School Meals
Our school meals are supplied by CaterCater. School meals must be ordered for all pupils via ParentPay on the Wednesday of the week prior.
Autumn Menu 2023 - Gluten Free (this must be requested specifically via email)
Autumn Menu 2023 - Vegan (this must be requested specifically via email)
If your child has a food allergy it is essential that you complete and return the form below to CaterCater and the school office:
CaterCater can be contacted by email abbeymead@catercater.co.uk
EYFS, Year 1 and Year 2 – Universal Free School Meals
Gloucestershire Schools offer all EYFS, Year 1 and Year 2 pupils a free hot school meal. This will be in addition to the free school meals service offered to pupils whose parents are in receipt of qualifying benefits. For further information please contact the school office.
Packed Lunches
Lunch is an important meal for children to provide energy and nutrients to keep them going throughout the afternoon. A packed lunch made at home can be a healthy and delicious choice and gives you control over the foods and ingredients included. The key to a healthy packed lunch is variety and getting the right balance of foods to provide children with all of the nutrients they need to stay healthy.
What makes a healthy, balanced packed lunch for children?
A school packed lunch should:
Be based on starchy foods
- This can include rice, pasta, bread, couscous, wraps, pitta, potatoes and chapatti and where possible try to choose wholegrain varieties like wholemeal bread and leave skins on potatoes.
Include plenty of fruit and vegetables
- Include 1-2 portions in your child’s lunch box and try to vary these throughout the week.
- You could add sliced vegetables into a pasta dish or sandwich.
- Supermarkets often have packs of chopped fresh fruits or individual packs of dried fruits. Keep some of these in the cupboard for those days when you don’t have much time to prepare.
Top tip: Make your own individual bags of dried fruit - place a small handful of mixed dried fruits, into food bags or sealed containers to store in the cupboard, this will also keep the costs down! |
Include a portion of beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat, a dairy food and/or a non-dairy source of protein
- Use beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat and other sources of protein as sandwich fillings or in a pasta or rice salad.
- If you’re not including a dairy food in the main lunch item (for example in a salad or sandwich), add in a yogurt or some cheese such as a cheddar stick or cheese string to the lunch box.
- If you’re including a dairy alternative, such as a soya yogurt or milk, choose varieties which are unsweetened and fortified with calcium.
Include a drink
- Healthy options include water, semi-skimmed or 1% milk
- You could also give your child fruit juice or a smoothie – but remember, fruit juice and smoothies should be limited to a combined total of 150ml a day. You could always dilute fruit juice with still or sparkling water.
Top tip: Schools may not have fridge space available for children’s packed lunches, so to keep your child's packed lunch cool, freeze a drink to act as a cool pack and it will melt back in time for lunch! |
For further information and tips please see the following:
https://www.nhs.uk/healthier-families/recipes/healthier-lunchboxes/
https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/school-packed-lunch-inspiration
Mead Road, Gloucester, Gloucestershire, GL4 5YS
Tel: 01452371710
Email: secretary@abbeymead.gloucs.sch.uk