Making a meal of school dinners

The quality of the food our children eat at school has been big news recently. What can you do to make sure your children are getting the best possible food at school?

Simply knowing which foods are good for you and which are not is a good first step. For information on healthy essentials in your diet, log on to the Government healthy eating website at www.eatwell.gov.uk.

At Heinz we’re supporting the Government’s campaign to help the nation cut down the amount of salt we eat by reducing the amount of salt in our recipes. We hope that this makes it easier for you to provide a balanced, nutritious diet for your family.

What about packed lunches?

Packed lunches are often seen as a healthier option than school dinners. However, a recent survey by the FSA shows that 9 out of 10 children’s lunch boxes contain twice their recommended daily intake of sugar and nearly half their recommended intake of salt and fat.

For the perfect packed lunch, aim for:

• A low-sugar drink (flavoured water is good).
• One portion of fruit.
• One portion of vegetable, such as salad in a sandwich, a few carrot and celery sticks, or a handful of cherry tomatoes.
• one carbohydrate food such as bread or pasta (preferably wholewheat).
• One dairy food such as cheese or yoghurt.
• One protein-rich food such as meat, peanut butter or hummous.