They've had their chips

PUPILS' dinners came under the spotlight following Government plans to ban sugar, salt and fat.

School meals providers in York have already defended the nutritional value of their cuisine in the aftermath of celebrity chef Jamie Oliver's battle against processed food.

Now they insist they are more than ready to meet the challenge of Education Minister Ruth Kelly's clampdown on unhealthy grub.

North Yorkshire County Caterers insist children across the city are already being served up a selection of nutritious meals every day - but until now there has been no definitive list of prohibited foods.

Rob Marshall, the firm's area manager, said: "We are already ahead of the game. We don't use any processed foods and 99 per cent of our meals are freshly prepared in the school canteens.

"But there are some areas where we can improve and we may have to look at alternatives for the pastries we offer in high schools. We are also on a quest for a healthier sausage."

The company offers its primary school children a choice of three healthy meals and its menu is different every day over an eight- week period.

Among the meals on offer are chicken pasta, spaghetti bolognaise, tuna pizza and roast pork loin steaks.

"We try to use as many fresh ingredients as possible and cooks are busy in the morning peeling potatoes and carrots for that day's menu," said Mr Marshall.

The company invited Jamie Oliver to come to the city and sample the dishes, following his investigation into meals offered in his series Jamie's School Dinners.

"Sadly, he has never taken up our offer," said Mr Marshall. "But we are taking on our own champion - chef John Benson-Smith, of Hazlewood Castle, who was very impressed by the food we provided at this year's York Festival Of Food And Drink."

Ofsted inspectors are being given the new role of enforcing a ban on junk food when the new rules are brought into schools next September.

Ruth Kelly told the Labour Party conference last week that the 'scandal' of unhealthy options would end with the ban on "cheap burgers and bangers" made from meat slurry.

But in York school caterers are already trying to make their own homemade burgers - and they want to source meat direct from local farmers.

Another major issue is vending machines - with plans to outlaw chocolate, crisps and fizzy drinks and replace them with fruit, mineral water and cereal bars.

Mr Marshall says: "We don't have vending machines in our schools, but that does not mean pupils can't get hold of sweets and snacks. They can quite easily pop across to the local corner shop in their lunch hour."

And supply and demand still plays a factor - one school in Bedfordshire which introduced healthy vending machines was forced to scrap them after 18 months as pupils did not use them enough.

The firm is hoping to stay one step ahead of the youngsters in a bid to encourage healthier eating.

Smart chip cards are being made so that high schools can eventually move to a cashless system for lunches.

It means parents will not hand over dinner money each day - and risk children spending it in local shops on chips, pasties and fizzy pop.

Mr Marshall said: "Initially, they will act as a loyalty card rewarding pupils for staying for school meals by building up points, which they can swap for vouchers for cinema tickets, record tokens and music downloads. Eventually, we hope that parents can put money onto the cards, possibly by direct debit, so they know their children will only be spending it on school meals."

The system is also a way of avoiding the stigma attached to free dinners - which has caused some children to skip meals - because all pupils will use the swipe cards.

A 'herbie card' system to reward primary school pupils has already been launched.

Youngsters who regularly eat at school will receive points which can be used towards cinema tickets, bowling and swimming.

The public had the chance to test some of the meals when caterers provided £2 dinners for visitors to the city's Food and Drink Festival last month.

Diners were treated to lamb hot pot, pictured left, pork and broccoli gratin, ham and pineapple pizza, pictured right, or poached hake in parsley sauce.

But nutritious dinners can only be successful if children really want to eat them - and part of the education process begins at home.

General Secretary of the Secondary Heads' Association John Dunford said: "We want to see more support for parents in improving children's diets at home and more pressure on the food industry to advertise sensibly."

One York school is offering parents the chance to try its school dinners - in a bid to banish memories of the concrete chips and bland blancmange of their own youths.

"Children are starting to eat more healthily and children coming up from primary schools are making the same choices at high school," said Mr Marshall.

"Things are improving, but it is a gradual process."

Updated: 11:21 Monday, October 03, 2005