Guidelines for Developing a HEALTHY EATING POLICY

1 1 Guidelines for Developing a HEALTHY EATING POLICYin Post-Primary Schools2 FOREWORDBy the Minister for Health and Children and the Minister for Education and ScienceIn second-level schools, children are at an age when they begin to make informed choicesand decisions about their lives. One of these vital areas is food and nutrition. Students needto be aware of the importance of HEALTHY EATING practices in order to optimise their growth,health and 2003-2004, the Health Promotion Unit of the Department of Health and Childrenpublished Food and Nutrition Guidelines for Pre-Schools, and Food and Nutrition Guidelinesfor Primary Guidelines contained in this book develop and build on the adviceand information contained in those earlier publications, and continue the vital theme ofpromoting HEALTHY EATING choices and habits in post-primary people, to achieve their full potential in many areas, need to eat healthily and toestablish good nutritional practices at a time of rapid physical growth and good habits, together with regular physical activity, will help them to live long, HEALTHY and productive seeking to promote a HEALTHY - EATING POLICY .

2 Schools should address this vital area in thewhole-school context and in teaching and learning. This will enable the school to producean action plan to create a supportive whole-school environment in which consistentmessages are provided through the are pleased that our Departments Health and Children, and Education and Science have worked together to initiate this publication which will be a new and importantresource for schools in the promotion of HEALTHY EATING for all their Harney, TDMinister for Health and ChildrenBatt O'Keeffe, TDMinister for Education and Science3 Guidelines for Developing a HEALTHY EATING POLICY in Post-Primary SchoolsCONTENTSSECTION 16 Section : Introduction6 Section : Rationale for Developing a HEALTHY EATING Policy7 Section : Steps for Developing a HEALTHY EATING Policy8 SECTION 214 Section : Audit Tool and sample letters14 Student Questionnaire A16 Parent Questionnaire B18 Staff Questionnaire C19 Sample letter for parents24 Section : Examples of good practice case studies25 Case Study 1: A whole-school approach to wholesome food25 Case Study 2: Concern about food choices prompts school into action26 Case Study 3: New HEALTHY Options offered with free fruit28 Case Study 4: HEALTHY EATING teachers make a difference29 SECTION 332 Section : Key nutritional messages321.

3 EATING habits322. Overweight and obesity323. Iron deficiency anaemia334. Adequate calcium intake335. Folic acid336. Vegetarians347. Special food needs348. Sports nutrition349. Physical activity3510. Fear of fatness among teenagers35 Section : Nutritional information36 The Food Pyramid36 Lunch37 HEALTHY drinks40 Vegetarian lunch41 Lunch options41 Breakfast and snacks42 HEALTHY snacks for after school43 Food outlets at school43 School canteen44 Section : Useful resources and contacts 46 Your notes504 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSThe Health Promotion POLICY Unit acknowledges the contribution of the members of theWorking Group on Post-Primary Schools HEALTHY EATING POLICY Lahiff, SPHE Support Service, Post-Primary (Chairperson)Olive McGovern, Department of Health & ChildrenSusan Higgins, Community Dietitian Manager, representing Community Dietitians, HSE,Population HealthUrsula O Dwyer, National Nutrition POLICY Adviser, Health Promotion POLICY Unit, Departmentof Health & ChildrenGrainne Conachy, Post-Primary Inspector, Department of Education & ScienceAnne McAteer, Health Promotion Service, HSE WestEleanor Petrie, President, National Parents Council (Post-Primary)

4 Bernie Judge, Teachers Union of IrelandFergal Somerville, Office of the Minister for ChildrenDeirdre Dunworth, formerly Office of the Minister for ChildrenNiamh Smith, Children and Young People s Forum Sylvia Cox, Department of Health & Children (Secretary to working group)The nutrition information was drafted by:Louise Reynolds, Consultant DietitianKathleen Jordan, Community Dietitian, HSEP roject Officer was Anne Marie CalleryThe Health Promotion POLICY Unit also acknowledges the contribution to the development ofthese Guidelines by: the following post-primary schools: Jesus and Mary Secondary School, Enniscrone, Co. Sligo Borrisokane Community College, Borrisokane, Co. Tipperary Presentation College, The Mardyke, Cork Our Lady s College, Greenhills, Drogheda, Co. Louth the Community Dietitian Managers, HSE all those who participated in the national consultation process5 SECTION 16 SECTION 1 SECTION : INTRODUCTIONFood and drink are an essential part of our daily lives.

5 They play a fundamental role in thedevelopment of the human being. Making the right choices to support our nutritionrequirements satisfies our physiological needs, and also contributes to our mental andemotional development. What we eat and drink is directly related to our state of is a time for Developing the skills to make informed choices and decisionsthroughout life. What we eat and drink is one such choice. Young people need to be awareof the importance of good nutrition for health in order to optimise their growth, health anddevelopmental potential through their teenage years and can contribute by Developing a HEALTHY EATING POLICY that reflects and represents thewhole-school community. The aim of such a POLICY should be to improve the EATING choicesand habits of young people. These Guidelines seek to support post-primary schools that wish to develop a HEALTHY EatingPolicy and promote HEALTHY EATING through a supportive school community.

6 The documentoutlines a step-by-step approach to achieve this. It also provides consistent, accurateinformation about HEALTHY EATING for young people. Since resources and facilities vary fromschool to school, working groups are encouraged to use the Guidelines as a framework todevelop a POLICY which meets their own needs within the context of the resources andfacilities they have 2003/4, the Health Promotion Unit of the Department of Health and Children publishedFood and Nutrition Guidelines for Pre-Schoolsand Food and Nutrition Guidelines for PrimarySchools. The current Guidelines have been produced to ensure that the impetus generatedin pre-schools and primary schools will continue through to post-primary schools. Section 1: this document provides a guide to the process of Developing apolicy. The procedure outlined largely reflects the process encouraged as part of theSchool Development Planning Initiative.

7 Section 2: additional support materials to help schools in the initial stagesof Developing a HEALTHY EATING POLICY . It also presents case studies from a number ofschools where POLICY development is already under way. Section 3: provides useful nutrition information as well as lists of resources andkey contacts that schools may find necessary and useful in both the POLICY developmentand implementation : RATIONALE FOR Developing A HEALTHY EATING POLICYFor young people to achieve their full potential, it is essential that they eat healthily. Aswell, HEALTHY EATING provides the building blocks for lifelong health and is a time of physical growth and development the most rapid since infancy. Itrequires adequate intake of energy and nutrients. EATING a nourishing breakfast and ahealthy school lunch allows children to take full advantage of the education provided Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children(HBSC, 2006) report has shown that manyadolescents have poor EATING habits.

8 Skipping breakfast and/or lunch is a habit reported byup to 17% of students, while many do not eat good food or drink enough fluid. All this canlessen their concentration levels and make learning more difficult. Research has also shownthat the foods eaten at lunchtime can affect behaviour in the classroom during theafternoon: consuming food and drink that are high in fats and sugars, especially fizzy drinks,may cause over activity, resulting in difficult classroom management. Obesity The POLICY Challenges: The Report of the National Task Force on Obesity (2005)highlighted the worrying increase in childhood obesity across Europe. Figures suggest thatthe number of overweight children in Ireland has trebled over the past decade and may berising at a rate of 10,000 per year. Foods associated with this increase in obesity includeenergy-dense, micronutrient-poor foods such as packaged sweet and savoury snacks andsugar-sweetened soft drinks.

9 The report makes recommendations for the education key recommendations provide a strong basis for action by schools:Nutrition and physical activity levels of school children should be seen as part of the dutyof care of each school, for example in relation to catering for school meals, POLICY onvending machines, and provision of fresh drinking post-primary schools should be encouraged to engage with their student councils andparents associations in promoting the concept of HEALTHY EATING and active living .Young people spend a large part of the day in school where they eat at least one of theirmain meals. The home plays the major role in determining HEALTHY EATING habits. However,the school, in partnership with parents, can make an important contribution. It is recommended that a whole-school approach be taken in Developing a HEALTHY EatingPolicy.

10 This creates a strong sense of ownership among students, staff and parents and acommitment to sustain the improvements. In Developing a HEALTHY EATING POLICY , the school should address two key action areas: a) thewhole-school context and (b) teaching and learning. This ensures that an action plan todevelop a supportive whole-school environment is created and that consistent messages areprovided through the curriculum. Step four of the POLICY development process (see below)provides details on how this can be achieved. A HEALTHY EATING POLICY developed in consultation with the whole-school community as partof the school planning process will help to integrate HEALTHY EATING into school life. 7 Guidelines for Developing a HEALTHY EATING POLICY in Post-Primary SchoolsSECTION : STEPS FOR Developing A HEALTHY EATING POLICY Step 1: Establish a working group Step 2: Review current advice and information on HEALTHY EATING , and community initiatives Step 3: Review current school practices Step 4: Prepare a draft POLICY document Step 5: Circulate, amend and finalise draft document Step 6: Ratify and implement the POLICY Step 7: Review, monitor and evaluateSTEP 1: ESTABLISH A WORKING GROUPSet up a working group that represents the whole-school community.