SCHOOL DINNERS

School Dinners

With a lot of media attention being paid to the debate about healthy school meals recently, it can be a bit difficult for busy parents to keep track.

Recent months have seen a lot of debate school meals. With the likes of government spokespeople and television personalities like Jamie Oliver all making their contributions, it's not always easy for parents to keep track on the current thinking and advice on healthy eating for children. Or adults for that matter.

For those who have a keen interest in the topic, reports such as this one from the BBC are very useful for keeping parents up to date on developments whilst the related discussion boards are a useful place to find out what other parents think. There are also interesting features such as this one looking at the way school meals are provided in other countries.

A number of boroughs and agencies in west London have tried to help simplify things. For example, this section of the Hammersmith & Fulham website aims to give clear concise information on the local approach, complete with understand-at-a-glance diagrams. Harrow, also issues similar information on its website.

And, the Department for Education & Skills (DfES) has set up this special website, to inform parents and other interested parties about all the different ways in which the issue of food and healthier eating is being addressed in schools. This is not only through the provision of meals, but also through the way in which children are being taught about food.

Much of the discussion has focussed on meals provided by schools. But what about parents who pack lunches for their offspring? With so much complicated information about healthy eating around, it isn't always easy to keep track of what's best. This section of the Food Standards Agency website is an excellent resources that not only gives information about healthier lunchboxes for kids, but also includes recipe plans that are likely to entice even the fussiest young palate.

And of course, the FSA's www.eatwell.gov.uk site is one of the best sources of the latest, official information on maintaining a healthier diet. The site even has an excellent Ages And Stages section that aims to give clear information on the best dietary choices for people at different stages of life. So, if you want to know why a high fat diet is "bad" for adults and "good" for very young children, then this is the site for you.

And, of course, the BBC, the world's largest website should hardly be left out. Its nutrition section on the BBC Health website offers the usual high-quality advice with numerous fun elements. Be sure to try the online "calorie counter" or the "calamity kitchen" game if you want to make your learning about food and nutrition easy and enjoyable.