Schools adopt healthy meals plan

The scheme is intended to help younger children more healthily

Schoolchildren in Pembrokeshire have had more healthy options put on the menu as part of a plan to promote healthy eating.

Many vending machine snacks are to be phased out across the county's schools and adverts promoting foods high in fat, sugar or salt will also be banned.

The strategy was launched on Thursday by Pembrokeshire's health services, council and schools.

The aim is to tackle problems of obesity and poor diet among children.

It is aimed that unhealthy food from vending machines in schools and at leisure centres on school sites will be phased out by the start of the school year in September 2006.

Promotional campaigns that encourage children to eat foods that are high in fat, sugar or salt will no longer be used in Pembrokeshire schools.

Jamie Oliver has helped raise the issue of healthy eating in schools

The National Public Health Service for Wales said many of the county's primary schools provide and promote milk, water and fruit already but all primary schools will be required to do so by the beginning of the next autumn term.

Anthea Finn, assistant head teacher of Pembroke Dock Community Primary School said the school had already begun introducing a more healthy menu.

She added: "We have (changed) since beginning of this term we've been able to offer pasta, salad and fruit as well as the daily cooked meal.

"We found a large number of children have opted for the salad bar, which is very encouraging.

Grape sales

"We've been offering healthy snacks throughout the day which includes a fruit trolley.

"Our fruit sales rose from an average of £10.50 a week to £75 a week when we started selling grapes."

Lynne Perry, principal public health officer of the National Public Health Service in Pembrokeshire, said the county had made progress on healthy eating in its schools but the Channel 4 series Jamie's School Dinners had helped raise the profile of the issue.

She added: "I think (Jamie Oliver) has really raised the profile.

"We've been working on this for a long time in Pembrokeshire and we're a long way forward, but I think he's done a lot to raise the profile of poor nutrition in schools which we are trying to address.

"We are looking at a pupil focused way - including the children in menu planning and discussing school meals.

"The are interested as long as we give them some responsibility."