HUNGRY FOR SUCCESS  

The Scottish Government issued all schools with a report detailing Nutritional Guidelines for School Lunches entitled HUNGRY FOR SUCCESS

Aberdeen City Council is committed to implementing all recommendations in the report, which aims to provide healthier food and drink in schools and to foster a 'whole school approach' to encourage positive changes in pupils eating patterns over time, where required.

To achieve this, Aberdeen City Council's School Meals Catering in partnership with Grampian Primary Healthcare Trust has introduced into all Primary Schools a Menu Planning Package.  This package ensures we offer a nutritionally balanced diet over a week.

Our Menu Planning Package consists of a range of recipes and food items have been analysed by a team of dieticians and specialists, then colour coded and awarded JJJ JJ J according to their nutritional content.

Generally the package is designed to provide the type an proportion of foods needed to make a well balanced and healthy diet as illustrated in the 'balance of good health' model.  The amount of Fat, Salt and Sugar is limited and children are encouraged to increase their uptake of Fruit, Vegetables, Bread, other Cereals and Potatoes.

Weekly menus are planned by school cooks using special colour coded menu grid which controls the frequency recipes and food items can appear on the menu each week according to their nutritional content.

All main dishes are highlighted using Jsymbols on the menu enabling you to help your child appreciate the different categories.  In addition, the menu board at the service counter is also colour coded, so children can make appropriate choices.

If a child chooses the JRED DISH on offer, it is not a poor choice as the menu provides a balance of nutrients over the week.  It is important to encourage your child to take their full meal entitlement, so ensuring that the complete range of nutrients from all food groups is acquired.

Operating this system ensures our weekly menus comply with Scottish Government Nutritional Guidelines as laid down in HUNGRY FOR SUCCESS.

School lunches are served in the Canteen each day with a choice of main course and pudding.

Currently there are three sittings, the first at 12.10 for P1-P3, the second at 12.20 for P4 and the final sitting at 12.40 for P5-P7.  The Children's Supervisor and two Lunchtime Auxiliaries, in the Canteen and afterwards on the playground or in school, supervise children as weather permits.

Presently, a school meal costs £1.70 or a book of 10 tickets can be obtained for £17.00.  Tickets are sold in the classes each Monday morning and at any time in the Canteen between 9.00 and 11.30 am. Cheques should be made payable to Aberdeen City Council.  If a pupil forgets or loses their lunch ticket then they can still have a lunch, which can be paid for next day.  We would encourage parents to ensure that their child always has a dinner ticket. 

Children can also bring a packed lunch from home and this is also eaten in the canteen.  Please help us by making sure that any drinks containers are unbreakable, and ensure that your child's lunch box is labelled clearly with their name and class since many are identical and this helps us to ensure that children eat their own lunch and have their property returned to them if it goes missing.

Following a Scottish Executive report on School Meals - 'Hungry for Success' a number of recommendations have been made to the school meals service.  In August 2002, every Primary School kitchen received an Aberdeen City Council Recipe Book.  It is currently being reviewed and adapted to meet the Scottish Nutrient Standards for School Lunches. 

In order to inform and encourage children to choose the 'healthy option', the dining room menu is colour coded to highlight the choices available: