December 2008 School meals in six primary schools in Sheffield were more nutritious than packed lunches, but further modification of school meal provision was needed to reach all of the nutrient-based standards.
As part of on-going work into school lunches and children’s food choices, the Trust looked at the school meal provision and dietary intakes of pupils attending six primary schools in Sheffield in February-March 2007.
School meals were more likely to contain vegetables, fruit, extra bread, healthier drinks and no confectionery and snacks compared with packed lunches.
Of pupils bringing a packed lunch, 65% ate confectionery or a snack high in fat, sugar or salt, and 28% ate both a confectionery and a snack item. Thirty-one percent of packed lunches contained a drink that did not meet the food-based standards.
Compared with packed lunches, a higher proportion of school meals met the 2008 nutrient-based standards for primary schools for non-milk extrinsic sugars (NMES), fat, saturated fatty acids, dietary fibre, sodium, and vitamin C. More packed lunches met the nutrient standard for calcium mainly because yogurt or fromage frais were included more often in a packed lunch than a school meal.
