2011School Food Trust

• 

• a . School meal favourites old and new

• Have you ever wanted to re-create a school dinner you loved as a child or a modern day favourite?
  Well, now is your chance. Leicestershire County Council’s School Food Support Service (SFSS) has created a new book with school meal recipes to be made at home.
  Included are classics such as cheese and potato pie and traditional shortcrust chicken pie and gravy and modern favourites including Spanish frittata and salmon tagliatelle.
  Parents and carers regularly ask the county council’s service for school meal recipes at schools’ parents’ evenings and also ask school cooks too.
  School meals have moved on over the years, so the book does include some old favourites and new recipes parents and carers have asked for which are enjoyed by their children.
  Recipes chosen are some of the most popular from recent school meals menus in Leicestershire.
  Wendy Philp, Leicestershire County Council’s head of the School Food Support Service, said: “Our school meals are proving to be so popular, this is a great way of making them available at home for everyone to enjoy.
  “The book is full of tasty and nutritious meals which showcase the very best in school food.”
  Leicestershire County Council’s SFSS works hard to promote school meals and gives advice and guidance about healthy school meal choices. The service currently provides school meals in 248 of Leicestershire’s schools.
  90 per cent of menu items are produced from scratch each day using high quality ingredients. The service ensures there are no additives or preservatives. The service buys fresh, local produce from suppliers. Only fresh, free range eggs are used in recipes. All of the recipes for deserts are modified to reduce fat and sugar.
  The new recipe book will be for sale at the launch for £2.99 and will be available at schools’ parents’ evenings.
  Copies can also be ordered for £2.99 plus postage and packing by calling 0116 305 5770 or email: wendy.philp@leics.gov.uk
  For more information about school meals in Leicestershire, please visit:
  www.schoolfoodsupport.co.uk or call 0116 305 5770.

• b . News from Defra: Kids encouraged to veg out in school

• Children in more than half our secondary schools are missing out because they don’t grow their own fruit and veg according to a group of experts including a celebrity gardener, an international sportsman and a national supermarket. The group have come together to encourage more schools to grow fruit and vegetables.
  The Food Growing in Schools Task Force is led by Garden Organic and includes Blue Peter gardener Chris Collins, former England rugby union captain Lawrence Dallaglio, The Sun’s gardening correspondent Peter Seabrook, the Royal Horticultural Society, the Women’s Institute, and Morrison’s supermarket.
  Research shows that more than 96 per cent of children are not eating enough fruit and vegetables and that children in schools which grow food eat more than one and a half more of their five-a-day than other school children.
  Launching the Task Force at the Chelsea Flower Show today, Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman said: “With fewer than half of our secondary schools involved in growing schemes, our children are missing out on a growth opportunity.
  “Getting kids growing their own fruit and vegetables not only teaches them where food comes from and the importance of eating healthily, but can also teach them enterprise skills and build community spirit. That’s why we’re backing this scheme to encourage every school to be a growing school.”
  The Task Force will look at schools that are already running successful growing schemes and find out what’s preventing other schools following their lead. Defra-funded research will back the Task Force with evidence on the ways that growing food can benefit children.
  Blue Peter gardener and Task Force member Chris Collins said:
  “We need more people to develop a passion for horticulture at a young age. What better way to do that, and teach valuable life skills at the same time, than through food growing? All sorts of life lessons can be gained through the mechanism of gardening and growing food and I am enthused that this taskforce could play a part in creating the nation’s future professional gardeners, smallholders, producers and farmers.”
  Former England rugby captain and Task Force member Lawrence Dallaglio said:
  “Getting children growing in school is about so many things: developing skills and providing practical experience, giving access to fresh healthy food, and the opportunity to spend time outdoors and be active. There are so many positives, and many with long-term benefits for a child’s future. I’m looking forward to looking at the evidence and seeing what the taskforce can do to ensure every child gets the same experience.”
  Task Force chair and CEO of Garden Organic Myles Bremner:
  “We have seen first-hand that food growing in schools has wide reaching benefits. What we must determine is how the act of getting children growing food can impact positively on areas such as the future of public health, developing skills and building communities – something we believe it can. This taskforce will look at the evidence and look at the solutions to ensure that no barriers exist to prevent any child from having the experience of growing food.”

• 1 . SFTs Michel Nelson comments ....

• Responding to the latest National Child Measurement Programme results for the 2009-10 year, published recently the School Food Trust’s Director of Research, Michael Nelson said:
  “It’s clear that obesity in children remains a huge public health problem. Good school food and access to cooking skills for children and their families are common sense ways to help children maintain a healthy weight.
  “Yet the majority of children in England are still taking packed lunches to school which are typically higher in energy, fat, sugar and salt than school food, and too many families who qualify for free school meals are not signed up. Switching to school lunches would help many children to improve their diet and energy balance.
  “School food has been transformed in the last few years and many schools are working hard to cut queues and to upgrade canteens and kitchens. Today’s figures are a reminder of the challenge still ahead to help children maintain a healthy weight, and of the role that school food and the curriculum can play in this.”
  Key facts from the 2009-10 National Child Measurement Programme data (summary from http://www.ic.nhs.uk/ncmp):
  * In Reception, nearly a quarter (23.1 per cent) of the children measured were either overweight or obese. In Year 6, this rate was one in three (33.4 per cent).
  * The percentage of obese children in Year 6 (18.7 per cent) was nearly double that of Reception (9.8 per cent), whilst the percentage of overweight children was higher in Year 6 (14.6 per cent) than in Reception (13.3 per cent).
  * The overall prevalence of underweight children was higher in Year 6 (1.3 per cent) than in Reception (0.9%). In Reception, more boys were underweight than girls (1.1 per cent and 0.7 per cent respectively); whereas in Year 6, more girls were underweight than boys (1.5 per cent and 1.1 per cent respectively).
  * Obesity prevalence varied by Strategic Health Authority (SHA) ranging from 8.4 per cent in South East Coast SHA to 11.6 per cent in London SHA for Reception, and from 16.1 per cent in South West SHA to 21.8 per cent in London SHA for Year 6
  * Obesity prevalence is significantly higher than the national average for children in both school years in the ethnic groups: ‘Asian or Asian British’, ‘Any Other Ethnic Group’, ‘Black or Black British’ and ‘Mixed’.

• 2 . Places open for new school food training

• Dietitians and registered nutritionists who help schools to use the national standards for healthy school food can now sign up for bespoke training.
  As part of its recommendation that schools use independent, expert advice on menu planning and nutritional analysis, the School Food Trust has developed a new programme with training provider Nutrition and Wellbeing Ltd on how to support schools in applying the legislation effectively.
  Using real-life scenarios, workshops and even a quiz, learners cover all the skills they need to help schools and caterers interpret and implement the food-based standards for food other than lunch, the final food-based and nutrient-based standards for school lunches and to audit and inspect school food provision for compliance with the standards. The one-day programme has been endorsed by the British Dietetic Association.
  The School Food Trust’s Research and Nutrition Senior Manager, Tricia Mucavele, said: “Whilst many nutritionists and dietitians will be familiar with some parts of the school food legislation, we know that supporting schools and caterers with the final national standards can still be challenging for some.
  “That’s why this is a really practical course. We give delegates real life scenarios to work on from primary, secondary and special schools, and by the end of the day they’ll know how to assess menus against the national standards that schools are required to meet and how to design an action plan for schools that still need support.
  “All those who’ve completed the course so far tell us they would recommend it to others, so we hope many more will take up this opportunity.”
  In a phased process since 2006, schools have been required to meet a series of national standards to ensure that the food and drink they provide right across the school day gives children a balanced mix of the nutrients and energy they need.
  Research shows the standards are working. In 2009, the School Food Trust conducted a nationally-representative survey of primary schools, which found that almost three quarters of primary school children eating school meals (74 per cent) now have vegetables or salad as part of their school lunch, compared with 59 per cent in 2005. The average lunch was lower in fat, sugar and sodium than it was five years ago and children were more likely to drink water with their meal.
  The School Food Trust has led the work to ensure that schools understand the regulations, recommended auditing processes and where to find the expert support they will need.
  Sue Lloyd, from Nutrition and Wellbeing Ltd, said: “We are bringing a treasure trove of knowledge to dietitians and nutritionists who attend this course. We are particularly pleased that participants have told us they think the course is essential for any nutrition professional who works with schools.”
  Nutritionists and dietitians can now apply for the next programme on 15th April 2011 in London. Places will cost £150 (including VAT).

 

• 3 . School meals help fussy children try new food

• Parents struggling with fussy eaters may have found an unlikely ally in school food - after a recent survey found that four out of five children eating school meals have tried food in the school canteen that they would never try at home.
  In a poll of 1,000 parents for the School Food Trust, more than 80% of those with children who eat school meals said their youngsters had experimented with new foods at school, with a further 50% of parents reporting they’d been asked to make dishes at home that their children had eaten at school.
  The poll also found that carrots, sweet corn and peas remain the most popular vegetables for children, with aubergine, chickpeas and spinach ranked amongst the least favourite.
  The Trust commissioned the poll following a Mumsnet survey in 2009, which suggested that some parents choose packed lunches for their children because they worry that they are too fussy to eat anything else.
  Chairman of the Trust, Rob Rees, said: “Every parent knows it’s a nightmare watching their child push food around the plate. School meals can be a great way to help parents encourage their children to try new foods and to increase the variety of foods in their diet.
  “I think we all remember wanting to eat like our friends at school – it has a huge influence on what children are prepared to try, so school meals are a good option for fussy eaters.
  “What’s more, we are starting to see a shift in children’s habits since the introduction of new standards for school food.”
  Lunches served in all maintained schools in England must now meet specific standards, so that the average meal provides the right mix of energy and nutrients that children need. Research in schools by the Trust has shown that, rather than helping fussy eaters, packed lunches generally contain fewer healthy items than school lunches.

• 4 . Teachers' poll

• Teachers’ poll highlights importance of environment for pupil behaviour
  School Food Trust Chief Executive Judy Hargadon has given her response to a new poll on school buildings and their impact on pupil behaviour.
  In the survey of 503 teachers – conducted by the Teacher Support Network and the British Council for School Environments (BCSE) with the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) - almost 96% said that the school environment had an influence on pupil behaviour, with just over 52% believing that their surroundings had a negative effect.
  It follows separate research from the School Food Trust which found that improving the school canteen environment – along with serving good school food – does improve children’s behaviour and focus for their afternoon lessons.
  Judy said: “Children tell us that a good lunchtime can quite literally make or break their school day. The environment in which they eat can be a big turn-off for trying a healthy school lunch - which is really important to fuel them up for the afternoon.
  “That’s why we’re helping schools find practical, low-cost ways to improve their canteens. Small things like adding tablecloths, music or changing seating around can all help encourage children to try good school food – which in turn can make a real difference to their behaviour, performance and health.”
  The Trust’s research on school lunch and behaviour can be viewed in full at http://www.schoolfoodtrust.org.uk/school-cooks-caterers/reports/school-lunch-and-learning-behaviour-in-primary-schools-an-intervention-study and http://www.schoolfoodtrust.org.uk/school-cooks-caterers/reports/school-lunch-and-learning-behaviour-in-secondary-schools-an-intervention-study

• 5 . Growing appetite for healthy school food in England

• The number of children eating school lunches in England has seen a significant rise, according to national figures released recently.
  The number of pupils eating healthy food at school has seen the biggest year-on-year percentage point increase since the height of the school meals revolution.
  The annual survey of school lunch take up for the 2009-10 year, carried out by the School Food Trust and the Local Authority Caterers Association (LACA), shows that take up of healthy school lunches has increased in both primary and secondary schools.
  The official statistics show that, in primary schools, the proportion of children eating a school lunch rose from 39.3 percent in 2008-09 to 41.4 percent in 2009-10, a 2.1 percentage point increase. Secondary schools saw a 0.8 percentage point rise from 35 percent[1] in 2008-09 to 35.8 percent in 2009-10.
  It means that an extra 320,980 pupils are now eating a healthy lunch every day at school, compared with the 2008-09 year
  Beverley Baker, LACA Chair, said: “This is a remarkable achievement by everyone involved in the provision of school food. However, the figures show that although more children are having a school meal every day than last year, this is still less than half of the school population. In order to maintain take up, or increase further the number of children and young people having a school meal, it is essential that we continue to give maximum support to the service so that we can sustain quality and ensure that prices remain affordable for parents.
  “In a time of economic uncertainty and tightening of belts, it is even more important for children and young people to have school meals. At a time when discretionary spending for parents is under pressure, school meals represent better value for money than a packed lunch when you consider the higher nutritional content and greater contribution they can make to children’s diets and lifestyles as well as academic and physical achievement”.
• The School Food Trust's Guide to Getting Started with Healthy Lunchtimes
  
  If your school is interested in learning about how it can improve lunchtimes for students, check out the School Food Trust's guide 'A Fresh Look at the School Meal Experience' at www.schoolfoodtrust.org.uk for simple tips and tricks that are easy to implement and don’t cost the earth.
  Schools can also sign up to the Trust's Million Meals campaign to access free resources to help them - from no-cost marketing materials to menu ideas. Visit www.schoolfoodtrust.org.uk/millionmeals
  
  The above resources will help you with the following questions:
  - How do we change our dining space on a budget?
  - We don't have much space - how can we make the best use of it?
  - How can we make it feel like a dining room, when we also use it for other purposes?
  - How can we shorten queues?
  - How can we make sure pupils have enough time to sit and eat whilst keeping behaviour in check?
  - How do we get students to eat lunch at lunchtime instead of in their breaks?