Adapted Diets
School Canteens are under increasing pressure to provide a range of adapted diets for young people. These include Medical Diets, Allergy related diets and Neurodivergent requirements.
Effective provision of an adapted diet is important to both the child and their family to ensure inclusion in all aspects of school life. Adapted Diets may be specific to each individual and followed for a variety of reasons such as:
- Medically prescribed – due to coeliac disease, food allergies, food intolerance.
- Religious or cultural reasons – individuals from different ethnic origins.
- Ethical Reasons – those wishing to follow a vegan/plant-based diet.
- Additional Support Needs – Neurodivergent, those with chewing and swallowing difficulties.
What is an Adapted Diet
An adapted diet is where alternative food and drinks are required because of a specific need and cannot be met by the options generally available for school lunches, or other food provision in school. This might be due to an allergy, intolerance, medical need, or one that is associated with the specific needs of a child or young person with an additional support need. In some cases, special dietary requirements will need to take account of children and young people’s religious and cultural backgrounds.
Our Aims as Caterers
- Ensure that there is a robust Adapted Diets procedure in place in conjunction with Education colleagues.
- Hold a concise and secure database of all recorded special/adapted diets.
- Ensure clear and effective lines of communication to parents/carers, education teaching/support staff and catering staff.
- All documentation provided to parents/carers should be current and up to date and compiled to obtain as much information as possible about the young person concerned.
- Parents/carers should endeavour to provide as much information as possible regarding the young person.
- Have effective training in place for all catering staff such as Allergy Training, HACCP, Cross Contamination and Blended/Textured Diet Training where required.
- Support and advise catering staff on the best provision for any special/adapted diet.
- Ensure that young people can be identified during lunch service. This will usually take the form of photographs in the kitchen.
- Food and drink provided as part of a medically prescribed diet for any child or young person is excluded from the Nutritional Requirements for Food and Drink in Schools (Scotland) Regulations 2020. Caterers must ensure that where possible the meal provided reflects the food standards required.
Please complete the Adapted Diet form if your child will require an Adapted Diet.