School Meals

Aberdeenshire Council School Meals Service is HUNGRY FOR SUCCESS

Aberdeenshire Primary school meals and menus are the culmination of work that involved comprehensive recipe and menu planning.

School meal services in Scotland are hailed as "light years ahead" of the rest of the UK by many including celebrity chef, Jamie Oliver and Aberdeenshire Council is set to bring further improvements making school meals even better value for money.

Pupils receive a copy of the menus and additional information in a full colour leaflet to take home. This gives parents the opportunity to discuss and plan menu choices with their child/ren in advance. This is particularly helpful where Vegetarian preferences are involved.

Menus are nutritionally balanced so that a complete meal provides one-third of a child’s daily nutrient requirements

A planning group consisting of Area Catering Supervisors, the HUNGRY FOR SUCCESS Development Officer, a Paediatric Community Dietician and School Cooks have devised the new menus to meet nutritional standards set out in the Scottish Government's ‘Hungry for Success - Whole School Approach to School Meals in Scotland’ initiative.

The new menus reflect National recommendations for changes to diet that include:

• Increased emphasis on fruit and vegetables
• Reduction in total fat and saturated fat
• Reduction in sugar and sugar based items
• Inclusion of oily fish
• Reduction in salt content

Some very good reasons for taking a School Meal: -

• It is prepared fresh daily by trained staff many of whom are also parents
• It is attractive, convenient, of good quality and offers variety and a daily choice
• The Sandwich Tray saves parents the task of making a pack lunch
• It is a balanced meal providing 1/3 of a child’s daily nutrient needs

In addition to a Main course other important features include: -

• Baked Potato available daily as a main course with a filling
• Freshly made Soup is available at least once a week
• At least one Vegetarian option is available daily
• Bread & Milk or Fruit Juice is included as part of a lunch meal
• Salads & Vegetables of the Day – as much as they can eat!
• Fresh Fruit is always available as a Pudding option

Mike Hearnden, Catering Services Manager says,

I believe the changes we’ve made are valuable first steps in the right direction for our service. We are working in partnership with the Education Department and NHS Grampian to influence attitudes and provide foods that encourage children to eat more healthily.