Healthier breaks
Contents
Introduction 3
Benefitsahealthierbreaksscheme 3
Whatisahealthybreak? 4
Stepbystepplan 5
Healthiertuckshopchecklist 19
Integratingwithotherschoolfoodprojects 20
Curriculumlinks 21
References 22
Sourcesoffurtherinformation 24
Introduction
Thishealthierbreaksguidanceisintendedtohelp
schoolsexamineandimprovethetypeoffoodand
drinkstheyofferatbreaktime.Itwillhelpschoolsto
lookatthepracticalissuessurroundingtheprovision
ofhealthierbreaks.
Asurveyofchildren’seatinghabitshasshownthat
only11%ofchildrenaged5–17yearsconsumed
therecommendedfiveormoreportionsoffruitand
vegetablesperday,with20%noteatinganyfruitor
vegetablesonaregularbasis.Yetalmosthalf(47%)
reportedeatingconfectioneryatleastonceaday.1
Inlightofthis,manyindividualschoolsarenow
encouragingfruit,vegetables,milkandwateras
nutritioussnacksanddrinks.Particularlyinprimary
schools,healthierbreakspoliciesaresupportedby
localcommunitydentalteamsanddietitians.
Oneregionalinitiative,theFreshFruitinSchools
pilotscheme,providedapieceoffruitperdayto
childreninPrimary1and2withtheobjectiveof
raisingawarenessofthebenefitsofeatingfruitfrom
anearlyage.Overhalfofthechildren(54%)were
eatingmorefruitattheendoftheschemethan
beforeitbegan.2
Thehealthierbreaksinitiativesyourschooltakesare
likelytomakearealdifferencetochildren’shealth.
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Ahealthierbreaksschemecan:
• encouragechildrentoachievethe
recommendedfiveadaytargetfor
fruitandvegetables;
• fosterhealthiereatinganddrinking
habits;
• providepupilswithausefulsource
ofenergyandrefreshmentduring
thebusyschoolday;
• generateasmallincomeforthe
schoolorcaterer;
• increasethevarietyofhealthier
foodanddrinksavailable;
• helpkeeppupilsonsiteduring
breaktime;
• showparentsandthelocal
communitythatyourschooltakes
thehealthofitspupilsseriously.
Benefits of a healthier breaks scheme
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What is a healthier break?
Breaktimeisaperiodinwhichpupilshavetheopportunitytobuy
fromafoodanddrinksselectionthatprovidesessentialnutrition
andrefreshmentinanenvironmentthatencourageshealthiereating
anddrinkinghabits.
Healthierbreaksareusuallyunderpinnedbyhealthierbreaks
policies,arrivedatthroughawholeschoolapproach.Schools
thatimplementhealthierbreakshavethesupportoftheboardof
governors,seniorschoolmanagementteam,teachers,pupilsand
parents.Localcommunitydentalteamsandcommunitydietetic
departmentsarealsofrequentlyinvolvedinprovidingsupportfor
creatinghealthierbreakpolicies.Theycanprovideadvice,useful
informationandguidance,includingappropriateletterstoparents
informingthemofthehealthyeatingchanges.
Yourschoolmaywishtointroduceapolicyonfoodanddrinksat
breaktimeormodifyanexistingone.Thestepbystepsectionin
thisbookletshowsausefulwayforward.Youwillfinddetailsof
yourlocalcommunitydentistsanddietitiansintheUseful contacts
bookletofSchool food: the essential guide.
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Step-by-step plan
1. Getting started
Ausefulstartingpointwouldbetoreviewyourexistingwholeschoolfoodpolicyordevelop
onebyconductinganauditoftheschool’scurrentprovision(seebooklettwo:Establishing
a whole school food policy).Involvethewholeschoolcommunity,pupils,parents,teachers,
caterers,governors,healthprofessionals,perhapsthroughaschoolcouncilorschoolnutrition
actiongroup(SNAG).
Workingwithpartnersinthelocalcommunitywillalsoensurethattheschoolhassupportto
achieveitsaimsandcanhelpwithsuggestionsforahealthierbreak.Youcouldcontactyour
localcommunitydieteticdepartment,communitydentalteamorschoolnurse.Byincorporating
ahealthierbreaksorbreaktimepolicyintoyourwholeschoolfoodpolicy,youwillensurethat
itislinkedtootherhealthinitiativesatschool.Itwillprovideconsistentinformationonhealthier
foodanddrinkchoices,andbecomepartofyourschool’sdevelopmentplan.Itwillalsoensure
thatthehealthierbreakisnotseeninisolation,butaspartofawholeschoolapproachtofood
anddrinksprovisionthroughouttheday.
Akeenandenthusiastichealthierbreakplanninggroup,madeupfrommembersofthe
schoolcommunity,isanecessarypartofsettingupandkeepingitgoing.Itisimportantto
haveanamedpersonleadingtheproject,sothatsomeonehasultimateresponsibility.Senior
managementsupportandinvolvementwillensureitssuccess.Inaddition,havingyourcaterers
onboardisessential,especiallyinpost-primaryschools.
Case study
Atalargeprimaryschool,wherenofoodhadbeensoldatbreaktime,ahealthierfruittuckshophas
nowbeenestablished.Everypieceoffruitissoldforasmallamountofmoney,whichiscollected
everytermfrompupils.Theschoolusesalocalwholesalertosupplythefruitandateaching
assistantwashesandpreparesthefruiteveryday.Primary4and5pupilshelptodistributethe
fruittotheotherpupils.Binshavebeenprovidedinthemainhallandplaygroundforlitter.
Step by step plan
Assess demand
Beforeimplementingahealthierbreakschemeorstartingahealthiertuckshop,assessdemand
fromtheschoolcommunity.Asimplesurveytoassessviewscouldbeundertaken,perhapsby
pupils.Thiscouldbeachievedatanassembly,parents’eveningorviatheschoolnewsletter.
Theresultswillhelpprovideinformationonwhetherpupilsandparentswantchangestobreak
time.
Changing your current break time
Howyouimplementahealthierbreakwilldependontheschoolandthefacilitiesavailable.
Someschoolswillintroduceabreaktimepolicythatwillonlyallowhealthyfoodsanddrinksto
bebroughtinfromhome.Otherschoolswillprovideahealthierbreakorhaveahealthiertuck
shop.Whatevertheapproach,itwillneedthesupportofparentsandpupils,andwillneedto
bemonitoredbytheschool.Localcommunitydietitiansandcommunitydentalteamswillgive
youguidanceandhelponthis.Agoodtimetoimplementanewbreaktimepolicyorintroduce
ahealthierbreakschemeisatthestartoftheschoolyearinSeptemberoratthebeginningof
aterm.Someschoolsmaytakeaphasedapproachandintroducehealthierbreakdayswithin
theweektomonitorresponsefromparentsandpupils,orstartwithoneortwoclassesinitially
beforeincludingthewholeschool.Findanapproachthatsuitsyourschoolandbuildonyour
successfromthere.
Ifyouplantochangewhatisprovidedatbreaktime,orimplementguidanceonwhatfoodand
drinkscanbebroughtintoschoolatbreaktime,youmaymeetsomeresistance.Itisimportant
thattheschoolcommunityisconsultedearly,withaclearexplanationofwhattheschoolis
tryingtoachieve.
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Ifaschooldecidestoimplementahealthierbreak,eitherthroughapolicyonwhatcanbe
broughttoschoolorthroughatuckshop,thefollowingguidancewillhelpyougetstarted.
Themainwaysofmanaginghealthierbreaksinschoolsarethroughfoodanddrinksbroughtin
fromhome,throughaservicerunbythecaterer,oronerunbytheschool,iestaff,pupilsand
volunteers.
Attheoutset,youwillneedtodecidewhatmethodbestsuitsyourschool.Allfoodanddrinks
providedforsalewithinaschoolmustmeetthestandardsaspublishedintheNutritional
standards for other food and drinks in schools.3
Brought to school
Schoolscanimplementahealthierbreakpolicyorinitiativewhichgivesclearguidanceonwhat
snacksanddrinkscanbebroughtinbypupils.
Caterer
Aschoolcaterercanrunahealthiertuckshoporbreaktimeserviceonyourbehalf.The
advantageofthisisthatcateringstaffwillorder,prepare,serveandclearup.Discussand
agreeissuesrelatingtopricing,typeandvarietyoffoodanddrinkstobesold.
School
Ifthebreaktimeserviceisnotrunbyacaterer,itisagoodideatomakeonepersonresponsible
overall,ideallyanadult.Itisrecommendedthattheadulthastraininginbasicfoodhygiene.
PleaserefertotheUseful contactsbookletfordetailsofyourlocalenvironmentalhealth
department,whichwillbeabletoprovideyouwithguidanceandadviceonfoodsafetymatters
andfoodhygienetraining.
Thekeytoasuccessfulhealthierbreaktimeistofindwillingvolunteerstoorganiseitsday-
to-dayrunning,egordering,preparation,serviceandclearingup.Trytohavealistofstandby
volunteersincaseoneoftheregularsdropsout.Developarotatosharetheworkandmake
sureanyproceduresarewelldocumentedincaseyourmainvolunteerisunavailable.
2. Setting up a healthier break time
Step by step plan
Pupil volunteers
Inaddition,pupilscanbenefitfrombecomingvolunteersinhelpingtorunahealthierbreak,
egincreasedself-esteemandconfidence.Manyschoolshavearotaofpupilswhohelpoutand
somehealthiertuckshopsarerunalmostentirelybypupils.
Financial considerations
Iftheschoolprovidesthefoodanddrinks,youwillneedtodecidewhetheryouwanttomake
asmallprofit.Remember,ifyouchargetoomuchyoumaydeterpotentialcustomersand
disadvantagepupilsfromlowerincomefamilies.Thiswillaffectyourpricingpolicy.Evenifyou
arenotintendingtomakeaprofit,youwillneedtosellyourbreakalittleabovecostpricetoallow
forwastage.Ifyoudomakeaprofit,youwillhavetodecidewhattodowiththeextramoney.
Youmaywanttofundotherhealthyeatingprojects,purchasesportsequipmentorotherresources,
egbooks.Thistypeofdecisionisbestmadebyaskingtheschoolcommunityforitsideas.
Checkthattheschool’spublicliabilityinsuranceisinplaceandthatitcoversyourscheme.
Checkspecificallywiththeeducationandlibraryboardinsuranceofficerortheinsurertomake
sureyouarecovered.
Case study
Atabusyprimaryschool,theprincipalalongwithsupportfromtheparentsandpupilsintroduceda
healthierbreakspolicywhichgaveparentsandpupilsspecificguidelinesonwhatsnacksand
drinkscouldbebroughtin.Theycontactedtheirlocalcommunitydieteticdepartmentandcommunity
dentalteamwhosupportedtheschoolwitharangeofactivitiesandinformationsessionsfor
parentsandpupils.Allthechildrennowbringinapieceoffruitandmilkorwatertodrink.
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Thereareanumberofwaysofattracting
volunteersincluding:
• noticesintheschoolnewsletter;
• askingforhelpinschoolassemblies,
parents’eveningsandparentteachers
associationmeetings;
• offeringfoodhygienetrainingasan
incentive;
• offeringafreebreakitemforeachvolunteer.
Checktheeducationandlibraryboard’s
policyonwhocanworkwithchildrenin
school;thismayinvolvepolicechecks.
Usually,volunteersinclude:
• parents;
• grandparents;
• teachers;
• classroomassistants;
• schoolnurse.
Nosinglefoodcanprovidealltheessentialnutrients,whichiswhyitisimportanttoeatawide
rangeoffoods.
Thechoiceofwhattosellshouldbedecidedbytheschool,preferablythroughtheschool
councilorSNAG,orafterconsultationwiththeschoolcommunity,egcommunitydentalteam.
AllfoodanddrinkprovidedforsalemustmeettheDepartmentofEducation’snutritional
standardsforotherfoodanddrinksinschools.
Makesureyouconsideranypossiblefoodallergensoranychildrenwhowouldhaveafood
allergysuchasnuts.Forfurtherinformationgotowww.eatwell.gov.uk
Overcoming barriers
Inpractice,demand,costandnutritionalcontentarethemaindeterminantsofwhatissoldin
schools.Ensurethatfoodanddrinksonofferarevariedandappealing,andarepromotedand
marketedcompetitively.Involvingpupilsandensuringthatthehealthierbreakispartofawhole
schoolapproachwillsupportthis.TheDepartmentofEducation’snutritionalstandardsforother
foodanddrinksinschoolssupporthealthierbreaks,eg,nocrisps,sweets,chocolateorfizzy,
sugarydrinkscanbesoldinschools.
Ahealthierbreaktimeshouldreflecthealthyeatinganddrinkingmessagesbyofferingawide
rangeoffoodsthatcomplementotherfoodseatenthroughoutthewholeschoolday,egapiece
offruitisagoodchoiceforsomeonewhohaseatencerealandsemi-skimmedmilk.Theeatwell
platewillhelpyouchoosefoodsthatwillrepresenteachfoodgroup(finditatwww.eatwell.gov.
uk).Thevarietyoffoodsonofferwillreinforcetheimportanceofvarietyinthedietandshould
belowinfat,sugarandsalt.Tryto:
• varythetypeoffoodanddrinkavailabletopromotebalanceandvariety;
• establishthemeorspecialeventdays,offeringdifferentorunusualfoods;
• considercompetitivepricingondifferentfoods,egfruitpotsoryogurts.
Asaschoolyouwillneedtodiscusswhatisbestforyou.Findoutwhattheschoolcommunitywould
liketoseeavailable.FoodanddrinksprovidedcouldbediscussedattheschoolcouncilorSNAG.
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3. Deciding what to provide
Step by step plan
Examples of healthier breaks
*Someofthefoodsanddrinksonoffermaynotmeetthecriteriaforsomeofthehealthybreakawardschemes.Checkwithyourlocalcommunitydentalteamtomakesurethattheycomply.
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Drinks Fruit and vegetables Today’s special
Water
Milk(semi-skimmed)
*Unsweetened fruit juice
*Fruit smoothie
*Milkshakes(lessthan5%addedsugar)
Banana
Clementine
Pear
Carrot stick pot
Cherry tomato pot
Fruit pots
Fresh fruit of the day
Plain or wholemeal scone
Filled rolls, sandwiches and baguettes
Breadsticks and cheese
*Yogurt/fromage frais
Weetabix or Cornflakes with milk
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Ifyourschoolrunsahealthiertuckshop,whereyousiteitwilldependonwhomanagesit.If
thetuckshopisrunbytheschoolcaterer,thenthediningroomwouldbethemostappropriate
place.However,ifitisrunbyschoolstafforvolunteers,findaplacewhichissafeforpupilsand
workers,preferablywithappropriatestoragefacilities.
Asmosttuckshopsoperateinthesameplaceeachday,itisimportantforittobesitedclose
tostorageandpreparationareas,andtobeeasilyaccessibletothepupils.Inmanycases,your
tuckshopmaysimplybeatableortrolleyplacedinaconvenientlocation–somewherewhere
thereisadequateroomforqueuingandwhereitwillnotcauseanobstruction,egtofireexits.
Thevenueforthehealthiertuckshopshouldbewarmandwelcoming.Thereareanumberof
waysyoucanachievethis,suchas:
• usingbrightlycolouredplastictablecloths;
• displayingitemsinwickerbasketsorcolouredbowls;
• havingmusicplayinginthebackground;
• displayinginterestingandinformativeposters.
Someschoolschoosetohaveamobiletuckshoponatrolleywhichcanbewheeledaround
eachclassroominturnatbreaktime.Thishastheadvantageofbeingabletobewheeled
outsidewhentheweatherisgood.Otherschoolsprovidethebreakintheclassroom.Thiscan
beuseful,especiallyforyoungerchildren.
Equipment
Facilitiesandequipmentwilldependonthetypesoffoodanddrinksyouchoosetosellinyour
healthiertuckshop.Itisimportantthateverythingmeetswiththeappropriatehealthandsafety
andfoodsafetyrequirements.Contactyourlocalenvironmentalhealthdepartmentorschool
healthandsafetyrepresentativeforadviceandsupport.
4. Where to place your healthier tuck shop
Step by step plan
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Usefulequipmentincludes:
Storage
Ideallyyourstorageareashouldbeclosetothepreparationareaandhealthiertuckshopsite.
Keepdrygoodsinacool,dryareaorcupboard.Ifchilledandperishableitemsareprovided,
egyogurtsandsmoothies,youwillneedafridge.Manyschoolsstoretheirsuppliesinthe
schoolkitchen(withpermission),andhaveacupboardorshelfclearlymarkedfortheuseofthe
healthiertuckshop.Otherschoolskeepsuppliesinthestaffroomorinclassrooms,oftenona
trolleyforeasytransport.Ifyouaresellingfruitandvegetablesyouneedto:
• storeinacoolplace,preferablyofftheground;
• discardanydamageditemsondelivery;
• removeanyplasticwrappingsbeforestorageastheyencouragethegrowthofmoulds;
• rememberthatbananasripenquickerinthedarkandcauseotherfruittoripenmorequickly
whenplacedbesidethem;
• rememberthatcertainfruitswillneedtobewashed,egstrawberries,grapesand
cherriesandanyotherfruitwhereskinistobekeptonsuchaspearsandapples.
• aprons
• choppingboard
• knives
• scissors
• papertowelsornapkins
• paperbags
• kettle
• plasticcups
• tinformoney
• blender
• refrigerator
• toaster
• handwashingfacilities–washbasin
withhotandcoldwaterormixedata
suitabletemperature,soapandhand
dryingfacilities
• sinkwithhotandcoldwaterormixedat
asuitabletemperature.
Ifyourtuckshoporbreaktimeserviceisrunbytheschoolcaterer,thenthemanagementof
purchasingandpreparingthefoodandthefinancialpaperworkwillbedealtwithbythem.
However,ifitisrunbyschoolstafforvolunteers,youwillneedtoconsidertheseissues.
Purchasing
Thereareanumberofdifferentoptionstoconsiderwhenthinkingaboutwheretoorder
suppliesforyourhealthiertuckshop.
• Insomeschools,theschoolcaterer’ssuppliermayagreetosellitemstotheschoolatthe
samerates,savingyoutimeandmoney.
• Byusingthelocalgreengroceryouwillbeabletostrikeupagoodrelationshiptoallowbetter
dealsinthefuture.Produceisusuallyofgoodqualityandyoumaybeabletoarrangedelivery
andpurchaseoflocalfruitandvegetables,sotakingadvantageofbuyingproductsinseason.
• Localsupermarketsareoftenkeentoworkwiththelocalcommunity,andmanyofthebig
namesmayhavelinkswithlocalschoolsalready.Supermarketshaveawiderangeof
products,usuallyofgoodqualityandatreasonableprices.Manysupermarketsprovidea
deliveryservice.
• Ifusingready-to-eatfoodssuchassandwichesanddairyproducts,ensuretheyarefrom
areputablesupplierandaredatecoded.Storagewillneedtobeconsideredandahazard
analysisandcriticalcontrolpointformmayneedtobecompletedforfoodsafety
management.Yourlocalenvironmentalhealthofficerwouldbeabletoadviseyourschoolon
thisissue.
• Marketstallpricestendtobelower,althoughthequalityofproducemayvary.Youwilleasily
beabletogetproductsthatareinseason.Deliverymaybepossible,butifnotyouwillhave
toarrangeforsomeonetogoshopping,possiblyquiteearlyinthemorningtogetthebest
choice.Thismaycauseproblemsintermsoftransportation,especiallyifbuyinglarge
quantitiesoffruitorvegetables.
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5. Running your healthier tuck shop
Step by step plan
• Localgrowers,producersorfarmshopswillprovideseasonalproducewhichisrelatively
cheapandmightbedeliveredtoyouiftheschoolisnearbyoronadeliveryroute.Some
producerswillalsovisittheschooltospeakatassembliesortodelivertastersessionsand
somewillbehappyforchildrentovisittheirfarmororchard.
• Discountwholesalersareusefulforlowcostbulkbuying,butremembertoconsiderhow
muchstoragespaceyouhave.Thinkaboutteamingupwithotherschoolssothatyoucan
shareouttheproducts–andthecost.
Youmay,ofcourse,decidetogetyoursuppliesfrommorethanoneplace.Thiswillincrease
yourworkload,butyoumaybeabletogetbetterdealsbydoingso.Whicheversupplier
youchoose,remembertothinkaboutbackupshouldyourusualsupplierletyoudown.Also
rememberthatifyougetyoursuppliesdelivered,someonewillhavetobearoundtoreceivethem.
Food preparation
Considerhowlongitwilltakeyoutosetupshopatyourchosenvenue,aswellasthetime
neededtopreparethefoodanddrink,egwashandchopfruitsandvegetables,makesandwiches.
Youmaybeabletopreparethingsintheschoolkitchen.Alternatively,coveratablewithaclean
plasticcloth,spraywithadetergentsanitiserandthenwipebeforeandafteruse.Youwillalso
needtheuseofasinkforwashingyourhands,andaseparateoneforwashinganyfruitor
vegetablesandwashingutensilsandequipment.
Financial considerations
Itisimportanttokeeprecordsofmoneytakenandspentonsupplies,andthatthisischecked
atleastonaweeklybasis.Pupilscouldbeinvolvedinthisprocess,withadultsupervision.
Encouragingpupilstobeinvolvedinthisgivesthemachancetoimprovetheirnumeracyand
ICTskills,egcollectingdataonMicrosoftExcelcharts.
Inpost-primaryschoolsthereshouldbenoproblemwithpupilsbringingmoneyintoschool
touseatbreaktime.However,asmallnumberofprimaryschoolsreportthatthismaybean
issuewithyoungerchildren.Manyschoolshavegotaroundthisproblembycollectingmoney
daily,weeklyorevenhalftermlyfromchildren,andinsomecasesissuingvoucherswhichcan
beswappedforitemsatthehealthiertuckshop.Inpractice,thiswillonlyworkifthingsare
similarlypriced(asetprice)andifyouhavesomeonewhoiswillingtocollectthemoney,
egteacher,officestafforparent.
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Reducing and managing wastage
Factors,suchasthesizeofyourschool,storagefacilitiesandthenumberofcustomersyou
expect,makemanagingstockaveryindividualmatter.Ifyouhavepromotedandadvertised
yourhealthiertuckshopwellbeforehand,youcanexpectahighlevelofinterestinthefirstfew
weeks.Afterthis,customernumbersusuallydropslightly.Ingeneralitisbettertounderorder
atfirst,butdohaveabackupplanifsalesaremuchhigherthanexpected,egdiscussextra
deliverieswithyoursupplier.Mostschoolsestimatetheirneedsveryquicklyafterestablishing
theirhealthiertuckshop.Whetheryoudecidetoshoporreceivedeliveriesdaily,weeklyoron
demandisuptoyou.However,thereareanumberofgeneralissuestoconsider.
• Trytogoshoppingorarrangefordeliveriesatthestartoftheweek.
• Rundownyourstocksbeforeschoolholidays.
• Keeprecordsofwhatyouselltomakeiteasiertojudgeyourorderingneedsinthefuture.
• Thinkaboutbuyingsomeproductswrappedinindividualportions,whichwillreduce
wastagebutmaycostmoreinitially.
• Anticipatethattheremaybeseasonalvariationinthedemandforcertainproducts.
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Step by step plan
Queuing
Queuingcanbeanissueifyourhealthiertuckshopisverypopular.However,afewwaysin
whichthisproblemcanbemanagedinclude:
Litter
Toreducelitter,manyschoolshavereplacedahealthiertuckshopsellingpre-packageditems
withunpackagedfruitandvegetables.However,itisessentialtoensurethatthereareadequate
binsavailableforwaste.Someschoolshaveintroducedspecialbinstoallowforrecyclingand
composting.Incoastalregionsparticularly,therehavebeenproblemswithseagullsscavenging
forfoodintheplayground.Ifthisisanissueinyourareayoushouldconsideranindoorsitefor
yourhealthiertuckshopandprovidehard,coveredbinsintheplaygroundforwaste.
• makingsureyouhaveeverythingready
beforeyouopen,egfruitchoppedup,
sandwichesmade;
• havingmorethanonequeue,ifpossible,
toenableyoutoservemorepeoplein
thesameamountoftime;
• consideringdifferentbreaktimesfor
classes;
• havingalistofitemsavailableand
pricesclearlydisplayedwherepupils
queuesothattheymakeuptheirminds
andhavethemoneyreadybythetime
theyreachthefrontofthequeue;
• makingyourhealthiertuckshopmobile
–manysmallerschoolshaveatrolley
thatvisitsthedifferentclassroomsbefore
break.
Toencouragepeopletousethehealthiertuckshopyoucould:
• writeregulararticlesfortheschoolnewsletter,andpromotethehealthiertuckshopatschool
councilmeetings,schoolassemblieswithparents;
• displaypostersdesignedbypupilspromotingthehealthiertuckshoparoundtheschool;
• presentthehealthiertuckshopattractively,investinafewbrightlycolouredbowlsorbaskets
andarrangeitemsneatlyonyourtableortrolley;
• makethepricesofitemsobviousandconsidermakinghealthierproductssuchasfruit
cheaperandmorecompetitive;
• startupaloyaltycardscheme,egforeveryfourpiecesoffruitbought,afreepieceisoffered;
• encouragevisitorstotheschooltovisitthehealthiertuckshop;
• introducenewproductsroutinely–getideasfrompupilsaboutthetypesofhealthieritems
theywouldliketoseeavailableintheirhealthiertuckshop;
• linkandpromotewithothereventsifpossible,egharvestfestival,ChineseNewYear,Food
FirstMonth,NationalAppleDay,SmileWeek,NationalSchoolMilkDay;
• includespecialoffers,especiallyifyouareintroducinganewproduct;
• offerpupilsthechancetotasteneworunfamiliarproductsbeforetheybuy;
• promotetheuseofseasonalorlocalfruitandvegetables(orotherfoodproductsinyourarea);
• publicisethehealthiertuckshopinyourschoolprospectusandwebsite.
6. Promoting your healthier tuck shop
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Itisimportanttoreviewandmonitoryourhealthiertuckshoptoevaluateitsimpact.
Forexample,youcould:
• keepnotesfromplanninggroupmeetings;
• recordnumbersofpeopleusingthehealthiertuckshop;
• calculatethemoneytakenandprofitmade;
• notethetypeandamountofproducesoldtoidentifybestsellers;
• assesstheattitudesofpupils,staffandparentstowardsthehealthiertuckshop.Thiscan
bedonebycarryingoutasimplesurveydesignedandadministeredbythepupilsaspartof
classroomactivities,egmathematicsandliteracy,homeeconomics,personaldevelopment
andmutualunderstanding;
• recordmistakesmadeandlessonslearnedalongtheway;
• monitoranychangesinthefoodanddrinkchoicesofpupils,egatlunchtime;
• noteimprovementsintheschoolenvironment,pupilbehaviourandschoolattendancerates.
7. Evaluating success
Step by step plan
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Istheredemandforahealthiertuckshop?
Haveyouidentifiedthebenefitsofahealthiertuckshopforyourschool?
Areyouclearaboutwhatyouwanttoachieve?
Haveyouinvolvedtheschoolcouncil,SNAGorpupils?
Haveyouidentifiedsourcesoffunding?
Haveyouidentifiedasuitablevenueforyourhealthiertuckshop?
Haveyouidentifiedadequatestorageandpreparationareas?
Haveyoucontactedthelocalenvironmentalhealthdepartmentforadviceonregistration,
foodsafetyandhygienetraining?
Isallthenecessaryequipmentavailable?
Hasalistofwhowillrunyourhealthiertuckshop(egcanteenstafforvolunteers)been
drawnup?
Havehealthandsafetyissuesbeenaddressed?
Haveyouidentifiedanypupilswithallergies?
Haveyoudecidedwhichfoodanddrinkoptionstooffer?
Haveyouidentifiedsuppliers?
Haveyouplannedastrategytopromoteyourhealthiertuckshop?
Haveyouplannedhowyouwillmonitorandevaluatetheimpactofyourhealthiertuckshop?
Healthier tuck shop checklist
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Therearemanynaturallinksthatcanbemadetootherschoolfoodprojects,dependingonyour
school.Linkstohealthierbreakschemescouldinclude:
• Ensuringthatthebreakfastmenuandhealthierbreaksschemeofferagoodrangeand
balanceofitemsratherthansupplyingthesamefoods,andthattheyreinforcehealthier
eatinganddrinkingmessages.Youmightusesurplusfruitforsmoothies.
• Creatingopportunitiesfordevelopingcompostfromleftoverwaste.
• Usingposterstopromotehealthiereatingmessagesifthehealthierbreaksschemeisheld
inthediningroom.
Integrating with other school food projects
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Curriculum links
Healthierbreaksschemesprovideacontextforawidevarietyofcurriculumlinks.
Primary
The arts
Art and design–pupilscanlookandtalkabouttheuseoffoodinartordesignanddisplaya
pieceofhealthyfoodrelatedartwork.
Personal development and mutual understanding
Individualsandgroupscantakeandshareresponsibilityfororderingsupplies,makingsales
andkeepingfinancialrecordsofincomeandexpenditure.Theywillmakerealchoices.Thiswill
helpthemtodevelopself-esteem.
Mathematics and numeracy
Pupilscanconductasimplesurveytoidentifythebestsellingoptions,salesdatacanbe
recordedandanalysedusingMicrosoftExcel.Wastageratescanbemonitoredoravolunteer
rotacanbesetup.
Post-primary
Learning for life and work
Home economics – pupilscaninterviewtuckshopcustomerstocanvasstheirviewson
thefoodanddrinkoptionsprovided,andsuggestionsforbroadeningtherangeofhealthier
optionsonoffer.Thesuggestionscouldbeimplementedforcustomersandthenevaluatedand
commentsfedback.
Mathematics and numeracy
Groupsofpupilscantakeresponsibilityforrunningthehealthiertuckshop,including
correlatingitsimpactonschoolattendancerates,andprojectinglikelysalesfiguresovera
schoolterm.
Forfurtheradviceandsuggestions,goto:
www.ccea.org.uk
www.nicurriculum.org.uk
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References1. HealthPromotionAgencyforNorthernIreland.Eatingforhealth?Asurveyofeatinghabits
amongchildrenandyoungpeopleinNorthernIreland.Belfast:HPA,2001.
2. HealthPromotionAgencyforNorthernIreland.Freshfruitinschoolsevaluation2002–
2004:summaryreport.Belfast:HPA,2005.
3. DepartmentofEducation.Nutritionalstandardsforotherfoodanddrinksinschools.
Belfast:HPA,2009.
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Sources of further information
Thefollowinglistprovideslinkstofurther
resourcesandinformationthatmaysupport
youindevelopingyourhealthierbreaksscheme.
Department of Education
www.deni.gov.uk
Providesdetailedinformationonnutritional
standardsforotherfoodanddrinksin
schools.
Food Standards Agency
www.food.gov.uk
ThedocumentFruit tuck shops in
primary schools – a practical guide to
planning and running a school fruit tuck
shopisavailableonthiswebsite.
The Comic Company
www.comiccompany.co.uk
Providespopularillustratedhealth
informationresourcesinprintandonthe
internet,includingactivitybooks,posters,
bookletsandstickers.Manyoftheresources
arespecificallytargetedatschoolchildren.
Sustain
www.sustainweb.org
Providestoptipsandpracticaladviceon
settinguparangeofactivitiesthat
promotefruitandvegetables,suchas
growingschemes,fruittuckshopsand
breakfastclubsinschools.
NHS 5 a day site
www.5aday.nhs.uk
Toptipsforeatingmorefruitand
vegetables.Thissitehasaseparate
sectionforschoolswhichprovidesmore
informationandmaterialsforwhole
schoolactivitiesandlinkstothe
curriculuminEnglishschools.
The School Milk project
www.schoolmilk.co.uk
Thissitehasusefulinformationon
promotingmilkinschools,includinga
relevantresourcesection.
ThisresourcewasoriginallydevelopedandproducedbytheHealthPromotionAgencyforNorthernIrelandaspartoftheSchoolfood:topmarksprogramme.ItwasjointlyfundedbytheDepartmentofEducationandtheDepartmentofHeath,SocialServicesandPublicSafety.