Healthy Eating For Schools

Mission Statement

Our mission is to provide healthy and nutritious, tasty

meals at affordable prices. We aim to promote food
appreciation within the framework of our healthy
eating policy with a keen awareness of the financial
circumstances of many of our student body.
Who We Are
 Why we set up Food For Thought

* We as teachers were acutely aware of the negative effects of

poor nutrition, such as behavioural problems, hyperactivity and
energy slumps.

* Students, teachers and parents were echoing our concerns and

voicing their own dissatisfaction with the existing food on offer. We
set out to slowly change the food culture in Coláiste Bríde.
Eventually, we decided to set up Food For Thought to fulfil our very
clear vision of the catering we desired: tasty, healthy and
affordable.
 Aims
* To provide healthy and nutritious
well-balanced meals for students.

* To ensure that the product is financially accessible to all our

students.

* To instil a love of good food in the students so that they become

discerning consumers.

* To develop an understanding of the benefits of eating healthily

for both body and mind.
 Objectives
* To provide breakfast, lunch and an evening
snack for night-study students that is filling,
wholesome and appealing.

* Through the use of regular free tasting sessions students will gain an
appreciation for new tasty and healthy foods that they previously may not
have considered.

* Through the use of an active campaign using posters, competitions etc. we

will promote healthy eating and educate the students about the foods we are
serving.

* To ensure that students will not be paying more for this new healthier and
tastier product.
 Planning
* Visiting other schools/ cafes / coffee shops / canteens
* Market research – extensive student, teacher and parent
surveys
* Consultations with students council, parents council and staff
* Kitchen set up – equipment research – costings etc. liaising
with architects re. ventilation and other issues

* Meeting with principal and Board of Management

 Branding / Identity

*Colour psychology used to choose appropriate colours

*Logo inspired by mobile phone / ipod

*Designed especially to appeal to teenagers

 Breakfast
We strongly advocate the importance of eating a breakfast and
make a special effort to make the canteen an attractive option for
students to have a sociable breakfast with their friends. Research
has shown that a healthy diet including a breakfast:

* Significantly increases concentration

and therefore educational attainment
* Reduces behavioural problems
* Reduces the risk of obesity
* Increases the feeling of general
wellbeing and contentment
* Increases self esteem and confidence
 The Menu
*Three meals per day
*Variety of sandwiches and wraps - specials
*Soup or salad, depending on the season.
*Total commitment to taste without compromising the nutritive content
*Low fat produce where possible
*Variety of snacks and drinks
*Seasonal produce wherever possible
 Our Produce
*Our bread is a delicious, low fat, high fibre product. It is a top
quality low G.I. bread baked locally and delivered fresh to us each
morning.

* All our meats are 100% Irish and we have met with the farmer
who produces them.

* All our vegetables are fresh and of the highest quality, and
organic where possible.

* We are extremely lucky to have an organic garden within our

school. Where possible we seek to incorporate the organic
garden’s produce in co-operation with Mrs. Harrington the
gardening teacher. This is something that we are really proud of.
 Food Suppliers
* We have met with many different suppliers and had
various tasting sessions. We have rejected many
products on the basis that they didn’t comply with our
healthy eating policy or they didn’t meet our taste
standards.

* We are confident that we have sourced

reliable, well reputed suppliers of the
finest quality ingredients for this venture.
 Vending

* Five years ago we removed Coca Cola and

Mars vending from our school.

* We have since replaced it with “The Green

Machine”, a vending machine solution that
provides healthier snack alternatives.
 Green Policy
* In keeping with our environmental policy and with respect to our green flag
status we use recyclable packaging products.

* Sandwiches are wrapped in paper, and liquids (soup/smoothies/tea etc.)

are served in cardboard containers or biodegradable plastic packaging.
Our cutlery is made from potato and corn starch and is completely
biodegradable.
* In cooperation with our colleagues on the Green Flag committee we provide
recycling facilities and encourage the students to separate their waste in order
to recycle as much as possible.
* All our fruit and vegetable waste is composted in the school organic garden
 Inter- departmental Integration

We cooperate with our colleagues in all departments as much as

possible to maximise the benefits of the school canteen. Thus the
canteen is a vehicle for enhancing collegiality.
*Seachtain na Gaeilge
*CSPE action projects
*French and Italian breakfast
 Employment

* Employees

*Transition Year students

School Meals Vouchers
 Health Service Executive

* We have registered our food business through the Health Service

Executive.

* We have had we have had two successful visits from the health
inspector, and are fully compliant with all HACCP (Hazard Analysis
Critical Control Process) regulations
 Challenges
* Recruiting and managing staff.

* Double jobbing – catering is a very urgent business

and teaching has an inflexible timetable.

* School calendar (work experience, trips etc.)

* Canteen area being required for other purposes,

talks, exams etc.
 Feedback
*Students suggestions specials and music
*Support from our Principal and colleagues
*School newsletters, local press and featured as an example of best
practise for school catering in the RTE documentary Future shock: Fat
Nation.
 The Future

Food For Thought would like to expand.

If you are interested in becoming a Food For Thought school, please
contact us to discuss your individual needs.

foodforthoughtschools@gmail.com
Aoife McArdle 087 9193111
Louise Ronan 086 8159519