WHAT DID THEY EAT AT SCHOOL? Available to Purchase

In early April this year there was much media coverage of a government preliminary report that was stated to have commented about the eating habits of a sample of 3000 children aged 10–15 years old. The report was said to have contained results which indicated that many children were eating foods high in animal fat and sugar, while low in fibre. Diets were said to be deficient in vegetables and fruit, and in lean meat. Concern was expressed about the levels of vitamins and minerals in children's diets. We will have to await publication of the full report before commenting further, but it is appropriate to mention it now because it provides a useful context in which to view the results of a study of school meals in the ILEA carried out at the University of Surrey. Michael Kipps MSc, Carol Noble BSc and James Thomson PhD describe their study and summarise the results.