For generations, the thought of school dinners conjured up an image of lumpy custard and soggy sponge.
But it would appear the appeal of what is ladled onto plates in the dinner hall has not changed, with one council reporting that it throws out an estimated £850,000 of leftovers every year – with some canteen staff suggesting ‘super healthy’ options are partly to blame.
Highland Council has now drawn up a ten-point action plan in a bid to prevent meals ending up in the bin after 41 per cent of pupils admitted to ‘only sometimes’ or ‘rarely’ finishing what is on their plate.
Of those who took part in a survey as part of the council’s Food in Schools programme, one child put it down to pupils being ‘forced to take things they don’t like’, while more than 40 per cent said it tasted ‘fair’ or ‘poor’.
And of the primary parents polled, 20 per cent thought the quality of food and menu choice was also ‘poor’.
Some described the food as ‘bland and mushy’ and said the cakes were ‘dry’.
There were suggestions that ‘simpler, more familiar meals’ including ‘sausages, pasta, [and] chicken goujons’ should be offered, while others wanted to see ‘less processed food and more fresh/local ingredients’.
Some parents also felt pupils should be able to ‘select the parts of the meal they enjoy’ to avoid less waste.
Highland Council has drawn up an action plan in a bid to prevent school meals ending up in the bin
A report that will come before councillors next week states: ‘Overall, responses indicate moderate satisfaction with the service, concerns about food quality and dining environments, and strong support for improving pupil engagement through better menu design and dining experiences.’
Councillors will also be presented the ‘comprehensive’ findings from catering staff, a ‘significant majority’ of whom identified food waste as ‘a problem’.
One staff member suggested ‘a simpler menu for children would be so much better – basic traditional home cooking and so much less waste would be seen’ while another said there was ‘too much focus on it being super healthy and kids just don’t want that’.
A ‘large proportion’ also felt pupils ‘do not understand the implications of food waste’.
The council now aims to have a ‘comprehensive menu review’ to ‘increase pupil satisfaction levels, reduce waste, [and] increase uptake.’
It also aims to establish a waste tracking process for school meals to cut down on how much is thrown out.
School catering company Chartwells, which provides meals across the UK, said uneaten dinners account for ‘70 per cent of school waste’ with its latest report finding that ‘about a quarter of school food’ goes to the bin. ends
