All schools are encouraged to advocate a consistent message about healthy eating, as per the Food in Schools Policy. This means all food and drink provided and consumed within the education setting should be nutritious and of good quality. School meals are a great choice, however if parents decide to provide a packed lunch, or morning break or snack, the following guidance may be useful for healthy eating tips and ideas.

The ‘Are you Packing a Healthy Lunch?’, ‘Healthy Breaks for Schools’ and ‘Healthy Choices’ resources are all available by clicking on each title.

The Public Health Agency, in partnership with Health & Social Care Trust dietetic teams, are running a series of nutrition webinars including sessions on healthy lunchbox and snack ideas, which parents may find useful. For further details and joining instructions please check the PHA social media channels. If the dates/times don’t suit or you would like to find out more about other nutrition topics, pre-recorded sessions are available to watch on the Public Health Dietitians - YouTube channel.