Highland schools celebrate Christmas with healthy eating choices.

Around 20,000 Highland pupils will celebrate Christmas this month as they sit down to a healthy Christmas lunch.

Pupils and teachers are gathering throughout the Highland schools to tuck into traditional roast turkey and trimmings.

The Highland Council reported in September this year that on average 15,000 school meals were made every day. Since the introduction of a drive to encourage primary one pupils to take school meals, this average has risen to 18,000 school meals prepared each day.

Councillor Bill Fernie, Chairman of The Highland Council’s Education, Culture and Sport Committee said: “As we celebrate Highland as a vibrant place to live and learn in the Year of Culture, we also celebrate our strengths and successes in improving our pupils health.

“We know that our schools have incorporated health and wellbeing as their core business and Health Promoting Schools principles and practice are now mainstreamed into the work of Highland schools. This was particularly evident during Healthy Highland Week in January 2007 where many schools stated that ‘every week was a healthy week in their school’. I wish all our pupils and staff a very happy and healthy Christmas and New Year and encourage them to keep up the good work.”