An investigation of school meals eaten by primary schoolchildren

The present study compared the calculated nutritional content of midday meals eaten by primary schoolchildren (n=90, 45 boys, 45 girls, mean age 10.5±0.4 years), in the Portsmouth area, with the Caroline Walker Trust (CWT) published guidelines. Comp‐Eat 5 was used to determine the dietary content of children’s midday meals. Children’s lunchtime meals were not deficient in essential micronutrients; however, the macronutrient content of their diet differed significantly from the published guidelines. Data analysis also revealed that significant differences were evident between the macronutrient content of the two meal subgroups (food provided by the school, referred to as “school meals” and food brought from home, referred to as a “packed lunch”). In conclusion, several changes need to be made to midday meals, eaten by primary schoolchildren, before they will meet the CWT guidelines, and the two meal subgroups require separate solutions.