The Welsh government is taking ambitious steps to address the rising epidemic of childhood obesity. Now, with the recent introduction of universal free school meals in primary schools, Britain is re-examining its nutritional standards. Nearly a quarter of children of reception age in Wales are overweight or obese. This worrying truth is just one of the many reasons that we need stronger dietary standards and practices within our schools.
As one element of its initiative, the Welsh government aims to improve the nutritional balance of school meals. This means not only cutting back on sugary desserts and fried foods but raising the profile of fruits and vegetables. Andrea Basu, public health dietitian for the county, says they’re hopeful these changes. She says they’re going to do a lot to get kids closer to their recommended daily servings of fruits and vegetables.
Rachel Bath from Public Health Wales (PHW) has been positive about these proposals. She’s particularly passionate about making sure that all kids get healthy meals. Bath made it clear that food education and healthy dining experiences are critical to children’s well-being. She noted that there is much more to be done in this space.
One of the most remarkable of these is their “Food and Fun” program, which invites children to experience a world of new food and flavor. This program provides students an opportunity to experience fruits and vegetables they may have never tasted before. It opens up the potential for them to have positive impressions with healthy eating. Eleri, one of the students in the program, tasted melon for the very first time. She went on to say how much she liked it, warmly calling it “good!”
Ruth Heeley, who works as a teaching assistant, said food education was “vital”. She thinks that it is important for children to learn how they can make better decisions about what they eat. This seems to connect with the Welsh government’s overall desire to start healthy eating practices early.
Education Minister Ms. Neagle said she was very interested in hearing from parents, teachers, suppliers and the youth. Her goal is to get their thoughts and comments about the proposed school food standards. She reiterated the stated desires to form guidelines that are inclusive to all parts of the public educational community.
