Dorset caterer says banning lunchboxes from schools would be ‘step too far’
Local Food Links in Bridport says we should continue to teach young people about healthy foods, rather than ban lunchboxes
A Dorset caterer has urged policymakers to focus on teaching children about healthy food rather than effectively “banning lunchboxes”, following comments from Great British Bake-Off judge Dame Prue Leith.
Prue Leith has called for a “revolution” in school food, including free school meals for every child and making them compulsory.
She warned that children who are not given healthy food may develop poor eating habits and said parents could struggle to resist requests for chocolate and other treats while shopping.
But Caroline Morgan, from Local Food Links in Bridport, said a blanket approach to school meals risked overlooking the needs of individual children and their families.
“Lots of children rely on a packed lunch,” she said.
Caroline added that some children are fussy eaters or had sensory issues that could make them more comfortable bringing food from home.
“All of those things have to be taken into account and I think the decision should be down to families,” she added.
The debate comes as all pupils in England from families receiving universal credit are due to become eligible for free school meals from September, alongside an overhaul of school food standards aimed at tackling childhood obesity and tooth decay.
Ms Morgan said many schools in Dorset were already encouraging healthier packed lunches rather than banning them outright.
“Lots of schools will say we don't want chocolate bars, packets of crisps or fizzy drinks because it's very difficult for a child having a hot meal to sit next to another child who's tucking into chocolate,” she said.
Local Food Links has previously welcomed government efforts to improve school food and expand free school meal eligibility.
But Caroline believes education remains crucial if healthier choices are to become embedded beyond the school gates.
“Children do know about healthy eating because lots of schools teach them about it,” she said.
She pointed to changing habits among pupils, saying that while children had previously been able to bring almost anything to school, fruit had increasingly become a common part of packed lunches.
Meanwhile, Prue Leith has argued that nutritious food should not simply be about health but should also provide children with an “opportunity for pleasure”.
For Caroline encouraging children to understand and enjoy healthy food may prove more effective in the long term than removing choice altogether.