School Nutriagent Handbook

School ‘NutriAgent’ Handbook

To effectively improve and monitor the eating environment at school, teachers and parents should take the following actions:

Ø Reinforce nutritional knowledge.

Ø Use various monitoring tools skilfully to achieve constant improvements in the eating environment at school.

Ø Communicate with the school, parents, students and food suppliers (including lunch suppliers and tuck shop operators) frequently to improve the nutritional quality of lunches or snacks available at school and strengthen cooperation between parents and schools.

1. Reinforce nutritional knowledge

To monitor and improve the healthy eating environment at school, surveillance team members should have basic nutritional knowledge and know how to use various monitoring tools properly. This chapter is intended to deepen the nutritional knowledge of the Nutri-agents through giving key introductions on the following nutrition-related aspects:

Ø Nutritional Guidelines on School Lunch for Primary School Students

Ø Nutritional Guidelines on Snacks for Primary School Students

Ø Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Healthy Eating

Ø How to read nutrition labelling

1.1 Key points of Nutritional Guidelines on School Lunch for Primary School Students

The Guidelines mainly aim to ensure that the lunch taken by schoolchildren can achieve energy balance, prevent them from consuming too much fat, sugar, and salt while increasing fibre intake.

An ideal and healthy lunch should be able to meet one third of the daily nutritional needs of a schoolchild. In accordance with the local Food Guide Pyramid promoted by the Department of Health, a healthy lunch should have grains and cereals as the main ingredients, with dishes mainly comprised of vegetables and some meat.. A lunch box should provide grains and cereals, vegetables, and meat (and its substitute) in the ratio of 3:2:1 by volume.

School ‘NutriAgent’ Handbook

The recommended lunch serving sizes for junior and senior primary students are as follows:

Food group / Recommended quantity for P.1-3 students / Recommended quantity for P.4-6 students / Examples of 1 serving
Grains and
cereals / At least 4 servings / At least 5 servings / Ø Rice, cooked = 1/5 bowl = 40 g
Ø Rice noodle, cooked = 1/5 bowl = 40 g
Ø Egg noodle, cooked = 1/4 bowl = 40 g
Ø Spaghetti or macaroni, cooked = 1/3 bowl = 50 g
Ø Bread, without skin = 1/2 slice = 20 g
Vegetables / At least 1 serving / At least 1 serving / Ø Leafy vegetables (e.g. lettuce), raw = 1 bowl = 55 g
Ø Leafy vegetables (e.g. Chinese cabbage, spinach), cooked = 1/2 bowl = 85 g
Ø Gourds (e.g. wax gourd, zucchini), cooked = 1/2 bowl =
90 g
Ø Mushrooms, cooked = 1/2 bowl = 80 g
Meat,
poultry,
fish, eggs,
and beans / 1- 2 servings / 1 1/2 - 2 1/2 servings / Ø Beef, pork, chicken, or fish, cooked = 40 g
Ø Shrimp, cooked = 8 small = 40 g
Ø Whole egg, cooked = 1 large = 50 g
Ø Tofu, firm = 1/3 bowl = 85 g
Ø Beans (e.g. Hyacinth beans, kidney beans), cooked = 1/2 bowl = 90 g
Fruit / At least 1/2 serving / At least 1/2 serving / Ø Orange (unpeeled) = 1 medium = 130 g
Ø Apple (unpeeled) = 1 medium = 106 g
Ø Banana (unpeeled) = 1/2 large = 68 g
Ø Grapes = 1/2 bowl = 80 g
Ø Fresh orange juice = 3/4 cup = 186 g
Ø Dried fruit e.g. raisin = 1/2 pack = 42 g
Fats and
oils
(Used during food preparation and cooking processes) / 2 servings maximum / 2 servings maximum / Ø Vegetable oils (e.g. corn, peanut, canola or olive oil) = 1 teaspoon = 4.5 g
Ø Salad dressing (e.g. mayonnaise, Thousand Island or Italian dressing) = 1 tablespoon = 15 g

*Remark 1：Suppliers should supply at least 21/2 servings of fruits during a 5-day week.

Remark 2：1 cup or 1 bowl = 240 ml

To promote schoolchildren have a higher intake of fibre and lower intake of fat/oils, lunch suppliers should observe ALL of the following good practices when serving ALL school lunches:

Ø Vegetables are supplied every day

Ø Only vegetable oils (such as corn oil, canola oil, olive oil, and peanut oil) in limited amount are used for cooking

Ø All visible animal fat and excess oil used in cooking are removed before serving

School ‘NutriAgent’ Handbook

Lunch prepared for schoolchildren should follow the principle of “low-salt, low-sugar, and low-fat” and “high-fibre”. Common lunch food item categories are shown in the following table:

Encouraged Food Items
(ALL of the following food categories should be included in AT LEAST ONE menu choice
on ALL school days) / Limited Food Items
(ANY of the following items should not be served on more than 2 school days per week) / Strongly Discouraged Food Items
(The following items should not be included in ALL menu choices)
Ø Whole grains (e.g. red rice, vegetable rice, corn rice, or wholemeal bread)
Ø Reduced fat dairy products or other calcium-rich food items (e.g. tofu, soy milk with calcium fortified, and spinach) / Ø Grains and cereals with added fat or oil (e.g. fried rice, fried noodles, baked rice, or noodles with sauce)
Ø Fatty cut of meat and poultry with skin (e.g. ox belly, spare ribs, chicken wings, chicken, duck, or goose with skin)
Ø Whole fat dairy products (e.g. whole fat milk, regular cheese, and yoghurt)
Ø Processed or preserved meat, egg and vegetable products (e.g. BBQ pork, bacon, ham, sausages, preserved mustard green, and pickled cucumber)
Ø Sauce or gravy with high salt or fat content *(e.g. black bean sauce, black pepper sauce, and fermented soybean curd paste) / Ø Deep-fried food items (e.g. deep-fried pork chop, French fries, deep-fried chicken leg, spring roll, and deep-fried dumpling with curry stuff)
Ø Food items with added animal fat, plant-based of saturated fat, and hydrogenated fat (e.g. butter, lard, margarine, palm oil, or coconut oil)
Ø Desserts or beverages with more than 10 grams or 2 teaspoons of added sugar in each serving (e.g. tetra-pack drinks, fizzy drinks or, sweetened green tea)
Ø Items with very high salt content (e.g. salted fish, salted egg)

* Remark: It is recommended that sauce or gravy with high salt or fat content should be served sparingly and separately.

1.2 Key points of Nutritional Guidelines on Snacks for Primary School Students

“Snack” is defined as a small amount of food taken between meals and not required for every children. However, due to a small stomach volume and high activity level, the three main meals may not meet children’s daily nutritional needs. Children are always hungry and need snacks at mid-meal time.

Nutritious snacks help children have adequate intake of energy and nutrients, promote growth and development. Nevertheless, snacks should be served only when children are hungry at mid-meal time and not spoil the appetite of children for the next meal. Snacks should:

l Belongs to the food pyramid

l Be served in small amount

l Be served 1.5-2hours apart from the main meals

l Be served with beverages and water is the major drink

Users may refer to the opinions offered in this chapter for reviewing and deciding the categories of food items and beverages sold to students. In addition, parents may refer to the following grouping when buying and preparing food for children as snacks:

Ø Snacks to Choose More –Food and beverages rich in one or more of the nutrients while low in fat, added sugar, and salt should be encouraged as the major choices.

Ø Snacks to Choose in Moderation – Food and beverage items contain one or more nutrients but also have fat, added sugar or salt, so that their consumption should be limited. These food items should be taken not more than 2 to 3 times per week.

Ø Snacks to Choose Less – Food and beverage items that are low in nutritional value or high in fat, added sugar or salt. These items are strongly discouraged against the risk of chronic diseases, e.g. obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure, etc.

Food Group / Snacks to Choose More / Snacks to Choose in Moderation / Snacks to Choose Less
Grains and cereals / Ø White bread, whole wheat bread, including whole wheat bread, wholemeal bread with added nuts and raisin bread
Ø Unsweetened or low-sugar breakfast cereals and cereal bars
Ø High-fibre or plain biscuits and crackers
Ø Boiled corn or corn kernels
Ø Unsweetened or low-sugar oat drinks / Ø Refined breakfast cereals with added sugars or fat/oil(e.g. cocoa bubbles and frosted corn flakes)
Ø Plain sponge cake / Ø Biscuits coated with chocolate or sandwich biscuits
Ø Cream-filled buns, cakes
Ø Chocolate muffins, pastry, cookies
Ø Instant noodles
Ø French fries, deep-fried sweet potatoes
Ø Crisps and chips
Vegetables / Ø Fresh vegetables (e.g. cucumbers, carrots, cherry tomatoes)
Ø Green salad (with minimal amount of low-fat salad dressing or plain yoghurt) / Ø Pickled or preserved vegetables, salted seaweeds / Ø Salad with whole fat salad dressings
Fruit / Ø Fresh fruit
Ø Dried fruit without added sugar (e.g. apricots, prunes and raisins)
Ø Baked dried fruit chips e.g. apple chips
Ø Fruit platter or salad (without or minimal amount of low-fat salad dressing)
Ø Freshly blended fruit juice without added sugar, 100% natural fruit juice / Ø Dried fruit with added sugar or canned fruit in syrup (even if served without syrup)
Ø Sweetened fruit juices
Ø Canned fruit in juice / Ø Canned fruit in syrup (if served with syrup)
Meat, beans, nuts / Ø Canned tuna in water without added salt, or lean fresh meat (e.g. beef, chicken breast, turkey slices) as sandwich filling
Ø Boiled egg
Ø Bean curd dessert without added sugar
Ø Unsweetened or low-sugar soy milk
Ø Unsalted nuts or beans e.g. almonds, peanuts, cashew nuts, peas / Ø Chicken wings
Ø Ham, bacon and sausages
Ø Pan-fried or steamed dumplings
Ø Minced fish “Siu mai”
Ø Salted roasted nuts and beans
Ø Bean curd dessert with added sugar
Ø Sweetened soy milk / Ø All deep-fried food items(e.g. deep-fried chicken wings, fish fillets, “fish ball”)
Ø Beef or pork jerky
Dairy products / Ø Low-fat or skimmed milk without added sugar
Ø Low-fat yoghurt or cheese e.g. plain yoghurt or fruit yoghurt without added sugar, low-fat cheese / Ø Whole fat milk, yoghurt and cheese / Ø Ice cream, ice blocks
Food Group / Unhealthy Snack Choices
Food items high in oil, sugar and salt / Ø Sauces e.g. curry sauce, black pepper sauce, soy sauce
Ø Confectionery (e.g. candies, chocolate)
Ø All sugary fizzy drinks or tetra-pack drinks
Ø Cordials and 3-in-1 instant drinks

1.3 FAQ on healthy eating

About Food

1. Is potato vegetable?

A: Potato is usually classified into the “Grains and Cereals” group because it is high in carbohydrate but low in fibre. Other plant foods in the “Grains and Cereals” group include corn, taro, sweet potato, and carrot, but they are also counted as “Vegetables” for their high fibre content. Pumpkin is in the “Vegetables” group only.

2. Would low fat dairy products (e.g. milk, yoghurt or cheese) be less nutritious?

A: Dairy products are rich in protein and calcium and calcium is good for children’s development of teeth and bones. In fact, the protein and calcium content are similar in low-fat and whole fat dairy products, excepts fat content is lower in the low-fat ones. To promote healthy weight and heart health, it is recommended toddlers aged 3 year-old or above to have low-fat dairy products and have skimmed ones from the age of 6 year-old.

3. Is chicken healthier than beef?

A: Actually, the nutritional profile is different between red meat likes pork, beef and lamb and white meat like fish and skinless chicken. For example, red meat is richer in iron, which promote the production of red blood cells, whereas white meat has less fat than the red ones. Therefore, both types have their respective advantages. Under the healthy eating principle of “Having good variety of foods”, we just have to choose lean red meat or white meat in appropriate amount and prepare them in the way that is low in fat, salt and sugar, this is part of our healthy balanced diet.

4. What does “serving/portion” mean? What is the difference between “serving/portion” and “serving/portion size”?

A: “Serving/portion” is an indicator commonly used by the nutritional profession in describing how much food an individual should take from different food categories daily; whereas “serving/portion size” is for describing how big a “serving/portion” is. For example, we should eat 3 servings of vegetables every day; and 1 serving of vegetables means approximately 1/2 bowl of cooked vegetables, or 1 bowl of uncooked vegetables.