The farm at the centre of the foot and mouth outbreak fed its pigs leftover school dinners, it was reported last week. So, what do children eat at school, and is it only fit for pigs? Here, Children's Express members record an average day's food consumption. Read the Guardian’s full report.
| Fruit is available, but I don’t eat it because chicken and chips takes up all of my 1.25. |
Phoebe Saunders, 10 Hugh Myddelton Junior Infants School, north London.
Breakfast: Sugarpuffs with milk.
School dinner: Two fishfingers, chips and baked beans; water. Plain doughnut and custard.
Dinner: Chicken in breadcrumbs, chips and peas; a beaker of Ribena. "Fab" ice lolly.
Phoebe says: "When the school makes custard they leave the skin on the top, ugh, totally disgusting. It would be nice if we had bigger portions and there isn't enough healthy food on the menu. We have chips, pizzas, fishfingers and sausages at least once or twice a week. I'd rather have packed lunch in the summer than school dinners so I can eat it outside in the sunshine."
James Fletcher, 12 Holloway School, north London.
Breakfast: Kellogg's Honey Nut Cornflakes with semi-skimmed milk.
Pre-school snack: Apple turnover and packet of Polos.
School dinner: Southern fried chicken and chips with ketchup and added salt; blueberry-flavoured soft drink.
Pre-dinner snack: Rhubarb-flavoured lollipop.
Dinner: Lamb chops, mashed potatoes and carrots. Lemon curd tart and a piece of Mr Kipling's Battenburg cake.
James says: "The dinners are nice but the portions are stingy. I've never seen salad on the menu. Fruit is available, but I don't eat it because my favourite - chicken and chips - takes up all of my 1.25. Most days I eat pizza, a packet of crisps and a currant bun."
Maija Marsh, 11 Henrietta Barnett School in Hampstead, north London.
Breakfast: Frosties with milk.
School dinner: Chicken burger, bottle of water.
Afternoon snack: Fruit smoothie.
Pre-dinner snack: One banana and two biscuits with blueberry jam.
Dinner: Burger, chips and beans. Pink grapefruit juice. One tangerine.
Maija says: "At primary school I had a packed lunch, but now there isn't enough room in my school bag. There is quite a wide range of food at school but there is normally such a long queue that by the time I get there there's not a lot left. I often eat things like chicken burgers and occasionally sandwiches. I spend between 1.50 and 2 a day on school dinners."
Cindy Crome, 11 Hugh Myddelton Junior Infants School, north London.
Breakfast: Two slices toast (white) and butter; one glass orange juice.
School dinner: Chicken curry and rice; brown and white bread; glass of water. Apple crumble and custard.
Dinner: Cheese and tomato pizza and mixed salad; orange juice; lemonade.
Cindy says: "School dinners are tasty. My favourite is burger, chips and beans or pizza, chips and beans. I drink water every day at school because they don't provide anything else. The school spaghetti bolognese is OK, but not as good as my mum's - they let the mince dry out. They cost 5.75 a week but even the teachers don't eat them."
Zak Garner-Purkis, 13 Acland Burghley School in north London.
Breakfast: Bowl of Granola with semi-skimmed milk; pint of water.
School dinner: Baked potato with a side serving of rice and some bread. Can of Diet Pepsi. Chocolate-chip muffin.
Pre-dinner snack: Two slices of toast with margarine.
Dinner: Chicken in sauce with brown rice and broccoli; pint of water. Pancakes with lemon and sugar; water.
Zak says: "There are salads but most of the hot food is junk. It's greasy and there's not much healthy food. The fruit juices are sickly sweet. Most of my friends tend to eat pizza or chips or both, washed down with a can of Coke. Normally I have water but it's very expensive to buy at the canteen and you have to save your money for an affordable meal. I usually take in my own water as people spit in the fountain."
About the team
The members kept their food diaries as part of an article published in The Guardian. Read the full story.
