Healthy Living  at Garston Church of England Primary

We are very pleased to announce that the school received the Bronze Healthy Schools award in Autumn 2021. The school is now working on the Healthy Schools Silver Award.

The importance of a healthy and varied diet…
Healthy eating is important for everyone, especially children, to ensure that they receive all the nutrients they need to grow and develop. Eating well and being physically active will improve your child’s health as well as their ability to learn and achieve at school. Encouraging your child to eat healthily now will make them more likely to adopt a healthy lifestyle as they get older.

What does healthy eating mean?

Enjoy their food – this will establish positive lifelong attitudes towards eating. Getting children involved in shopping and cooking and making mealtimes fun can develop their interest in food and healthy eating.
Eat a balanced diet consisting of a mixture of different foods – foods contain different nutrients, so children eating a varied diet are more likely to be getting all the nutrients they need.
Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables – five or more servings a day are recommended for good health. For children, one serving is roughly the amount that fits into the palm of their hand. Raw, fresh, dried, canned, and frozen all count.
Try not to eat too many foods that contain a lot of fat – such as fried foods, pastries, pies, crisps, biscuits, chocolate, butter, and other spreads, oil, and mayonnaise. Look for lower-fat options and opt for baking or grilling rather than frying.
Try not to eat snacks or drinks that contain a lot of sugar too often – as this can damage teeth and may fill children up so they are not hungry at mealtimes.

The need for a healthy breakfast
Breakfast is important to top up children’s energy stores for the morning’s activities. Children who eat a healthy breakfast are less likely to snack on foods that are high in fat and/or sugar later on and tend to concentrate and perform better at school. Each morning we serve a healthy breakfast in our breakfast club. The breakfast club opens from 7:45 am

Healthier drinks
The best drinks between meals are milk and water as these do not harm teeth. Regular visits to the dentist and brushing teeth twice a day with fluoride toothpaste will help keep children’s teeth healthy.  Fizzy drinks are not permitted in school. Water is the drink of choice!

Healthier snacks
Snack foods, such as cakes, biscuits, crisps, chocolate, and sweets, can be high in fat and/or sugar and should make up a relatively small part of the diet. These are kept to a minimum in school. Snacks should complement other meals, so select healthier options by thinking about the foods that your children eat at mealtimes. Ideas for healthier snacks for children: Fruit (e.g. bananas, grapes, strawberries), Vegetables (e.g. baby carrots, cherry tomatoes)

Encouraging physical activity
Being physically active will help children to stay healthy and fit. Encourage them to participate in a wide variety of activities such as cycling, skateboarding, walking, swimming, and dancing. Follow this link to find lots of leisure activities in your local area. Liverpool Leisure Activities

Healthy hot lunches in school
Our hot meal provider is Food for Thought. There is a huge variety-including Vegetarian and Halal options.
School meals are a great choice for your child, but if you choose to make a packed lunch for your child, please ensure this  is healthy  Here is some guidance on what to put in a healthy lunch box-from the NHS choices: NHS Lunchbox Ideas

Healthy Eating Policy

Please follow this link to view our Healthy Eating Policy Healthy Eating Policy