Some of the items that we’ve experienced recently, that should not be brought to school are:

• Chocolate bars and packs
• Energy drinks
• Fizzy drinks
• Family-sized packs of chips
• Full-sized packets of biscuits
• Fried food such as bags of hot chips

Here are some examples of lunch ideas to combat the items with poor nutritional content from the New Zealand Nutrition Foundation: nutritionfoundation.org.nz/nutrition-facts/nutrition-a-z/lunchbox-ideas

Or visit the 5+ a day site for family recipes and ideas: 5aday.co.nz

Don’t forget -  most classes have a fruit break during the day (all students have the opportunity to eat fruit during the course of the day) - please ensure they have a piece of fruit for this purpose or contact us if you need help.

You can also be assured that all items on our Friday lunch menu meet the Health Foundation requirements and include items such as oven-baked chicken rather than fried, pasta and vegetable options.

Here are some pictures (from the internet) of lunches that do meet health standards:

Here are some pictures (from the internet) of lunches that don't meet health standards:

It should be noted that many of the foods marketed towards school lunches available at supermarkets such as fruit strings, muesli bars, jellies, juices and snack packs have high health star ratings. Always check the pack!!

Young minds need good fuel to be able to learn!

The Catlins Area School Food and Nutrition Policy