School dinners’ 3 deep-fried meals a week
A MAJOR overhaul of school meal standards has been ordered in a bid to tackle the obesity crisis.
Health chiefs will review the basic nutritional guidelines for school lunches amid fears canteens are serving unhealthy food.
Guidelines introduced in 2008 allow schools to offer deep-fried items up to three times a week, while the average meal can contain up to 664 calories – equivalent to three hamburgers. But these are to be rewritten.
Dr Catherine Calderwood, Scotland’s chief medical officer, told MSPs the national obesity strategy will be ‘refreshed’ and confirmed she had discussed ‘reformulation’ of school meal guidelines with Ministers earlier this month.
She said: ‘Obesity is a big problem – and currently we are losing the battle. Our healthy choices are not ambitious enough. A healthy living award is given for 50 per cent of produce being healthy. The other 50 per cent may not be healthy and both choices are freely available. There are always promotions of unhealthy, sugary foods and we do not promote fruit and vegetables.’
Naveed Sattar, Professor of Metabolic Medicine at Glasgow University, said: ‘The least you can do is provide the best possible diet and ensure kids choose high-quality meals. If the Scottish Government can tighten up on this and ensure there are less unhealthy choices and more healthy options, that can only be a good thing.’
Labour MSP Malcolm Chisholm, a member of the health committee, said: ‘It is good we have guidelines – many countries do not – but it would be good if the guidelines were looked at again.’
Learning Minister Dr Alasdair Allan said: ‘The guidelines on health and nutrition have already made a big difference to the quality of school meals, particularly in terms of healthier choices.
‘But the chief medical officer is right to highlight concern about obesity levels in young children and the need to do more. We plan to refresh our obesity strategy so we can continue to help people at risk, particularly young children.’