Today sees the start of national school meals week. Cumbria County Council's school meals service is organising one-day events in primary schools across the county to support the campaign.
'Get wise to food - it matters' is this year's theme and focuses on Jamie Oliver's approach of helping young people to learn about different foods and their nutritional value. Schools will be able to chose from a variety of healthy ingredients to create their own menu for the day.
National school meals week aims to promote key messages to youngsters about the role that a balanced diet plays in keeping fit and healthy. Jamie Oliver's campaign has already changed the way school meals are served in many authorities, some of which have found a reduction in uptake of meals. However, this is not the case here in Cumbria. The number of pupils eating a meal in schools served by Cumbria County Council has increased by over 4% during the last 4 years.
Cabinet spokesman for children's services, councillor Philip Chappelhow said:
"There is much evidence to support the view that a balanced diet helps children to concentrate and improve their learning. Healthy children are also more likely to attend school. The schools that receive the county council's school meals service ensure that children get a healthy well-balanced meal in the middle of their working day. More and more children in schools receiving our meals are choosing to stay for a school dinner rather than take a packed lunch. We continue to encourage children and parents to work with the school and encourage healthy choices which will have a big impact on pupils’ achievements in the long term."
To support the event, schools will receive an activity sheet for each child staying for lunch with a competition for pupils to take part in. High Street vouchers will also be up for grabs for the best menu for the day.