International School Meals Day Thursday 3rd March

International School Meals Day (ISMD) falls on Thursday 3rd March and this years theme is “Fresh and Healthy Local Foods”.

ISMD aims to raise awareness of the importance of good nutrition for children and fostering healthy eating habits that can be transferred from school to home. School meals doesn’t only have a positive impact on children’s health, but furthers their understanding and choices in food later in life, but it is proven that when children eat better they perform better at school too. The right nutrition helps with concentration, enabling them to reach their full potential.

We should celebrate school meals!! They have certainly come a long way (especially since when I was at school when we were served desserts  and Turkey twizzlers!!!). Here at HCS we focus on providing the best quality natural, locally sourced ingredients with the help of the School Food standards and accreditation like “Food for Life” which ensures  that our menus healthy, use sustainable produce and farmed in an environment that takes consideration for animal welfare.

From a public health point of view children consume at least one, sometimes two or three meals a day whilst at school, therefore school meals play a vital role in delivering the child obesity strategy, which the government is soon to publish. Currently the UK has the highest rate of obesity in Europe with one in three three overweight or obese by year 6. This is proof that we need to promote good healthy eating habits and where better to start than through school meals.