Citation
(2006), "School meals", Nutrition & Food Science, Vol. 36 No. 6. https://doi.org/10.1108/nfs.2006.01736fab.007
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2006, Emerald Group Publishing Limited
School meals
School meals
Three-quarters of primary schools are failing to provide school meals that meet the health standards set by the government, new research reveals.
More than half of the schools in the study failed to limit the amount of “starchy food cooked in oil or fat” to three times a week and children were far more likely to eat chips and choose sugary drinks than healthier options, the report found.
The study, by academics at King's College London and funded by the government, said: “Many pupils were not making healthy food and drink choices at lunchtime, even though healthier options were available in most schools.”
“On balance, schools offered too many foods containing fat and foods and drinks containing sugar. When faced with such choices, pupils selected more of the less healthy options.”
The researchers, who studied meals eaten by 7,000 pupils in 151 primary schools in England, found that just 23 per cent of schools met all the Government's existing compulsory standards for healthy meals, which were introduced in 2001.
The academics suggested that restricting children's choice of school meals to healthier options could be one way to improve their diet.
From this autumn, higher nutritional standards will be introduced. New rules will stipulate that children should be served more fresh vegetables and less fatty and salty food, with junk food to be banned from canteens and vending machines.
TV chef Jamie Oliver, with his programme Jamie's School Dinners, was seen as the driving force behind the government's decision to introduce the new nutritional standards.
The King's report also found that main courses cooked in fat and chips, chosen by about half of pupils, were almost twice as popular as lower fat options. More than three-quarters of pupils chose desserts, compared to 56 per cent who chose vegetables.
Nine out of ten schools which served chips deep-fried them, while just one in ten used low-fat spread in sandwiches. One-third of schools failed to serve fruit-based desserts twice a week.
The study found that giving children less choice was associated with them eating healthier food.