Plans to eradicate ‘cheat foods’ like chicken nuggets from hot school meals will kick off at the start of the new academic year this September.
But is there anything wrong with including these foods, or should companies put more effort into making healthy meal packages?
Dietitian Sarah Keogh, who is involved in helping school meal companies create their menus, said that people should avoid using terms like ‘cheat day’ when it comes to children’s diets.
“I think we need to take a step back a little bit and recognise that this is really a new programme to be rolled out,” she told Lunchtime Live.
“There’s going to be a huge amount of things to get right with it, so I hugely welcome that we’re looking at the nutritional standards with that.
“I think we need to be careful about words like ‘cheat days’, because they come from that whole diet culture where we say, ‘Oh, you have to be ridiculously healthy the rest of the week and then you go mad and have really unhealthy food the other days’.”
Children's school meals, © PA Wire/PA ImagesMs Keogh said that on the surface, there is nothing wrong with including sausages and chicken nuggets in children’s meals.
“You can make really, really healthy chicken nuggets for kids,” she said.
“Before we get into is pizza bad, or are chicken nuggets bad, or what’s good or bad, with it is [first] actually looking at the nutrition.
“That’s what I’ve been doing with some of the companies that have asked me to come and review their menus, because I think they’re very aware of that.
“Actually, I’ve been really impressed with the nutrition in it, and what has been fascinating for me working on it is their knowledge about what kids will and won’t eat.”
According to Ms Keogh, while companies often make an effort to include fruit and vegetables in their menus, kids won’t eat them if they haven’t already been introduced to the foods at home.
Main image: Children at a primary school eating school dinner using plastic plates, cups and cutlery. Image: NorthScape. 30 September 2015
