Healthy Highland School Lunches
To encourage the new intake of primary one pupils to have a healthy school lunch, The Highland Council’s Education, Culture and Sport Service undertook a pilot exercise at the beginning of term and offered one free lunch voucher to every Primary 1 pupil in the region.
Just over 2000 pupils received a “Highland School Meals Welcome Pack” to take home and results have shown that 50% of Primary 1 pupils are now taking a school lunch which is an increase of 20% from this time last year.
The Welcome Pack included
• a free lunch voucher which can be redeemed for a 2 course meal including bread, fresh fruit juice or milk;
• sample menu
• information about the nutritional content of school meals;
• a sticker incentive card to encourage pupils to continue taking school meals
• ‘pick a number finger snapper’, an educational game that promotes healthy fruit and vegetable choices.
Sharon Cameron, Highland Council’s Food Services Co-ordinator said: “School meals in Highland offer young people the opportunity to have a variety of freshly cooked and tasty meals at lunchtime which provide one third of their daily nutritional requirements. Our menus are healthy and nutritious; we consult pupils through their School Nutrition Action Group (SNAG) or Pupil Council about the choices we offer, menus are seasonal using fresh ingredients, and sourced locally wherever possible.
“As part of the Scottish Governments drive to improve the health and social well being of children in Scotland, Hungry for Success was established to revitalise the school meals service and set nutritional standards for school lunches . The council comply with these standards by sourcing ingredients which are lower in fat, salt and sugar and by providing a choice of fresh fruit and vegetables, including salad, every day. As part of the councils School Food, Nutrition & Health Policy, guidance is given to parents and carers of children who require special diets.
“Pupils are encouraged to sit down together with their friends and have an enjoyable lunch time experience. A well fed child is much more likely to learn and concentrate. What more could any parent or guardian want for their child?”
Councillor Bill Fernie Chairman of The Highland Council’s Education, Culture and Sport Committee said: “The results of the free meal voucher pilot are encouraging but I would still urge parents and carers of all Highland pupils, not just primary ones, to take up school meals and join the 15,000 already enjoying them every day. Improving healthy eating is a key aim of the Council’s administration that we are committed to. Having healthy well-fed children will also help to raise levels of attainment in literacy and numeracy among our pupils.
“I know that for many working parents, school meals save them a lot of time and trouble. It is much easier to just write out a cheque every week and not to have to bother shopping for and making up sandwiches and filling lunch boxes every morning when they are trying to get to school on time. They can also be happy in the knowledge that school meals are healthy for their children and setting a life long example of healthy eating and healthy choices.”
Families who receive income support, job seekers allowance, child tax credit or support under part iv of immigration & asylum act may be entitled to free school meals for their children. Each year, a letter is sent home with every Highland pupil from the Director of Education, Culture and Sport encouraging parents / carers who are entitled to free school meals for their children to claim them.