🍎 Healthy Snacks and Safer Eating: A Reminder for EYFS Parents

Dear Parents and Carers,

As part of our ongoing commitment to keeping all our children safe and healthy, we would like to share a gentle reminder about suitable snacks for school and after-school club, particularly for our children under five.

🍿 A reminder about popcorn

Government and NHS safer eating guidance highlights that popcorn should not be given to children under five because it presents a choking risk. Please ensure that popcorn is not included in your child's snack or packed lunch. A reminder that we are also a nut free school and products containing nuts are not permitted. 

🍓 

Please provide healthy, nutritious snacks that help children stay energised and ready to learn. Suitable options include:

• Fresh fruit, vegetables, rice cakes, yoghurt, cereal bars. 

🔪 Preparing food safely

For our younger children, how food is prepared is just as important as what is offered. Please remember the following guidance:

• Grapes and cherry tomatoes: Cut lengthways into quarters. Never send them whole.

• Apples and other firm fruits: Cut into thin slices rather than small chunks.

• Carrots, cucumber, peppers and other hard vegetables: Cut into batons/ narrow strips 

• Sausages: If provided, cut in half and then length ways  into thin strips. Avoid round slices.

• Cheese: Grate or cut into thin strips rather than cubes or large chunks.

💚 Thank you for your support

We know that keeping children safe is something we all want, and we really appreciate your help in following this guidance. By working together, we can help ensure that snack times are enjoyable, nutritious and safe for everyone.

Thank you for your continued support and cooperation.

The Early Years Team