Gimme 5 School Meals Booklet
Gimme 5 School Meals Booklet
Gimme 5 School Meals Booklet
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‘GIMME’5!<br />
Reasons<br />
why<br />
school<br />
meals are<br />
better<br />
than ever!<br />
00
FOREWORD<br />
CONTENTS...<br />
Dear Parent/Guardian,<br />
Here in Torfaen we have undergone a<br />
revolution. New standards for school<br />
meals have meant they have never before<br />
been so nutritious and varied. Making the<br />
food we provide in schools healthier has<br />
only been half the battle. Young people<br />
have to want to eat them and this has<br />
been achieved with hard work and<br />
enthusiasm by all the schools’ catering<br />
teams across Torfaen.<br />
We have been privileged to take part in a<br />
two year action research project, Appetite<br />
for Life. The main benefits of which have<br />
been investment in new equipment and<br />
extensive training for catering staff.<br />
1<br />
OVERVIEW<br />
Pages 4-5<br />
2<br />
YOUNGER<br />
DINERS<br />
Pages 6-7<br />
We hope this little booklet will highlight<br />
to you the good work that has been<br />
achieved and why school meals are a<br />
good value, nutritious option at lunchtime.<br />
I’m confident you will understand and<br />
appreciate that our knowledge and<br />
experience will assist your child with<br />
making the healthy choice at lunchtime.<br />
Toni Edwards<br />
Head of Catering and Cleaning<br />
Torfaen County Borough Council<br />
3<br />
OLDER<br />
DINERS<br />
Page 8<br />
4<br />
SCHOOL<br />
MENU<br />
Page 9<br />
5<br />
APPETITE<br />
FOR LIFE<br />
Pages 10-11<br />
00
1<br />
OVERVIEW<br />
<strong>School</strong> meals have never<br />
attracted so much public<br />
attention. Scientists are<br />
discovering that when young<br />
people eat healthy food<br />
regularly they are sharper and<br />
more alert.<br />
We serve roughly 8,900<br />
school meals a day and new<br />
standards mean we have<br />
reduced fat, sugar and salt in<br />
our recipes and increased fruit<br />
and vegetable consumption,<br />
therefore contributing<br />
significantly to our young<br />
people’s healthy diet.<br />
‘<br />
I GIVE HER<br />
SCHOOL DINNERS TO<br />
ENCOURAGE HER TO<br />
EAT A HOT DINNER IN A<br />
SOCIAL SITUATION.<br />
THEY ARE NUTRITIOUS<br />
AND GREAT VALUE<br />
FOR MONEY.<br />
‘<br />
Parent Diane Hambley,<br />
Coed Eva<br />
Healthy eating is high on<br />
the agenda in both primary<br />
and secondary schools. Our<br />
younger children have taken<br />
part in drama workshops<br />
investigating healthy eating.<br />
Many are involved with growing<br />
vegetables and diets are<br />
discussed extensively at school<br />
council meetings.<br />
Our older children have taken<br />
part in a survey investigating<br />
likes and dislikes and diet is<br />
debated in ‘<strong>School</strong> Nutrition<br />
Action Groups’ (SNAGs).<br />
Although meals are healthier<br />
than ever, it’s all about striking<br />
a balance and the ‘proof of the<br />
pudding’ is that the uptake of<br />
school meals has increased.<br />
1.<br />
2.<br />
3.<br />
4.<br />
5.<br />
6.<br />
BENEFITS<br />
OF SCHOOL MEALS<br />
They are healthy and<br />
nutritionally balanced<br />
Convenient - can help you<br />
save time in the mornings by<br />
not having to prepare a<br />
packed lunch<br />
Children benefit from sitting<br />
down together at a table<br />
and can try new foods<br />
Help children concentrate<br />
and perform well at school<br />
5. target of consuming ‘5-a-day’<br />
7.<br />
8.<br />
9.<br />
Help your child towards the<br />
Promote children’s social skills,<br />
table manners and ability to<br />
make informed meal choices<br />
Allow children to relax in a<br />
safe, supervised environment<br />
with friends<br />
Your child can enjoy special<br />
theme menus such as a<br />
St. David’s Day special<br />
Good value for money<br />
WAYS WE ARE<br />
ENCOURAGING<br />
HEALTHY EATING<br />
● Torfaen <strong>School</strong>s participate<br />
in the Healthy <strong>School</strong>s<br />
Scheme which promotes<br />
healthy living<br />
● Ensuring a whole school/<br />
cross curricular approach to<br />
healthy eating<br />
● Opening fruit tuck shops<br />
● Free milk for all nursery and<br />
infant pupils<br />
● Providing breakfast<br />
● Forming <strong>School</strong> Nutrition<br />
Action Groups (SNAGs) so<br />
pupils can influence healthy<br />
meal choices<br />
● Promoting a healthy lifestyle<br />
4<br />
5
2<br />
YOUNGER<br />
DINERS<br />
‘<br />
PARENTS ARE<br />
ENCOURAGED<br />
TO PROVIDE<br />
HEALTHY<br />
‘LUNCHBOXES<br />
6<br />
SCHOOL MILK SCHEME<br />
The scheme provides milk free<br />
of charge to all nursery and<br />
infant pupils.<br />
PRIMARY SCHOOLS<br />
We have created a range of<br />
school meals that are working<br />
towards nutritional standards<br />
including a variety of red meat<br />
and poultry dishes, omega-3<br />
rich oily fish, rice and pasta.<br />
Primary school meals also<br />
offer more choice of fresh fruit,<br />
vegetables and salad and we<br />
have reduced the fat, sugar and<br />
salt content in our recipes.<br />
We have also set up fruit tuck<br />
shops and salad bars in many<br />
primary schools which ensure<br />
children not only have a good<br />
start but also have healthy<br />
options throughout the day.<br />
‘<br />
We have a fruit tuck shop, salad bar and breakfast club.<br />
We also include a nutrition element in our school council meetings<br />
and pupils are very enthusiastic about eating the right food.<br />
We encourage them now so it can help them in later life.<br />
‘Paul Welsh, Headteacher, Padre Pio Primary <strong>School</strong><br />
CHOOSE IT OR<br />
LOSE IT<br />
Pupils have their say on<br />
meals through regular school<br />
council meetings and they<br />
are currently taking part in<br />
a scheme Choose It or Lose It<br />
where each school can tailor<br />
their menus by choosing to<br />
keep some dishes and lose<br />
others.<br />
Free breakfast<br />
club scheme<br />
We have 24 breakfast clubs<br />
in primary schools in Torfaen<br />
with more than 1,000 children<br />
staying for a free breakfast<br />
every school day.<br />
7
3<br />
OLDER<br />
DINERS<br />
‘IF YOU EAT HEALTHILY<br />
YOU CAN RUN FAST. IF<br />
YOU EAT FATTY FOODS<br />
IT’S NOT GOOD FOR<br />
8<br />
‘<br />
YOUR HEALTH AND YOU<br />
WILL JUST GET FAT.<br />
Amy Sims, 12<br />
MASSIVE<br />
INVESTMENT<br />
Secondary schools offer more<br />
than 4,000 pupils a wider and<br />
healthier choice of set menus<br />
than ever before. <strong>Meals</strong>, kitchen<br />
staff and equipment have also<br />
benefited from investment.<br />
This has all helped raise the<br />
professionalism of catering staff<br />
ensuring they are equipped<br />
with the skills to provide the<br />
best meals possible. All seven<br />
catering managers meet monthly<br />
to ensure success is shared.<br />
Connections are also being<br />
made between school catering<br />
and food technology lessons.<br />
● Improvements have seen<br />
an increase in the uptake of<br />
meals in many schools<br />
● Dishes like pasta have now<br />
become the most popular<br />
choice in some schools<br />
● Many canteens have<br />
designated healthy eating areas<br />
● Farm and supermarket<br />
visits have been organised<br />
for teachers and catering<br />
managers so they can learn<br />
more about ‘field to plate’<br />
SNAG GROUPS<br />
SNAG groups in secondary<br />
schools are made up of<br />
pupils, teachers, catering staff,<br />
finance managers and parent<br />
governors. They give everyone<br />
a say and a chance to influence<br />
what’s on the menu.<br />
EVALUATION<br />
A survey of secondary school<br />
pupils last year found that the<br />
majority rated school meals as<br />
delicious or good. A further<br />
survey is due to be carried out<br />
this year.<br />
Menu Development<br />
<strong>School</strong>s are making excellent<br />
progress towards the new food<br />
standards for school meals.<br />
Catering managers work with our<br />
dietitian to nutritionally analyse<br />
their menus and compare these<br />
with the nutritional standards set<br />
by the Assembly. New menus have<br />
been developed to ensure pupils<br />
are offered a balanced ‘meal-ofthe-day’,<br />
containing over a third of<br />
their daily nutrient requirements.<br />
Recipes are tested with pupils<br />
during lunchtime tasting sessions<br />
and our chef works with catering<br />
teams to help launch new menus.<br />
Value for Money<br />
Current meal prices are:<br />
Infants £1.80<br />
Junior £1.90<br />
Secondary (up to) £2.05<br />
4<br />
<strong>School</strong><br />
Menu<br />
Low income families may qualify<br />
for free school meals. Forms<br />
are available at schools or<br />
phone 01495 762200 for more<br />
information.<br />
<strong>School</strong> meal<br />
examples<br />
● Chicken and vegetable tikka<br />
masala with rice or spicy<br />
vegetable fajitas, herby diced<br />
potatoes and salad.<br />
Fruity crumble squares.<br />
● Salmon and pineapple stir-fry<br />
served with rice or cheese, onion<br />
and potato pie with baked beans.<br />
Carrot cake.<br />
● Beef casserole, mashed potato<br />
and green beans or macaroni<br />
cheese with cauliflower and<br />
broccoli and salad.<br />
Crispy peach bake and custard.<br />
Download a copy of the menus www.torfaen.gov.uk/schoolmeals<br />
9
‘<br />
5<br />
APPETITE<br />
FOR LIFE<br />
The two-year ‘Appetite for<br />
Life’ project has seen the<br />
introduction of the Welsh<br />
Assembly Government’s<br />
healthy meal action plan, aimed<br />
at giving schoolchildren a<br />
balanced and nutritious diet.<br />
The plan for Torfaen has<br />
seen an investment of<br />
Assembly money in school<br />
equipment and food at seven<br />
comprehensive schools.<br />
Kitchens have now been<br />
upgraded including the<br />
installation of new ovens and<br />
worktops.<br />
The ‘Appetite for Life’ action<br />
plan features new nutrient,<br />
food and drink standards<br />
including offering more fruit<br />
and vegetables and better<br />
training for kitchen staff. It also<br />
gives pupils and teachers a say<br />
over improving diets.<br />
<strong>School</strong> catering has also<br />
been targeted, with the grant<br />
going towards training school<br />
catering staff in healthy eating<br />
and practical cookery skills, and<br />
also providing new equipment<br />
and utensils.<br />
TORFAEN PUPILS<br />
HAVE BEEN AT<br />
THE FOREFRONT<br />
OF A £200,000<br />
PLAN AIMED AT<br />
‘<br />
IMPROVING<br />
SCHOOL MEALS.<br />
‘<br />
‘WHEN I AM PREPARING<br />
SCHOOL MEALS I PREPARE<br />
THEM LIKE I WOULD FOR<br />
MY OWN CHILDREN.<br />
Sam Price, Catering Manager,<br />
West Monmouth <strong>School</strong><br />
10<br />
11
SCHOOL MEALS ON WHEELS<br />
TORFAEN’S SCHOOL MEALS -<br />
‘GIMME’5! ON THE WAY TO 5-A-DAY!<br />
Five Torfaen schoolchildren appear on<br />
local buses to promote our healthy<br />
meals campaign.<br />
The faces of Jordon Cooper, 11, of<br />
Abersychan Comprehensive <strong>School</strong>;<br />
Georgia Groves, 12, of Llantarnam<br />
<strong>School</strong>; Nicole Kinnear, 16, of<br />
Croesyceiliog Comprehensive <strong>School</strong>;<br />
Cerys Williams, 15, of West Monmouth<br />
<strong>School</strong> and TJ Francis,11, of Fairwater<br />
Comprehensive <strong>School</strong>, appear on the<br />
adverts throughout April (see above).<br />
Congratulations to<br />
Ryan Potter, 11, of St.<br />
Alban’s High <strong>School</strong> in<br />
Pontypool who won an<br />
iPod Touch and £250<br />
for his school after<br />
helping to come up<br />
with the winning<br />
bus slogan.<br />
‘<br />
As well as this brochure and the<br />
adverts, we are promoting school<br />
meals in the council newspaper<br />
Torfaen Talks and on our website.<br />
Nicole said:<br />
EATING<br />
HEALTHILY AT<br />
SCHOOL HELPS<br />
TO GIVE YOU A<br />
HEALTHY MIND<br />
AND BODY.<br />
‘<br />
12<br />
SEE OUR NEW<br />
5-A-DAY FRIENDS:<br />
WWW.TORFAEN.GOV.UK/SCHOOLMEALS