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More than 2.35 million school children across the UK are entitled to free school meals including 1.74 million in England; 283,000 in Wales; 236,000 in Scotland; and 97,000 in Northern Ireland. Drinking water for pupils must also be provided.
Of the 10.3 million pupils attending schools in the UK, only 22.7% are entitled to free meals.
Do schools provide a balanced diet?
The government encourages schools to provide healthy, nutritious and tasty meals, the standard for which is set by the School Food Regulations 2014.
All the businesses involved must show the allergen ingredient details of all the food they serve. This enables schools to identify the foods that pupils with allergies must not eat – adjustments must be made to aid pupils with particular requirements such as dietary, medical and cultural needs.
While there's no legal requirement, the government recommends serving cooked food, when possible, to ensure the pupils eat at least one hot meal every day.
There are pros and cons to both alternatives, so read on to find out more about school dinners vs packed lunches...
School dinners
School dinners must provide at least one portion of fruit and vegetables with every meal; meat, fish or poultry regularly; potatoes, bread and other cereals; and no more than two portions weekly of deep-fried foods. The key nutrients should include iron, zinc, vitamin C and fibre.
Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver's campaign to make school dinners more nutritious revolutionised the food on offer when he advised against processed food and fizzy drinks in 2004. Prior to this, schools were regularly dishing up burgers, chips, chicken wings, calorie-laden pizza slices, cakes and other unhealthy options. His campaign to tackle childhood obesity focused on serving up healthy food in UK schools.
The documentary series, Jamie's School Dinners, documented his progress. He banned junk food from the menu and spurred Prime Minister Tony Blair into pledging to improve school dinners. His input helped to change the school menu.
Children who are fussy eaters at home, or who eat junk food, may be encouraged to try new foods at school because their friends are eating the same meal. School dinners also save parents’ time.
What does the average child choose?
In recent years, Oliver feels standards at schools have started to slide, with his nutritional menus losing popularity. He has pledged to revisit the campaign to help get pupils back track. This begs the question: can children be trusted to make healthy choices?
According to research, the most popular meals on the menu today include fish and chips, spaghetti Bolognese, cheese and bacon pastry, sausage and mash, fish fingers and chocolate pudding. Salad and fresh fruit don’t even make the top ten!
Even with healthier options available, once they're in school, children can choose what they please, so chips are making a big comeback. While school meals may encourage children to try new things, if they don't like anything on the menu, they may not eat at all.
Some parents miss having any control over what their kids eat. They prefer preparing a packed lunch, so they're responsible for everything their child consumes.
Packed lunches
The benefits of a packed lunch mean the parents retain control of their child's diet, taking account of their likes and dislikes, whether they have allergies, or whether they're fussy eaters. Parents can also plan an evening meal by taking into consideration what their child has eaten for lunch.
Parents can also write the child's dietary requirements on the side of their lunchbox for the teachers' information.
Just because it's a packed lunch doesn't mean all the food has to be cold. For example, you can pack a flask of hearty, homemade, warming soup on a chilly winter’s day.
What is recommended in a packed lunch?
Nutritionists recommend packing a meat or protein food such as hard-boiled eggs, slices of lean meat, or peanut butter; crunchy vegetables; dairy foods including grated cheese, a cheese slice or stick; yoghurt, custard or milk; starchy food such as a bread roll, pita bread, or crackers; fruit; muesli bars and breakfast bars.
Unfortunately, some packed lunches are falling short in the health stakes, according to research by the University of Leeds. Studies revealed less than 5% of packed school lunches in the UK were healthy, full of nutrients, vitamins and minerals.
The typical packed lunch contained too many sweet and savoury snack foods and sugary drinks, according to researchers from the School of Food Science and Nutrition at Leeds. Vegetable provision was low, and most lunches failed to meet the required nutrient standards.
Even if you're a parent who sends your child to school with a healthy lunch, it can be time-consuming buying and preparing the food. However, many still think it is worth making the extra effort.
Unless you're one of the 22.7% of families with school-age children who are entitled to free school meals, making packed lunches can be the more cost-effective choice. Invest in a good quality lunchbox to help cut costs in the long term, as you won't need to keep replacing it.
You will find it's usually cheaper to buy fresh vegetables and fruit to provide a healthy meal, rather than rushing to the bakery for a "meal deal" because you're late"! Careful planning and budgeting are key to nutritionally balanced, cost-effective packed lunches.