Healthy Eating and Nutrition

This page aims to help you support your child with balanced meals and healthy eating habits at home. 

Healthy eating is essential for children because it provides the vital energy and nutrients needed for proper physical growth, brain development, and long-term wellness. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the British Nutrition Foundation, balanced nutrition drives several key areas of a child's development.

Physical Growth and Development

• Strong bones and teeth: Minerals like calcium and vitamin D build a strong skeletal foundation.
• Muscle support: Proteins and healthy calories repair and grow active young bodies.
• Healthy weight: Whole foods help kids maintain a steady, healthy growth curve and avoid childhood obesity. 

Brain Function and Learning

• Better focus: Nutrients like iron and healthy fats fuel concentration, memory, and problem-solving skills at school.
• Stable mood: Balanced meals keep blood sugar steady, which prevents fatigue, irritability, and sudden mood swings.

How to build a balanced meal

According to the UK Eatwell Guide, to ensure children get the nutrients they need for growth and learning, you can use these five basic steps to plan daily meals:

1. Base meals on starchy carbohydrates: Choose wholegrain options like brown rice, wholewheat pasta or potatoes with skins on. These foods give your child long-lasting energy and help them concentrate in class.
2. Add plenty of fruit and vegetables: Aim for at least five portions of different fruit and vegetables every day. Fresh, frozen, canned, dried and juiced varieties all count. Keep fruit juice or smoothies to a maximum of 150ml per day.
3. Include healthy protein sources: Offer beans, pulses, fish, eggs or lean meat. Try to serve two portions of fish per week, including one portion of oily fish like salmon or mackerel.
4. Choose lower fat dairy or plant alternatives: Provide milk, cheese or yoghurt for strong bones and teeth. Pick lower fat and lower sugar options where possible, such as 1% fat milk or plain yoghurt.
5. Swap saturated fats for unsaturated oils: Use small amounts of unsaturated oils like olive, vegetable or rapeseed oil instead of butter. Keep foods high in fat, salt and sugar as occasional treats in small portions.

How to reduce daily sugar and salt

High sugar intake leads to tooth decay and excess weight, while too much salt affects blood pressure.

• Check food labels: Look for products with green or amber colour coding on the front of packaging.
• Limit free sugars: Children aged 4 to 6 should have no more than 19g of sugar daily (5 sugar cubes). Children aged 7 to 10 should have no more than 24g (6 sugar cubes), and children aged 11 and over should have no more than 30g (7 sugar cubes).
• Swap sugary drinks: Offer water or semi-skimmed milk instead of fizzy drinks or fruit juices.
• Watch hidden salt: Avoid adding salt at the table and check bread or cereal labels, as adults and older children should not eat more than 6g of salt per day.

Frequently asked questions

What if my child loses their appetite or shows signs of an eating disorder?

If you notice sudden weight loss, strict meal skipping, anxiety around food or secretive eating habits, please reach out to us early. Our Safeguarding and Wellbeing team works directly with families to support students who show signs of eating difficulties or disorders.

Students can read our Food Issues guide for additional information or you can visit websites such as https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/ and https://firststepsed.co.uk/

Does my child need daily vitamin supplements?

Most children get all their vitamins from a balanced diet. However, the NHS recommends a daily 10 microgram vitamin D supplement during autumn and winter for everyone, or year round for young children and ethnic minority groups with darker skin.

How much fluid should my child drink each day?

Children should drink 6 to 8 glasses of fluid every day. Water and lower fat milk are the healthiest choices. We encourage every student to bring a refillable water bottle to school - we have water stations in the canteen they can use to top up during the day.

What if my child is a picky eater and refuses to eat vegetables?

Do not worry or force your child to finish everything on their plate. Try offering small portions of different vegetables alongside familiar foods, or blend vegetables into pasta sauces and soups. Keeping frozen vegetables at home makes it easy to add quick portions to meals without waste.

How can I help my child maintain a healthy weight without strict dieting?

Focus on building healthy habits for the whole family rather than putting your child on a diet. Offer balanced meals based on starchy foods, encourage plenty of physical activity, and swap sugary snacks for fresh fruit or low sugar yoghurt. You can also consult your GP for friendly advice on steady, healthy growth.

Should I send my child to school with a packed lunch or choose school meals?

Both are great choices as long as they offer a good balance of nutrients. If you prepare a packed lunch, use the Eatwell Guide principles by including a starchy base, a portion of fruit or veg, a healthy protein and a bottle of plain water. If you choose school meals, Cucina's main meals are designed to meet national school food standards.