September 2006 News

The Jamie effect

How important is the healthier school meals campaign?

With 65% of parents buying school meals for their children the healthier meals campaign is clearly very important.     However, given that 53% also provide packed lunches, some children are in a mix and match situation, having school meals on some days and packed lunches on others.   This provides an interesting challenge to school meal providers as they do have competition for the lunchtime slot. Click the chart thumbnail for a closer look.

So what is junk food?

In the eyes of parents it is clear what junk food is - chips, burgers, convenience/pre-prepared/fast food, crisps, chicken nuggets/turkey twizzlers and fried food.   Sweeter products attract less mentions. Click the chart thumbnail for a closer look.

Are schools living up to the Jamie challenge?

Schools have definitely taken on board the healthy food message.   74% of parents have noticed changes to their children’s school meals and these are all positive changes; healthy options available, more fresh fruit and vegetables/salads and fresh food cooked and prepared on site.   Of the parents who hadn’t noticed any changes, the majority expected there to be changes in the future. Click the chart thumbnail for a closer look.

Decision making about school meals

Despite Jamie Oliver’s involvement in and campaigning about the whole healthier school meals debate, parents do not consider celebrity chefs to be as important in the decision making process as, themselves, head teachers, school governors and school teachers.    Now that the healthier school meals debate is out in the open the interest groups most likely to see it through in the longer run are parents and the schools themselves. Click the chart thumbnail for a closer look.

Are parents doing their bit?

Although parents believe they should be the key decision makers about healthy foods in schools, there is evidence to suggest that they don’t always put their awareness about healthy eating into action.

All of the parents surveyed were aware that children should eat 5+ portions of fruit and vegetables a day but under half of their children actually manage to consume 5+ portions a day. Click the chart thumbnail for a closer look.

So what happens next?

Jamie Oliver has done a sterling job bringing the whole school meals debate up the political agenda, attracting extra income to fund the changes and keeping the debate alive through his TV and PR campaigns.     However, the long term survival of healthier school meals will be down to parents and schools as they are the key stakeholders of this policy.   Further down the line it is also possible to imagine children, the main beneficiaries of the policy, being involved in the decision making via School Councils and other forums for comment as they become aware of the benefits of healthier food and start to use their ‘pester power’.   

Article based on the views of 54 expert panellists who participated in a postal survey 4^th – 15^th September 2006.

Top of page