Green Party School Lunch Survey

The Green Party conducted a survey of 50 primary and secondary schools to monitor what type of foods are being sold by schools to children who buy their lunches.

The results show that while many schools do offer healthy lunches, they are also selling foods loaded with fat and sugar.

Some of those schools with poor lunch menus are participants of the Ministry of Education supported Healthy Schools Programme.

Most schools sell lunches everyday, meaning that children are able to eat unhealthy lunches everyday if they chose to, or if their parents are unable to make lunches.

School Lunches Results

98% of schools sell pies, hotdogs, ‘hotbites’ or sausage rolls. 72% sell chips – ( in five of 50 schools those were corn chips, and in one wedges). 80% of schools sell cookies / cakes / chocolate / donuts In 68% of schools the menu does not include fruit. In 24% of schools the roll or sandwich is more expensive than the pie. In 22% of schools there is no roll or sandwich on the menu. 30% have yoghurt on the menu. 16% of schools sell muesli bars. 24% list water on the menu. In 8% school lunches are only available one day a week.

Children’s Food Awards

Background

The second Children’s Food Awards will be held this Friday at the Grand Hall in Parliament. Nominations for the awards were called for last year from New Zealand parents including those who belong to the Parents Centre and the Safe Food Campaign and closed in November. The nominations were shortlisted by a seven-person judging panel - including a GP (Dr Mark Austin), a dietitian (Sarah Crawford), former athlete John Walker, and Tum Glover of the Maori Welfare League.

Voting on the short list was done via the Green Party’s and The Safe food campaign websites and was open to all New Zealanders on Janary 18. Voting closed on 29 April.

About 650 votes were recieved on the short list.

The recommended daily amount of fat for children as set out in the Health Ministry’s Food and Nutrition Guidelines for Healthy Children aged 2 to 12 are:

• 59g for children aged 6 years. • 87g for children aged 11 years.

Analysis of some of the lunch foods:

Mince and Cheese Pie

Fat 27.7g Saturated fat 14.2g Sugar 0.2g Sodium 952.1mg

Sausage Roll

Fat 18.3g Saturated fat 9.3g Sugar 1.1g Sodium 733.3mg

Hot Chips

Fat 12g Saturated fat 5.1g Sugar 0.5g Sodium 107.1mg

Custard Slice

Fat 5.6g Saturated fat 3.3g Sugar 17.2g Sodium 160.7mg

Cream Doughnut

Fat 13.1g Saturated fat 6.3g Sugar 21.8g Sodium 576.9mg

Cookie

Fat 21.1g Saturated fat 11.9g Sugar 36.2g Sodium 366mg

Fizzy Drink

Fat 0g Saturated fat 0g Sugar 63g Sodium 20mg

Chippies

Fat 15.3g Saturated fat 6.9g Sugar less than 1g Sodium 170mg

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