The lunch time break gives your child the opportunity to mix with their friends, exercise, relax and recharge for the afternoon.
Eating a healthy, nutritionally balanced lunch sets them up for the rest of the school day and makes a huge difference in making sure their nutritional intake meets national recommendations.
Making sure they have lunch in a comfortable, safe and fun environment can help make lunchtime something the kids look forward to.
School dinners can offer some of the following benefits:
- Improved social skills
- Learning table manners and how to use a knife and fork properly
- Improved concentration and learning
- Value for money
- Good quality food that provides the right nutrition
- Tasty and different meals each day
- Appropriately sized portions.
Visit www.wirral.gov.uk to find out if your child is eligible for free school dinners.
Research conducted in Wirral schools found that packed lunches often contain less fibre, more fat, sugar and salt and includes fewer fruit and vegetables than school dinners but that doesn't mean packed lunches can't be healthy and well-balanced - visit www.nhs.uk/change4life for top tips for packed lunch or speak to our Lifestyle Service.
The Lifestyle Teams work with parents, carers, nurseries and other children settings (aged 0-19) to help promote healthy lifestyles while helping families make behaviour changes and improvements to health and wellbeing.
NEW Children's Weight Management programme
Our Lifestyle service is starting a new ‘weight management and active play course’ to support children aged 5-8 and their families to improve eating and exercise habits as well as their self-esteem.
Families can join the course starting on Tuesday 17 September OR Monday 7 October; both running for ten weeks, 4.00-5.00pm.
Contact the lifestyle team on 0151 630 8383 or visit www.wirralct.nhs.uk to find out more.
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