School meals in the spotlight
Warwickshire primary school pupils are gearing up to get giggling and go back in time over inspired menus during National School Meals Week 8-12 November 2010.
The annual campaign from Local Authority Caterers Association to promote healthy school meals is being supported by Warwickshire County Council’s caterers who provide cooked lunches to the majority of primary schools in the county.
‘Get Involved’ is the motto for the week and schools are being supported by the county caterers and with resources online at http://www.iloveschoolmeals.co.uk to encourage healthy eating with a variety of themed activities. Suggestions include highlighting the importance of exercise on Wednesday as pupils are asked to learn some new moves and ‘get dancing’.
The County Caterers have put together two extra special menus for the week. To ‘get remembering’ Thursday’s Remembrance Day (11 November) lunch has a 1940s theme and invites children to enjoy pork sausages and gravy or Lord Woolton’s Pie – layered leek and potatoes named after World War II Food Minister Lord Woolton. Both meals will be accompanied with fresh vegetables and creamed potato. In keeping with the theme, Jelly with fruit or glory (fruit) buns will be served for dessert.
Large portions of fun will be dished up at schools across the county on Friday 12 November as the County Caterers’ Hilarious Hot Lunch Menu is served. Children will ‘get giggling’ as they enjoy Funny Face Pizza, and Ticklish Fish Finger Torpedoes with Chuckling Chips, Giggling Garden Peas and Cackling Corn. They can look forward to Crazy Cookies and Wibbly Wobbly Strawberry Mousse for dessert.
County Caterers’ Head of Catering Sandra Russell, said. “We hope children will enjoy the menus we’ve created for this week. As well as getting a nutritious hot meal we hope the themed food will get pupils interested in history and show them how food can be fun.
“The free resources available on the National School Meals Week website offer lots of ideas for schools to take important food messages into classrooms to help reinforce the healthy eating messages and we hope many schools will take the opportunity to use them.”
Warwickshire County Councillor Martin Heatley, Portfolio Holder for Resources added: “This countywide celebration of school meals is a great way to raise awareness. The activities on offer during the week help to teach children about where their food comes from and how important a balanced diet and regular exercise is for their development and concentration in class.”
For more information please visit the Warwickshire County Council school meals website http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/schoolmeals
To find out more about National School Meals Week please visit http://www.iloveschoolmeals.co.uk