Or are they? ' why not give them a try'

In an ideal world, many of us would love to send our children into school on a cold winter's day and think that they would sit down to a wholesome roast lunch full of goodness and taste.  But what do they actually get?  And do they eat it?  And isn't it better to send them in with a lunchbox full of things we know they enjoy?

Have you seen the lunches your school offers'  Would you like to give school dinners a try?  Are they any good?

There's good news and there's bad news.

The Good News

Local authorities seem to be trying to follow the nationally approved guidelines (below) regarding healthy diets for children.  Whether the school prepares their own meals or an outside caterer is used, these guidelines should be adhered to. 

Caroline Walker Trust Guidelines for School Meals

These guidelines should be followed by all producers of school meals.  They are available from the soil association and your LEA (Local Education Authority - www.dfes.gov.uk/leagateway ) should have them. 

Here is a summary for Infants and Juniors (this is what the LEA assessor will check per portion):

*    non-milk extrinsic sugars ie. added sugars such as honey or table sugar    

**   non-starch polysaccharides ie. dietry fibre                                        

source: Food For Life Action Pack www.soilassociation.co.uk

Good Practice

Schools can decide who will prepare their lunches, what they will offer and how much they will charge.  While most schools use a large corporate caterer, there are some schools who are trail blazing by employing their own 'chefs' who buy local produce and cook great tasting meals.  Some examples of these are: 

• St.Peter's Primary School, East Bridgford, East Midlands (source: Daily Telegraph) contact Jeanette Orrey at  info@primarychoice.co.uk
• Sopley Primary School, Dorset (source: Food For Life)
• Mornington Primary School, Nottinghamshire (source: Food For Life)

You can now buy Jeannette Orrey's book - full of recipes to cook at home or in school PLUS lots of useful information about nutrition and where to buy the best ingredients.

Why not order it today from Amazon - hit the link to the left of this page <<<<<<<<<<<<.

Is your school pioneering healthy lunches'  Let us know: you can e-mail us at editor@pleasemiss.co.uk.

LEA's carry out checks on school dinners tasting them, weighing them and evaluating their nutritional value.  If a school is concerned about the quality of their meals, they can request help is assessing and improving their service.  If parents are concerned, they should raise the issue through the governing body and get something done about it.  Why not request a parents' tasting session?

The Bad News

A school lunch can only be as good as the person who cooks it a great cook can turn most ingredients into a tasty meal.  And there are some fabulous cooks out there. But a bad cook (and there are some out there) can do unmentionable things to a vegetable!

So no matter how well the caterers or schools follow the guidelines, if the cook boils the goodness out of everything, it's all wasted. 

Complaints I have encountered as a School Governor are usually: 

• Small portions
• Children don't like the food (this could mean any number of things)
• Not enough choice 

The Future

Many schools are developing a Whole Food Schools Policy check if your school is among them.  If so, ask for a copy.

School meals have to get better in terms of ingredients, preparation and choice.  And as more parents start demanding better quality ingredients and locally produced food, then things will improve.

Why not try your child with school lunch for a week?

• Ask to see the menu in advance
• Show the menu to your child and help them choose what they want in the morning before school
• Check the price of the meals and any extras such as drinks or cakes

For more information, visit:

www.foodforlifeuk.org (campaigning for local and organic school meals and food education)

www.soilassociation.org  - for further information on nutrition and campaigns to improve

www.sustainweb.org - regional and organic solutions

www.dfes.gov.uk/schoollunches

www.waitrose.com/focusonfood  - providers of the schools Food Bus - and celebrity supporters

www.primarychoice.co.uk