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Far Better To Have A School Dinner
Posted on 13/01/2010
A MARS bar, a family-size bag of crisps, boiled sweets and a whole packet of choc-chip biscuits – just four separate examples of the most shocking “nutritional nightmare” packed lunches seen in primary schools by Leicestershire teachers.
This fits with recent findings from the University of Leeds that shows only 1% of children’s packed lunches meet nutritional standards set for school meals.
Researchers examined the contents of 1,300 lunch boxes taken to school by pupils aged eight and nine and found only one in every 100 met the Government’s standards for meals prepared in schools.
Wendy Philp, from the School Food Support Service, wants more kids to take up school meals as a healthier option.
She explains: “Most parents think they’re doing the right thing by making their kids packed lunches.
“But often it’s too easy – especially in the face of ‘pester power’ – to give in and start putting junk items full of fat, sugar and additives into lunch-boxes. Kids could be eating these and throwing the healthier elements away. There’s also a lack of awareness about what constitutes a healthy component of a packed lunch – white-bread sandwiches with a salt-heavy processed spread is not very good for you.
“School meals have to be nutritionally balanced with a portion of fruit, vegetables, dairy food, and protein rich food – there are Government Nutritional Standards that the school meals must meet.
“I would say to parents that school dinners are a really good option – you know your child is getting a nutritionally balanced, fresh and tasty meal. In many cases the school lunch is the only hot meal of the day for children so it is really important that they are getting the correct nutrients.”
County council education member Coun Ivan Ould said: “We want more children to enjoy healthy school meals from our new healthier menus, rather than take in packed lunches.
“School meals can be balanced and appealing. They’re delicious and healthy and that’s the message we want to get across to parents and children.”
Sample dishes on Leicestershire schools’ latest lunch menus include gammon ham with pineapple and parsley sauce, baby new potatoes chunky roast veg and green beans, Quorn and winter vegetable pie and vegetable balti with basmati rice, green leafy salad and celery sticks all served with wholemeal bread wedge. Desserts include apple and cinnamon crumble and custard, fresh fruit and yoghurt.
Leicestershire County Council has had responsibility for the provision of school meals since May 2008. With the near-unanimous support of schools, the authority, led by its School Food Support Service, resumed control and overhauled the lunch service.
SFSS has since shown how fresh food cooked on the premises can improve the health, wellbeing and whole school experience for young people in Leicestershire.
SFSS is part of Leicestershire County Council’s Children and Young People’s Service. Its aim is to support and advise schools on their catering and school food in general. The School Food Support Service aims to encourage all school children in Leicestershire to have a nutritionally balanced diet in the school environment, to promote healthy development and growth and to give the school community support and guidance.
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For more information, contact the School Food Support Service on 0116 3055770 or Katherine Simon on 0115 9410 714 or 07769 713919.