Should school packed lunches be banned?
Sending your child to school with a packed lunch in tow could be banned, under plans to improve the health of our young. Do you agree with the proposal?
Replace poor packed lunches
In their report drawn up to improve the image of school dinners, John Vincent and Henry Dimbleby (the brains behind food chain Leon) found that only 1% of packed lunches meet the nutritional standards that currently apply to school dinners.
“Many parents mistakenly imagine that a packed lunch is the healthiest option. In fact, it is far easier to get the necessary nutrients into a cooked meal – even one of mediocre quality,” they wrote.
Education Secretary Michael Gove is said to be supportive of the move, and could potentially introduce free school meals for all primary school pupils (a project that would cost an estimated £1billion), starting with the most deprived areas.
The report added: "We understand that the considerable cost and the need to involve other departments make it a big ask. But we are pleased that the secretary of state agrees with us in principle and we would urge schools and councils to consider funding universal free school meals themselves."
Teachers should eat with pupils
It also recommended that a new set of nutritional standards, which Vincent and Dimbleby developed alongside the Medical Research Council, be implemented across all schools – at present academies and free schools don’t follow the same standards adopted by everyone else.
The report suggests that teachers should introduce a series of measures – such as barring children from leaving the school premises, eating alongside pupils in the dining hall, and stopping the sale of unhealthy snacks – in order to prevent children from sourcing and eating unhealthy food during the school day.
Vincent and Dimbleby – who were motivated by the fact that almost a fifth of UK children are obese by the time they leave primary school – ate at 50 schools around the country as part of their research. Fellow campaigner for better children’s health Jamie Oliver is said to support their report.
What do you think? Is it a good idea to standardise school meals at primary schools, or does it take away a parent’s freedom of choice? Vote in our poll and talk to us in the Comments box below.
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