A new study by academics at Leeds Beckett University has found school meals are frequently ‘unhealthy’, ‘fatty’ or ‘soggy’, according to the primary school children who eat them and children think school meals should be healthier.
The research, published in the November 2015 edition of the British Journal of Nutrition, found that pupils expected school meals to be just as ‘healthy’ as the meals provided at home. Year 5 pupils in particular expressed dissatisfaction with Friday’s menu choices, which usually consisted of fried foods or options such as pizza, burgers and chips. However, school catering managers had the impression that the pupils favoured Friday’s meals.
In the study, the researchers ran focus groups in eight schools in a city in Northern England with 128 primary school pupils, half of which were aged 7-8 years (Year 3) and half of which were aged 9-10 years (Year 5). Additionally, in-depth interviews took place with six catering managers and five head teachers.
The Leeds Beckett University researchers found that many of the pupils they spoke to complained that the portion sizes on offer are too large; whereas the catering managers reported giving larger portions and second-helpings to the older or larger children, sometimes also giving them more bread or chips, etc, if they could not persuade them to eat the main meal.
The aim of the study was to find out the perceptions and attitudes towards the school meal provision, and was undertaken prior to the start of the Universal Infant Free School Meal scheme (UIFSM) scheme in September 2014; which means that all children in reception, Year 1 and Year 2 are now eligible for free school meals that comply with the government’s school food standards. Interviews and focus groups took place in June and July 2014.
