8:50pm Tuesday 29th September 2009
SCHOOL dinners have evolved since the days of cold sausages and lead-like semolina, and now has never been a better time for children to eat the food their school provides.
Over the past few years, thanks to the help of Essex chef Jamie Oliver and the Government’s determination to make children eat more Healthily, school meals have become a nutritious and cost-effective way to feed youngsters.
Parents can now rest assured their children are getting all the vitamins and nutrients they need with the launch of the Little Book of Goodness, which contains top tips and information on the benefits of meals at school compared to packed lunches.
More than 750,000 parents received a copy of the booklet in September. The booklets were sent to infant Schools across the East of England as part of a national campaign to increase the uptake of school meals by the School Food Trust.
It is hoped the campaign will see a rise in children eating school dinners by illustrating they are the healthiest food option.
It was developed in response to research commissioned by the trust which found parents had concerns when deciding the school meal for their child.
Prue Leith, School Food Trust chairman, said: “We understand parents have a lot on their plate at this time of year.
“They have so many decisions to make when their child starts school and it is a very busy time.
“We want to take the pressure off parents and make sure they have all the information they need to make the right meal choice for their child.
“That’s why we created the Little Book of Goodness – to help ease this process for parents and, hopefully, put some of their anxieties to rest.
“School meals are now the healthiest they’ve ever been.
“But many parents still don’t realise that choosing school dinners really is the best way to make sure their children are getting the nutrients they need to help them learn and succeed.”
Stanway Primary School, Colchester, prides itself on providing nutritious food. In 2006, it received Healthy Schools status and in 2007 it was awarded the advanced National Healthy Schools status.
Headteacher Brian Combes, said: “The booklet is very informative and anything that encourages children to have school dinners is a good thing because it lets parents know there are a lot of healthy options.
“We have doubled the number of children who have school meals in the last few years, and now have open meals where parents can come in and have a school meal with their children.
“The message in the booklet is very clear and could be another way for us to increase the number of children who have school dinners.
“I think the perception of school meals is changing and we now offer a wide range of food, including a different roast every Wednesday.
“The school council also suggests recipes for our cook to try.
“I think the food children eat at lunchtime does make a difference to their behaviour and this is all part of the broader thing we are trying to achieve as a healthy school.
If pupils eat well, drink water and do lots of exercise, we believe they will be better learners.”
The booklet has also been well received at Sunnymeade Infant School in Billericay. Reception age children at the school go to the primary school for their meal, which achieved the Healthy Schools National Award in December 2006. Karen Cooke, headteacher at Sunnymeade, said: “I think the booklet will work towards changing people’s views on school meals.
“We let parents come in at a meal times to see for themseleves what the children eat and the booklet will give more information on this.
“I have worked in schools for the past 20 years and this is the first time I have eaten school food – and now I have it every day!”
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