Healthy Choices for Happy Kids

Monday 15 January 2007

Meanwhile, at Henry Cavendish Primary School, the catering staff at Harrison have been working with the children to test recipes for fruit smoothies.

Healthy Choices for Happy Kids

The borough's school meals service boast menus that could easily grace the tables of any trendy restaurant.

Healthy, nutritious school meals in Lambeth have always been high on the council's agenda.

While the 'Jamie Oliver effect' ripples through schools all over the country, some schools have faced criticism as children reject the healthy options and opt for the takeaways and junk food instead. In extreme cases there have even been reports of mothers pushing burgers through the school gates.

But that is not the case in Lambeth, where take up of freshly prepared school dinners has never been so good. The success of the service has a lot to do with the way children and parents are involved in menu-planning from food tasting sessions through to the final selection in the school dining hall.

Food choices are supported by healthy eating lessons in the classroom. The council works with the schools and teachers, providing curriculum support materials to support teaching about food and healthy eating. The core materials are then tailored to the need of each individual school to make sure that what ends up on the plate reflects the needs of the children.

At Livity Special School, huge strides have been made in adapting the school menu for children with complex special needs. A colour-coded weekly menu has been developed to show a clear distinction between the foods required for each child's special diet which has been worked out by all the professionals involved in supporting the children.

The food is now prepared in the new school kitchen from fresh ingredients, and children can smell it cooking. Portions are pureed individually for the children who have difficulty swallowing so that it looks more like the same appetizing solid foods being eaten by classmates.

"The children here are learning to eat and make choices, so presentation is very important," said headteacher Geraldine Lee. "The children use all their senses to help them communicate and make decisions. So before lunch is served, our teachers and classroom assistants hand round sample plates for the children to look, smell and touch before they choose what they want to eat. School dinners are the highlight of the children's school day. Children happily eat more vegetables now that they know what they are eating. There's less wastage and children will experiment more."

Meanwhile, at Henry Cavendish Primary School, the catering staff at Harrison have been working with the children to test recipes for fruit smoothies. The children get to try a whole range of different samples and pick out their favourite flavours, which are then made into recipes. The final selection becomes part of the standard school menu for a limited time and smoothies are served with a cookie or a flapjack instead of dessert.

Councillor Sally Prentice, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, said "We are delighted at the way schools, children and parents in Lambeth have embraced healthy eating and hopefully their school years will get young people into good habits they will be able to stick to for the rest of their lives."

Article from Lambeth Life

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