Analysis: Food affects students in a myriad of ways and schools are in a unique position to guide what and how young people. Yet we are missing valuable opportunities to help address nutrition, health, wellbeing and sustainability in our schools.
As food preferences formed early in life tend to continue into adulthood, there is a growing conversation about the important role school meals can play in the lives of children.
Approximately 1,550 Irish schools' avail of the government’s school meals funding, however the scheme does not allow schools to spend funds on staff or equipment. In turn, this compels schools to buy pre-packed food.
There is strong rationale for a different approach; one where the opportunity is taken to use the school meal for fostering enjoyment in food and to build links to food education.
In Japan school lunches are part of education, not a break from it. Children come to understand at an early age that what you put into your body matters. Parents are asked to contribute towards the cost of ingredients, but local governments pay the staff to cook.
Schools either have a kitchen within them or rely on centralised kitchens, which are based in communities, and deliver freshly prepared food to a number of schools in underpopulated areas. The children have the communal duty of serving and tidying up after the shared meal.
Food education classes are conducted in conjunction with mealtimes and focus on the deliciousness of the food and its provenance. Research in Japan has shown that school lunches play a role in reducing disparities in children's diets.
Similar to Japan, in France the Ministry of National Education focuses on pleasure and taste in the provision of school meals. Most children sit down to a four-course lunch each day, the menus follow guidelines, there is a set structure, but foods are varied, in that no meal is served twice in a month.
Flavours are not simplified, children eat bitter, strong and challenging foods and are given a chance to take time over their food. Parents are asked to pay towards the cost of the meals, if they can afford to do so.
We need your consent to load this rte-player contentWe use rte-player to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage Preferences
From RTÉ Radio One's Drivetime Della Kilroy reports on a new hot meals programme rolling out in 189 schools.
The creation of meals varies from one local authority to the other, but in most cases the meals are prepared within the school, however, in some instance’s meals are prepared in a central kitchen and delivered to schools where they are served to the students (not pre-packaged).
The National Nutrition Council of Finland have produced a toolkit for educators entitled Health and Joy from Food. The text states that "rather than developing automatically, many eating-related skills require a favourable eating environment and an opportunity for practicing".
Participation in freshly prepared school meals, as well as food education classes, is considered to be an integral part of growing into a responsible citizen, as well as being vital to students’ wellbeing.
Cooking meals from scratch within or near schools may initially be a costlier option, but there are benefits that can offset costs, benefits such as increased teaching opportunities, what in Sweden is known as a 'pedagogical meal’.
School kitchens can also provide local employment, there is evidence to show that scratch-cooked meals lead to increased food consumption and a reduction in the eating of ultra-processed foods.
There is also a chance for socialisation over the meal that can allow a child’s social skills to develop. Here in Ireland the National Strategy Group for Hunger Prevention in Schools has called for government to allocate funding to build kitchens and eating spaces within schools and to provide adequate staffing levels.
The EU advocates for good practices in Socially Responsible Public Procurement and also for Buying for Social Impact. Taking this on board a not-for-profit school meals model could ensure that children get the best value from the funds allocated.
For example, Food for Thought in Merseyside, UK which calls itself a not-for-profit healthy school meals provider, is owned and managed by its seventeen partner schools with surplus funds being re-invested into the schools.
We need your consent to load this rte-player contentWe use rte-player to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage Preferences
From RTÉ Radio One Brendan O'Connor Siobhan Berry, founder of Mummy Cooks, shares some ideas and recipes for school lunches.
Food affects students in a myriad of ways and schools are in a unique position to guide what and how young people eat. No child should go hungry and having an anti-poverty strategy that includes school meals is to be lauded. However, in Ireland we are missing valuable opportunities to help address nutrition, health, wellbeing and sustainability in our schools.
We could adopt an expansive approach to food, where children learn its impact not only on their bodies and the bodies of others but how it impacts culture, economy and the environment. As any teacher will tell you the school day is already very busy. That is why we need to look at ways to develop school meals and food education that are manageable and realistic, but this does not mean we cannot be ambitious.
A Food in Schools Forum, which has recently been established by Healthy Ireland is a very welcome development. It was formed to progress Healthy Ireland’s Strategic Action Plan, according to Tom James, head of Healthy Ireland, it brings together all partners working in the school setting "to help maximise the wide range of initiatives underway and identify the gaps".
Food education and school meals will not be a panacea, but as part of a long-term strategy done correctly, they could be a valuable component in helping to address some of the current diet-related health issues facing the next generation.
The views expressed here are those of the author and do not represent or reflect the views of RTÉ
