Further Clarification on Snacks at breaktime

Why is a healthy break time important? Childhood is an important time to establish good eating and drinking habits for future health.

School healthy eating schemes give pupils the knowledge and opportunity to make healthier choices.
Teachers have suggested that a healthy snack at break time can help with pupils’ concentration and behaviour in the classroom.
It encourages suitable drinks and snacks to help prevent tooth decay.
It helps to meet our target of five or more portions of fruit and vegetables a day. If a child requires a special diet that will not allow the guidance to be met exactly, please discuss with the school office. 
Morning Snacks Guidance for Parents

We would like to encourage our children to have one of their five a day by including some fruit or vegetables as a snack for their morning break. This includes all fresh fruit and vegetables and pots or tins of fruit in fruit juice, but not in syrup.

A portion could be:

• 1 medium sized piece of fruit, eg apple, orange, banana, pear
• 2 small fruits, eg kiwi fruits, satsumas, plums
• 1 cup of grapes, cherries or berries
• 1 large slice of melon
• 1 cereal bowl of salad, eg lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber and celery
• 3 heaped tablespoons of fresh veg, eg chopped or sliced carrots, peppers or sugar-snap peas
• 3 heaped tablespoons of fruit salad (fresh or tinned in fruit juice)

To reduce the risk of choking in young children, halve smaller fruits and vegetables like grapes and cherry tomatoes by cutting lengthways.

Not suitable: fruit tinned in syrup, dried fruit (eg raisins, sultanas) and processed fruit bars (eg wound up lengths of dried fruit, fruit flakes etc). These are high in sugar and can cause tooth decay, so are not suitable as between-meal snacks.

Drinks

It is important that children drink enough during the day, so that they don’t become dehydrated and tired. Water should be freely available throughout the school day and drinks should always be included for break time and lunch. Water and milk are the most suitable drinks for children.

• Water: tap water or unflavoured, still, bottled water.
• Milk: all whole, semi-skimmed or skimmed unflavoured milk.
• Not suitable: fruit juices (including pure fruit juice), smoothies, sparkling water, squash or fizzy drinks, even those labelled ‘no added sugar’, ‘diet’ or ‘zero’.