Healthy Eating Policy

Rationale for Healthy Eating Policy

Safefood highlighted the worrying increase in childhood obesity in Ireland. Figures show that one in four children is overweight or obese, with obese children likely to become obese adults. Four out of five children do not meet the Government Physical Activity Guidelines. Many children do not meet the dietary recommendations for fruit and vegetables, sugar and saturated fat, while one fifth of the energy intake from a child’s diet comes from sugary drinks, biscuits, confectionery, chocolate and cake. Overweight/obesity is now the most common childhood disease in Europe (Irish Heart Foundation). One in five Irish teenagers aged 13 to 17 are overweight (11%) or obese (8%) (IrishHeart Foundation).

The report of the National Task Force on obesity (2005) outlines specific guidelines for the education sector, ensuring that nutrition and physical activity levels of all school going children should be seen as part of the duty of care of each school.

Adolescence is a time of physical growth and development which requires adequate energy and nutrient intakes. Adolescence is also a time for developing the skills to make informed choices and decisions throughout life. Being aware of the importance of good nutrition for health can ensure that young people will optimize their potential for growth, health and development through their teenage years and into adulthood. For young people to achieve their full potential, it is essential that they eat healthily. The encouragement of healthy eating practices from a young age will help provide the building blocks for lifelong health and wellbeing.

Eating a nourishing breakfast and a healthy school lunch allows students to take full advantage of the education provided for them. The Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children (HBSC, 2006) report has shown that many adolescents have poor eating habits eg skipping breakfast and/or lunch is a habit reported by up to 17% of students, while many do not eat good food or drink enough fluid. All this can lessen their concentration levels and make learning more difficult. Research has also shown that the foods eaten at lunchtime can affect behaviour in the classroom during the afternoon: consuming food and drink that are high in fats and sugars, especially fizzy drinks, may cause over–activity, resulting in difficult classroom management.

Aims of Healthy Eating Policy

  • To promote nutrition awareness among the students, parents and staff in our school.
  • To enable students to identify healthy and unhealthy elements of their diet and where appropriate to plan for change, thereby having a positive effect on food choices.
  • To raise awareness of the balance between healthy eating and physical activity.
  • To monitor and review the school’s policy and, if necessary, make amendments.

Content of the Healthy Eating Policy

We believe that healthy eating is vital for the physical and mental well-being of our students and our Healthy Eating Policy aims to complement our caring community and the healthy development of every individual in the school.

Benefits of having a balanced diet include- general good health, improved concentration levels, improved energy levels and a healthy body weight.

Healthy eating in school involves eating a variety of healthy foods at breakfast, break and lunch times. The Food Pyramid (updated in 2017) offers guidance in relation to types and portions of food that we should eat on a daily basis.

A variety of healthy food will be provided free of chargein the Breakfast/Social Club. The school canteen offers a range of food and drinks including healthy food options.This provides an opportunity for students to make healthy food choices for themselves. Fizzy/energy drinks are not for sale in the school canteen.

The consumption of approximately 1.5 litres of water per day is recommended and a filtered water fountain is provided in school to help achieve this.

Subjects such as Home Economics, SPHE, Science and PE actively support healthy eating through class work.

To create an awareness of healthy eating, physical and mental well-being in the school we will display healthy eating posters in the school, encourage healthy eating and physical exercise.

This policy was approved by the Board of Management of Our Lady of Mercy Secondary School on 7th Nov 2017.

This policy will be reviewed in Nov 2018.

Signed: Mary Dunne Date:7/11/17

Chairperson of Board of Management