Welcome to the "Food Plate"

[Sundae]

I could tell you some stories about unhealthy lunches...
They would be serious and factual and would get me the sack if circulated too widely.
But oh my goodness, some parents. And I work in a school in a relatively affluent area.

Generally speaking, our children are very good about fruit and veg. Key Stage One (ages 4-8) get one of their 5-a-day at break time. Banana, apple, pear, satsuma, carrot, tomato, sugar snap peas all depending on season. It's such a joy to watch Reception aged kids eating cherry tomatoes as if they are marshmallows. I've seen more than one child tuck into edame beans from their packed lunch.

And they drink water, as all juice and squash (dliuted fruit drink) is banned. This is primarily because spilling sugary drinks is far more harmful to books and the school environment than leaked water. It also allows the school to accept drinks bottles on every table. Certainly the lower year children have constant access to water. And they chug down the best part of 500ml a day on average. I never drank water as a child. Water was to wash yourself. Even now I only enjoy fizzy water.

Of course once they're out of our hands at secondary school and walk past newsagents and kiosks I'm sure they'll be as unhealthy as I was. A packet of Mint Imperials or Minstrels and a Diet Pepsi for breakfast...