTS ARE
ENCOURAGED
TO PROVIDE
HEALTHY
‘LUNCHBOXES
6
SCHOOL MILK SCHEME
The scheme provides milk free
of charge to all nursery and
infant pupils.
PRIMARY SCHOOLS
We have created a range of
school meals that are working
towards nutritional standards
including a variety of red meat
and poultry dishes, omega-3
rich oily fish, rice and pasta.
Primary school meals also
offer more choice of fresh fruit,
vegetables and salad and we
have reduced the fat, sugar and
salt content in our recipes.
We have also set up fruit tuck
shops and salad bars in many
primary schools which ensure
children not only have a good
start but also have healthy
options throughout the day.
‘
We have a fruit tuck shop, salad bar and breakfast club.
We also include a nutrition element in our school council meetings
and pupils are very enthusiastic about eating the right food.
We encourage them now so it can help them in later life.
‘Paul Welsh, Headteacher, Padre Pio Primary School
CHOOSE IT OR
LOSE IT
Pupils have their say on
meals through regular school
council meetings and they
are currently taking part in
a scheme Choose It or Lose It
where each school can tailor
their menus by choosing to
keep some dishes and lose
others.
Free breakfast
club scheme
We have 24 breakfast clubs
in primary schools in Torfaen
with more than 1,000 children
staying for a free breakfast
every school day.
7

3
OLDER
DINERS
‘IF YOU EAT HEALTHILY
YOU CAN RUN FAST. IF
YOU EAT FATTY FOODS
IT’S NOT GOOD FOR
8
‘
YOUR HEALTH AND YOU
WILL JUST GET FAT.
Amy Sims, 12
MASSIVE
INVESTMENT
Secondary schools offer more
than 4,000 pupils a wider and
healthier choice of set menus
than ever before. Meals, kitchen
staff and equipment have also
benefited from investment.
This has all helped raise the
professionalism of catering staff
ensuring they are equipped
with the skills to provide the
best meals possible. All seven
catering managers meet monthly
to ensure success is shared.
Connections are also being
made between school catering
and food technology lessons.
● Improvements have seen
an increase in the uptake of
meals in many schools
● Dishes like pasta have now
become the most popular
choice in some schools
● Many canteens have
designated healthy eating areas
● Farm and supermarket
visits have been organised
for teachers and catering
managers so they can learn
more about ‘field to plate’
SNAG GROUPS
SNAG groups in secondary
schools are made up of
pupils, teachers, catering staff,
finance managers and parent
governors. They give everyone
a say and a chance to influence
what’s on the menu.
EVALUATION
A survey of secondary school
pupils last year found that the
majority rated school meals as
delicious or good. A further
survey is due to be carried out
this year.
Menu Development
Schools are making excellent
progress towards the new food
standards for school meals.
Catering managers work with our
dietitian to nutritionally analyse
their menus and compare these
with the nutritional standards set
by the Assembly. New menus have
been developed to ensure pupils
are offered a balanced ‘meal-ofthe-day’,
containing over a third of
their daily nutrient requirements.
Recipes are tested with pupils
during lunchtime tasting sessions
and our chef works with catering
teams to help launch new menus.
Value for Money
Current meal prices are:
Infants £1.80
Junior £1.90
Secondary (up to) £2.05
4
School
Menu
Low income families may qualify
for free school meals. Forms
are available at schools or
phone 01495 762200 for more
information.
School meal
examples
● Chicken and vegetable tikka
masala with rice or spicy
vegetable fajitas, herby diced
potatoes and salad.
Fruity crumble squares.
● Salmon and pineapple stir-fry
served with rice or cheese, onion
and potato pie with baked beans.
Carrot cake.
● Beef casserole, mashed potato
and green beans or macaroni
cheese with cauliflower and
broccoli and salad.
Crispy peach bake and custard.
Download a copy of the menus www.torfaen.gov.uk/schoolmeals
9

‘
5
APPETITE
FOR LIFE
The two-year ‘Appetite for
Life’ project has seen the
introduction of the Welsh
Assembly Government’s
healthy meal action plan, aimed
at giving schoolchildren a
balanced and nutritious diet.
The plan for Torfaen has
seen an investment of
Assembly money in school
equipment and food at seven
comprehensive schools.
Kitchens have now been
upgraded including the
installation of new ovens and
worktops.
The ‘Appetite for Life’ action
plan features new nutrient,
food and drink standards
including offering more fruit
and vegetables and better
training for kitchen staff. It also
gives pupils and teachers a say
over improving diets.
School catering has also
been targeted, with the grant
going towards training school
catering staff in healthy eating
and practical cookery skills, and
also providing new equipment
and utensils.
TORFAEN PUPILS
HAVE BEEN AT
THE FOREFRONT
OF A £200,000
PLAN AIMED AT
‘
IMPROVING
SCHOOL MEALS.
‘
‘WHEN I AM PREPARING
SCHOOL MEALS I PREPARE
THEM LIKE I WOULD FOR
MY OWN CHILDREN.
Sam Price, Catering Manager,
West Monmouth School
10
11

SCHOOL MEALS ON WHEELS
TORFAEN’S SCHOOL MEALS -
‘GIMME’5! ON THE WAY TO 5-A-DAY!
Five Torfaen schoolchildren appear on
local buses to promote our healthy
meals campaign.
The faces of Jordon Cooper, 11, of
Abersychan Comprehensive School;
Georgia Groves, 12, of Llantarnam
School; Nicole Kinnear, 16, of
Croesyceiliog Comprehensive School;
Cerys Williams, 15, of West Monmouth
School and TJ Francis,11, of Fairwater
Comprehensive School, appear on the
adverts throughout April (see above).
Congratulations to
Ryan Potter, 11, of St.
Alban’s High School in
Pontypool who won an
iPod Touch and £250
for his school after
helping to come up
with the winning
bus slogan.
‘
As well as this brochure and the
adverts, we are promoting school
meals in the council newspaper
Torfaen Talks and on our website.
Nicole said:
EATING
HEALTHILY AT
SCHOOL HELPS
TO GIVE YOU A
HEALTHY MIND
AND BODY.
‘
12
SEE OUR NEW
5-A-DAY FRIENDS:
WWW.TORFAEN.GOV.UK/SCHOOLMEALS