Schools have made a concerted effort to reinvent the average school lunch, with almost three quarters of primary school children now being offered their greens at lunchtime. But The School Food Trust has noted that much of the greenery is being pushed around plates instead of being eaten. The Trust has been monitoring and developing school dinners for many years, with a minimum standard for food quality coming into effect in 2008.
Studies were carried out between February and April 2009, where researchers spent five days watching the eating habits of 6696 pupils in England. They then weighed the leftovers to see which items were left once the children had finished eating. The study showed that 74 per cent of the children put vegetables and salad on their plates when choosing their lunch, which showed a great increase compared to just 59 per cent in 2005. There were also more children who took water than the previous study as well, showing that the impact of healthy eating has filtered down to the younger generation.
The Chief Executive of the Trust stated that the progress that’s been made is a positive step for the standard of food in schools. However, it was also noted that there is still a lot of work to be done to meet the desired standards and to encourage children to eat the food they are choosing. The study showed that although the quantity of leftovers hasn’t increased, greens and fruit are still the first items to be rejected – up to 40 per cent of vegetables, fruit and salad were left untouched on plates.
Surprisingly, the research gathered showed that those who opted to eat a school lunch may actually be eating a more balanced and healthy meal than those who brought their lunch in from home. However, whichever meal children are eating, it is important to teach children to finish the food they have been served – in particular, to educate them on the importance of eating fruit and vegetables over starchy food products.
Comments are closed.