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Food and Nutrition

 

Food and Nutrition
     Please note we are a nut free school     

As a school we actively promote a healthy, balanced diet.

SCHOOL DINNERS
At Ballifield, our school meals are prepared and cooked on the premises by our external catering provider, Taylor Shaw. They provide a range of freshly prepared food with daily meat, vegetarian and halal options available.

Please see the quick links on our front page for our current menu.

Our school kitchen also caters for those children with different dietary requirements, such as dairy free. If your child has a particular dietary requirement please contact Taylor Shaw on 01143223700 or email info@taylorshaw.com

Paying for school dinners

Reception, Year 1 and Year 2
Currently, all children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 are entitled to a free school meal under the government scheme, Universal Free School Meals (UIFSM). 

Year 3, 4, 5 and 6
Children in year 3, 4, 5 and 6 can choose a school dinner option at a current cost of £2.00 per day (this price is subject to change). This charge must be paid via our online payment system SIMS Pay360 prior to your child having his/her school meal, ensuring that your catering balance is never in debit. 

 

PACKED LUNCHES
We are a school that actively encourages our pupils to bring healthy options in their lunchboxes.Our ideal lunchbox would include:

  • A sandwich or wrap
  • Vegetables
  • Fruit
  • Yoghurt
  • No more than one packet of crisps
  • No more than one small biscuit

Further packed lunch ideas can be found via the following link:

https://www.nhs.uk/healthier-families/recipes/healthier-lunchboxes/
Foods we Encourage

  • Fruit
  • Vegetables – try sticks of cucumber, carrot, celery
  • Salad
  • Cheese / crackers
  • Breadsticks
  • Rice cakes
  • Tuna / salmon
  • Honey
  • Wholemeal bread (not granary) – try making a sandwich with one slice wholemeal and one slice white to introduce it to your child
  • Pitta bread, pasta or rice salad
  • Lean ham, turkey & chicken are good sources of protein
  • Dried fruit, raisins, apricots
  • Yoghurt
  • Eggs
  • Hummus
 Foods we Discourage

  • No nuts please! 
  • Sweets – Maltesers, Mars Bars, Chewits, Refreshers, Sherbet, Curly Wurlys, Chomps, etc.
  • Processed cheese products e.g. cheese strings
  • Cereal bars
  • Processed fruit bars
  • More than one sweet snack. This could be a biscuit, bun, piece of cake, etc.
  • Fruit Winders
  • Crisp sandwiches
  • Chocolate spread
  • High sugar drinks e.g. Powerade, fizzy canned or bottled drinks
  • Sausage rolls

 

This has been introduced as these foods are often high in sugar, fat and / or salt. They provide very little nutritional value in our diets.

Alternatives to chocolate could be scones or tea cakes
For further help, there is a 15 page support document created by Eat Smart Sheffield about creating a healthy packed lunch. 

 

This can be accessed by clicking the link www.learnsheffield.co.uk/Downloads/Partnerships/Eat-Smart-Sheffield/Eat%20Smart%20Sheffield%20Packed%20Lunch%20Guidance.pdf or alternatively scanning the QR code below.  

FREE SCHOOL MEALS
If your child is entitled to free school meals you can apply for this by filling out the form that is in your starter pack or by visiting the Sheffield City Council website, https://www.sheffield.gov.uk/schools-childcare/school-meals 

FRUIT AND VEGETABLE SCHEME
Our school offers every child in Nursery & Reception classes, Year 1 and Year 2 a free piece of fruit or vegetable every day under the Government’s School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme. KS2 children are welcome to bring in a piece of fruit, from home, for snack time.

Healthy School Snack List
Should KS2 children bring in a snack from home, these should follow the nutritional guidelines in above documentation.

Here is a list of ideas for healthy snacks:

  • Banana muffins 
  • Watermelon slices  
  • Carrot Sticks, hummus, and pita chips 
  • Yoghurt tubes and nut free granola 
  • Bananas  
  • Whole wheat crackers 
  • Pretzels  
  • Raisins  
  • Pumpkin seeds 
  • Cheese sticks 
  • Pre-made mini cheese cracker sandwiches with cherry tomatoes 
  • Nut-free granola bars 
  • Clementine oranges or Mandarin oranges and whole   wheat pretzels 
  • Cottage cheese cups and apple chips (dehydrated fruit)   
  • Apple slices and whole wheat crackers 
  • Strawberries and mini brown rice cakes 

WATER BOTTLE
Children bring a freshly filled bottle (containing water only, no juice) every day. 

SCHOOL MILK
Every day, until the children are 5 years old, they are entitled to free milk (one third of a pint per day). Once they have their fifth birthday they can continue to have milk at a small cost (currently 24p per day).  This is payable at the start of every term via SchoolGateway. 

 

**Birthday treats – due to allergies in school, please do not send in any treats to hand out in the classrooms**

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