Guidelines that urges schools in England to serve children meat at least three times a week should change, allowing children to have more vegetables, a charity has said. A report from the Food Foundation has found that children are eating proportionally more processed meat than adults. The study found that 80% of the most commonly eaten meat dishes in schools and educational institutions are either processed or red meat.
Current government guidelines call on schools to provide a portion of meat or poultry for at least three days a week. This is part of the wider school food standards designed to give children a balanced diet.
But now the Food Foundation is calling on the requirements to relax, adding that increased consumption of fruit, vegetables, and legumes should be encouraged with a specific strategy. It is also calling on strengthening the government’s procurement rules for schools and other public spaces where food is served.
“It’s worrying that children are eating so much processed meat, especially in schools, where meals should be nourishing,” Rebecca Tobi of the Food Foundation, said. “The government should review the Government Buying Standards for Food and School Food Standards to ensure they align with the latest health and sustainability recommendations. This includes relaxing the rule requiring schools to serve meat three times a week and reducing the amount of processed meat served.
“This would let caterers offer more beans, pulses, wholegrains, and vegetables – improving health and cutting costs. Current policies don’t support children’s long-term health or British farmers, who face unfair competition from lower-standard imported processed meat.”
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