The Food Foundation’s newly launched film titled ‘The Lunch They Deserve’, seeks to focus the nation on the need for better school food standards.
The Good Morning Britain segment saw the ITV breakfast show visit Totteridge Academy to speak with the students about their experience of having ‘high-quality’ school meals.
Currently in the UK fewer than 10% of teenagers eat enough fruit and vegetables, over a third of children are living with being overweight or obesity by the age of 11 and young people’s risk of type 2 diabetes has increased by 22% in the last five years.
Totteridge Academy, where Chefs in Schools head chef James Fox leads the kitchen team, was chosen to demonstrate the impact that high-quality school food can have on children and young people.
Much of the produce used in school meals comes from their on-site GROW farm, where students are involved in growing and harvesting as well as delivering fresh herbs, fruit and vegetables.
Naomi Duncan, chief executive at Chefs in Schools, commented: “The Prime Minister’s recent commitment to ensuring children are not just fed in school, but fed well, matters. At Chefs in Schools, we see daily the impact that high-quality school food has on children and young people.
“As the scale of food-related ill health becomes clearer, ambition must be matched by action. Schools are a critical intervention point, but only if high standards for chefs and caterers are applied consistently and enforced properly.”