Image source - Fresh vegetables wooden cutting boards © poplasen
When sending our children to school we feel reassured that they are in safe hands and receiving the education they deserve. The same should go for the food that they are eating to. Children deserve a balanced and nutritious meal to help them grow and stay focused, whilst also making sure that they don’t fall prey to child obesity. Unfortunately for many children this isn’t yet the case due to a loophole that is exempting schools from healthy eating.
In January 2015 new standards for school food became mandatory for schools maintained by the council and for some private academies. The rule however doesn’t apply to those that became academies between 2010 and 2014 and for them it is completely voluntary. At the moment there are currently around one million pupils who are not benefiting from the food standards put in place to help them.
The food standards put in place are designed to provide children with a better diet and therefore put restrictions and regulations in place. The amount of sugar, fried and fatty foods in school meals have been dramatically decreased, and it is paramount that at least one portion of vegetables or salad is offered as part of their lunch every day. The rules are mandatory to all council led schools, new academies and schools that became academies between 2008 and 2010.
For the 3,896 academies and schools opened between 2010 and 2014 the standards are optional as there contracts allow them greater independence. It was thought that instead of changing the contracts of these schools that writing to them to make a voluntary agreement would be a better option. The agreement states that the schools are to comply with the new food standards however there are still a great number of schools that have not yet committed to the changes.
The LGA have argued that the government need to use a new childhood obesity strategy in order to close the loophole that is allowing schools to avoid the food standards. With a staggering 3.5 million children currently obese something needs to be done to bring these numbers down. Children who are obsess are at a much higher risk of getting diabetes, heart disease and cancer, all of which can be life changing or fatal.
It is only fair that all children have access to the same meals in order to prevent arguments and obesity. The standards not only reduce the amount of sugar and fat being consumed but also encourage healthy eating for a healthier lifestyle. Teaching children how to eat properly from a young age is vital for making sure that they carry this on into adulthood. Bad habits are unfortunately difficult to break and even those who want to break them cannot always do so.
