The Little Book of Goodness

If you are a parent of a reception aged child you should have got a copy of the "Little Book of Goodness" courtesy of The School Food Trust. They were sent out to all primary schools yesterday. As well as lots of pictures of typical food and information about the nutritional standards there is a competition to win a years free school lunches. Simply text the word GOODNESS to 81400. Click here for terms and conditions. There will be 50 lucky winners!

Good nutrition starts at school

I came across Kerry Trueman's blog last night. Glad we are all singing from the same hymnsheet!

The video is definitely worth watching. Our secretary Paula, found the trays painful to watch. So glad we are eating from plates in Merton.

However please don't think we have everything fixed here in Merton. Hearing some disturbing tales about how our caterers are having problems. Have a committee meeting tonight so will report back later.

Kid's cookery cards

Whilst I was on holiday Fi Bird from Stirrin Stuff published her brilliant kids cookery cards. Fi is an amazing woman - she is a mother of 6, masterchef finalist and a tireless campaigner. She is passionate about teaching kids how to cook and cares deeply about the sustainability and ethics of food production. I would recommend that you have a look at her website. She is also a prolific twitterer so you also follow her tweets!

The cookery cards are laminated, clearly written and suitable for kids from 8 upwards. You can read a review of the cards here Since I am on crutches and relieved of kitchen duties I plan to throw the cards in the direction of the kids and see what they come up with! Watch this space...

Fresh food v frozen food

There is a report in todays Telegraph that frozen food can be more nutritious than fresh food. Researchers from Sheffield Hallam University have decided that "frozen food could be more appropriate for school dinners because it creates less waste, is cheaper and more readily available"

The objection I have to have frozen food is that the majority of it is heavily processed. I have no worries about having the meals supplemented with portions of frozen veg but I do not want a return to industrially produced frozen pies, reformulated meat products, high fat pastry products etc - however cheap and easy it is for the caterers. Yes, by all means let the cooks cook double quantities to freeze and make the most of surplus tomatoes and berries - but please spare us the frozen ready meals.

Surely cooking food from scratch, using where possible seasonal and local ingredients is the best model for all food production?

MP lunchs

Some interesting thoughts about MP lunches in todays Guardian What really galls me is that MPs who earn over £66,000 (plus expenses) are able to take advantage of these subsidised lunches whilst at the same time deny the same generous subsidies to hard working low income families.

We still have families who are under the official poverty line yet cannot claim free school meals. Unbelievable.

Free school meal pilot dropped

Children in Essex schools Lansdowne Primary and Herringham Primary were expecting free school meals as they had been told they were to be taking part in a special trial. However the first day back the parents were told that the PCT and authority had changed its priorities and the scheme had been dropped. Not surprisingly many parents were angry about the lack of notice and the shortsightedness of this decision. Read an account here

I'm back!

Sorry for the long silence - especially when there has been so much going on in the world of UK school dinners! I have broken a couple of bones in my foot during a brilliant Sports day that Sustain: the alliance for better food and farming held. Although it is a relatively minor injury the swelling and bruising mean it is quite painful and I find sitting at the computer uncomfortable. However I am itching to comment on a few issues

1) Trial of universal free school meals.
Well it is early days but initial reports look good. You can read an account of the impact they are having in a school in Durham by clicking here If we are serious about wanting to improve the diet of the nations children then this is the simplest and most cost effective way to do it. Instead of spending money on shiny glossy ad campaigns like change4life persuading children to eat more fruit and veg surely it is better to invest in decent lunches for our children? It is better to lead by example rather than lecture! As well as the health benefits it also gives a boost to local economies - training and employing staff to cook and serve the food creates jobs. If we were really intelligent we could also create a market for small growers and local farmers to supply their local schools with fresh produce.

2) Making it easier for low income families to claim free school meals.
A recent study commissioned by the School Food Trust discovered that up to 1 in 5 low income families didn't realise they were entitled to free school meals. You can have a look at the report here. I think it is absolutely scandalous that the arrangements to claim are so complex. Entilement to free school meals should be automatically triggered when you claim for benefits taking the onus off parents to deal with the paperwork.

3) And finally....

being an avid fan of twitter, (my user name is jackieschneider if anyone wants to be pals!)I absolutely love Somerset County Services who now "tweet" their menu. They also have a great website