Implementing the new school food standards Workshop Leeds Health & Wellbeing Service and the Children s Food Trust This session covers: Good practice for menu planning Portion sizes Resources Examples of compliant and non-compliant foods 2 Meeting the revised standards for school food Following the top tips in the practical guidance Meeting pupils nutritional requirements Following the portion size guidance 1
Practical guidance Includes: - The standards for school lunches - Good practice to implement the standards - Portion sizes - Top tips - Advice for preparing varied and tasty menus Good practice As a general principle, it is important to provide a wide range of foods across the week. Variety is key whether it is different fruits, vegetables, grains, pulses or types of meat and fish. The top tips provided ensure healthy eating principles are encouraged across the menu Pages 4-5 Examples of good practice Use at least half wholemeal or granary flour when making bread, puddings, cakes, biscuits, batters and sauces When using hard cheeses, choose stronger-tasting varieties and use smaller amounts Don t serve baked beans more than once a week, and choose low-sugar and low-salt varieties. Ensure vegetarian meals are as varied as the rest of the menu by using pulses twice a week, soya, tofu, or Quorn once or twice each week, and eggs and cheese once or twice each week. Reduce the amount of sugar used in dishes. Use fresh or dried fruit to sweeten dishes 2
Examples of good practice Make sure your meal deals always contain at least one portion of vegetable and one portion of fruit Price a portion of fruit so that it s cheaper than a hot or cold dessert Make sure that fruit and vegetables are displayed prominently and attractively Provide jugs of fresh tap water together with cups or glasses on tables and at the serving counter A balanced lunch In order to meet their nutritional requirements it is important for pupils to be encouraged to select a balanced lunch from the food available. This is a particular challenge for secondary schools where pupils tend to select individual items and grab and go options Meals deals are useful ways to encourage pupils to select a balanced lunch Portion sizes The nutrient content of food and drink provided for pupils depends on the portion size of the food and drink offered. Developed based on existing guidance such as CWT, research into portion sizes and in collaboration with PHE Modelled to ensure menus developed to meet the standards, best practice guidance and portion sizes met the nutrient framework Typical portion sizes included in the guide are given as a range for both primary and secondary pupils 3
Pages 6-9 Resources to support schools and caterers to meet the standards 11 Resources Practical guidance 12 4
Checklists Checklist to evaluate food provision at lunch Checklist to evaluate food provision for food other than lunch 13 Drinks table 14 Food customs chart and compliant example menus Food customs Seasonal compliant menus 15 5
Activity Does your menu meet the standards? Each person has a copy of the school lunch checklist Use the checklist to evaluate your menu against the standards for school lunches There are some example menus on the table if you haven t brought your menu with you Activity Does your menu meet the standards? Did you menus meet the standards? What are the main changes that you would need to make to be compliant? As a result of using the checklist, are there any further queries about the standards? Activity Which products are compliant? Each table has been given the food labels from two products (1 drink and 1 snack). For each product, decide if it is compliant with the standards or not and why? Consider: The standards for lunch and food other than lunches The ingredients list e.g. added sugar Is the product permitted, restricted or not permitted? 6
Example Non-compliant - This is a fruit bar. Fruit bars are classed as confectionery which is not allowed at anytime of the school day. Contact us for more information: Info@childrensfoodtrust.org.uk www.childrensfoodtrust.org.uk http://twitter.com/childfoodtrust http://www.facebook.com/childrensfoodtrust 20 7