What’s for lunch?
Healthy food or junk food?
Schools in Britain don’t finish until 3 o ‘clock – so British pupils stay at school for lunch. Some children take a ‘packed lunch’ from home, while others eat a ‘school lunch’ in the school canteen.
Recently there was an investigation into 1300 packed lunches. The investigation found that only 13 of the lunches were healthy!
Sweets, chocolate, crisps and fizzy drinks were common things in the lunch boxes. When children had fruit in the packed lunch, the fruit was the thing they most often didn’t eat.
But are lunches from the canteen healthier? Yes, they are! In 2006, the British Government made rules for school lunches.
The rules said that the lunches have to include vegetables, fruit and dairy products (like cheese or yoghurt). Schools must not give pupils sweets, crisps or sweet drinks. So now, school lunches from the canteen have become healthier.
Jackie Schneider campaigns for healthy school food. She says, “This investigation shows that we should give all children a free healthy school meal.”
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Where do you eat your lunch?
Who makes your lunch?
Should children be allowed to eat chocolate and crisps at school?
A packed lunch and a school lunch
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15 January 2010 at 19:53
Really, in our school there is no place to have lunch - except small shop, where you can buy small bar or a sandwich. But is it a lunch? I think, if somebody wants to have THAT KIND of lunch, he or she should prepare it at home. I prepare my lunch at home and it is good choice for me. I usually have something with vegetables - they are delicious and healthy :) Nobody should be forced to eat something he or she doesn't like, even if it's healthy, however he should know, what IS or IS NOT good for his body. And nobody should check - even a teacher - what we eat.
15 January 2010 at 20:32
I think it's really good article. English level is also good, and it says about very important matter, which is not known well. Good!
15 January 2010 at 21:47
hm, I've already watched 'Supersize me'. I think that it's owfull what schools serve us for lunch. everywhere fat. junk food, unfortunately is more and more known and fond than fresh meals. more often than not I make my own lunch- I prefere it more than fast food. typically I eat cut lunch with tresh vegetables, like cucamber, lettuce and tomato. I also never forget about fruits. what about days, when I haven't got enough time to make sth in home? I buy sandwich in my schoolschop :) it isn't expensive, like fast food, but far more healthy and good for me. Insofar as others.. I'm against forceing childreen to eat healthy food, BUT junk food, at least in school, schould be sternly banned. what about checking my lunch? it's ridiculous. I'm old enough to receive good choices, and nobody has to control me. I've got my horse sense and I know what is good for me :)
15 January 2010 at 22:48
I almost every day make my own lunch. it usually looks like this: Sandwich, apple, chewing gum (oh, yes xD) and some still water or orange juice. Sometimes chldren eat too much junk food, so the obesity, heart problems and other ilnesses becomes much more frequent. Thah provides to shorter average of life lenght. I know somethin about beeing overweight. I wish there was someone in my past, who would stop me from eating not necessary food. But, I am what I am and I like myself. On the other hand, teachers checking, what students eat is a bad idea. For example, what can teacher do, when kid asked to stop eating something junk says: "But my mum/father allowed me!" Back to eating what one's want.. People who suffer from bulimy or anorexia don't realize that they are damaging their body and life. people like they need help. Besides we all need an umpteen and good education about eating habits. Hot dogs will kill! Apples will chill! :):)
16 January 2010 at 09:32
I think giving free school lunch could improve this situation.
16 January 2010 at 11:27
Yes, I make my own lunch myself. It is usually bread with different additives. We don't have our own canteena in the school, there is only a small shop. And there's mostly junk food. Should children be forced to eat healthy food? It depends... If it's about children in elementary school than yes. The school should provide a healthy food for them. But when it comes to youth.. I'm not so sure. They could feel in some way enslaved by it. And we all know that youth hates it. Besides, they would eat it whether we like it or not. They would find ways to do it. So maybe a better way is to influence on them when they are children and hope they will remember what to eat to stay healthy. I don't like the idea of checking someone's food. It is our decision and in case of young children - it's parents decision. Teachers shouldn't do it. I would be angry if somebody did that to me. It surely wouldn't be a pleasant thing. It is a personal thing and should remain private.
16 January 2010 at 13:14
I make my own lucnh. Generally its sandwich. Its sometimes boring to eat same thing everyday, so my mum buys different and delicious things from bakery. I think children should be forced to eat healthy food because there are friends of mine, who always eat toasts and hamburgers every and everyday without fed up. Most of them are chubby because of it. My teachers can check what i eat if they want. I eat more healthy things than my friends does.
16 January 2010 at 14:23
At first,as I am from Greece and we finish school at about 2 here,there is no lunch time at our schools.There are canteens with pies in order to have breakfast when we have a break.Most school canteens,such as mine,are law abiding with a similar(like the British law mentioned in the text)law that prohibits selling pies or pizzas with pork or sausages(that's nice but imagine a pizza only with ceese and peppers!).That's how it goes in Greece.In my opinion, children should certainly be forced to have a healthy diet,but without any exaggerations.As for my feelings if my teacher asked me what I eat......I had better not comment it!Nightmare!
16 January 2010 at 14:54
In my opinion everybody has the right to eat what he wants, however, especially in Primary Schools good nutrition habits should be taught or dinned. Young children won't choose the wholesome food,unless they are persuaded to do so. Recently I've seen "super size me" and I was agitated, when I saw the daily meal in USA, only fat, empty calories and carbohydrates, quite a hot potatoe.It's a good idea to increase the popularity of healthy diet, in my class the consumption of carrots has expanded, maybe it's a good sign :)
16 January 2010 at 18:51
I usually make my own lunch but sometimes I buy a sandwich in school shop... but i think it's a good idea to provide in school fruits and vegatables.
16 January 2010 at 18:56
1)Do you make your own lunch? What’s a typical lunch for you?- Yeah, before shool i always eat something like yoghurt or a fruit. It's enough for me. At 12 at noon in my school we have lunch, where anyone can refresh himself/herself. 2)Should children be forced to eat healthy food?- I suppose they should be forced to eat healthy food cause not every child can understand what affect junk food has. It will be ideally. But I know from my experience that it'hard to exclude such food as french fries, chocolate , fizzy drinks and other sweet things. 3) How would you feel if your teachers checked what you ate? Or is it your right to eat what you want? As for me I can't stand any adult's control without compromise. I get used to some freedom of action.
16 January 2010 at 19:28
No, I don't make my own lunch. Usually I buys a pizza at the school cafe. I think, there is not a necessity. I feel me very awfully... Because I don't like, when somebody checks me or my actions...
17 January 2010 at 14:10
I think they're going about this problem the wrong way. They should do a sort of program to help promote healthy eating at schools, as well as help the students see the benefits for themselves. I'd hate it if anyone forced brussel sprouts down my throat!
17 January 2010 at 15:55
Although at my school caffetiria there are some healthy lunches, I believe that students of all ages should eat healthy foods. I make my own lunch which consists of various ingredients. I would be horrified if a teacher would check what students eat as it is my right to eat whatever I want.
17 January 2010 at 19:34
Well, In my case I prepare my own lunch, because in my school there aren't any school meals (despite sandwiches). I'm trying to have a healthy diet, but in fact I don't like fast food,and it's not a problem for me to avoid junk food. I think that everyone can eat what they want, but it's a shame when someone can't help eating fast food, because it has surely a negative influence on his health.
17 January 2010 at 21:42
I think that healt food is getting more and more popular at schools. Now everything which is healthy,ecology is worth buying. Today when I pick with me carrots or another cut vegetables its not a sensation. A few years ago when sweets were a king of schools it was no chance to eat for example carrot, now everything changed. I think that for better. The society understand that u are that what u EAT!
18 January 2010 at 13:36
Well,here in Greece a typical school day ends at 2.00 p.m. so we don't have lunch in a school canteen or something...Anybody who wants can buy a pizza,a pie,a drink and general a snack from the school canteen,but this want be the lunch but the breakfast.So we all eat lunh in our homes after we finish school.The lunch is usually made by my mother,who is an a-m-a-z-i-n-g cook(fortuntelly i've managed to control myself and i haven't become overweight)and that means the meal is healthy enough..However, i make my dinner which is usually a sandwich,french toast,cereals,a yoghurt...and sometimes i may even cook something.I try to have a healthy diet but i'm a kind of chocolate addict(i know...,im working on it...)i may don't eat lunch or dinner and eat chocolate..it's a tragedy!No,children shoud NOT be allowed to eat chocolate(i do believe that) or crisps.School is a place where chidren are being educated so why not be informed and be educated in what they should eat...?School is responsibe for children's eating habbits!!!
18 January 2010 at 16:31
I think it is a big problem in Great Britain, those kids sometimes don't eat anything healthy and fresh for all day. Junk food prepared in a microwave is all they know,bacause when tired parents come back from work they don't cook a healthy dinner either.However there were trials of solving the problem-for example Jamie Olivier's school and TVl campaign against junk food at school canteens a few years ago,of which effects were 2006 regulations.To my mind teaching kids good eating habits is very important.
18 January 2010 at 19:23
@cocochanel--> I understand the point you are trying to make.. and I must say you do indeed have a point.
18 January 2010 at 20:27
In my opinion it's terrible that young people can't buy something healthy in their schoolshops. I have no problem with it because I make my own lunch in home, but not everyone has time before school. I always have sandwiches with ham, vegetables or processed cheese. I also never forget about fresh fruits. I eat it in class during break between lessons, because in our school we don't have canteen. what about eating chocolate and chips in school? Chocolate is good (but not in quantity of course!) but chips definitely schould't be sold in schoolschops.
19 January 2010 at 07:45
Atheraia, please, don't mention chewing gum. It's my addiction! I'm breaking my habit (oh, it reminds me Linkin Park's song :) ) now. Arak... yes, I noticed a connection with "Supersize me" too. I see that everything is connectes now with food and healthy diet. Why? Because majority of teenagers - and adults - eat lots of fast-foods instead of healthy vegetables or fruit. Someday it may lead to dangerous illnesses and world obesity if we don't learn how to cope with it.
19 January 2010 at 16:48
I make my own lunch. Usually, it is bread. If I want to eat something else, I can buy it in the shop in our school. I think that's good. It is your own choise to buy not healthy food! I think I can't eat a lunch like that. Don't eat English people in the evening???
20 January 2010 at 13:26
Ah, well.. "Supersize me" - I saw that film at school with my class on English lesson. I was shocked and disgusted. It was always my opinion that Americans are eating less nutritional food and raw vegetables and fruits than other countries. But that, what I saw, was unbelievable! I even can't imagine to eat so much fast food as some Americans. I like to cook on my own, so I always choose ingredients which contain a lot of vitamins and proteins. I alwas try to avoid products with preservaitves and lots of fat. And children must eat carbohydrates, proteins and vitamins - products with nutritional value. We all must take care of that!
20 January 2010 at 18:16
I can't say tghat I eat properly, but I try to. I think that sweets and other kinds of 'junk food' should be forbidden at school, in school canteens or shops, because pupils can't refrain from eating it. The best way to eat proprly is to take packed lunch from home, because it's the easiest. When a pupil takes food from home, he does't eat something else at school, so the meal eaten during lunch time is dependant on the food prepared at home, so it usually consist of sandwiches and some fruit.
20 January 2010 at 18:16
The food I eat at school depends on the time I wake up in the morning, because sometimes(very often) I simply have no time to prepare anything. Sometimes it's my mum who prepares my packed lunch. Another way to avoid eating junk ford is to remove all the school shops. In Poland there are canteens only in primary schools. I haven’t heard about any canteen in lower high school or high school… But maybe it’s another solution to solve this problem? Only if these canteen were provided with only healthy food it will be a success.
20 January 2010 at 18:31
I usually eat lunch at school and I always prepare it.Of course children should be allowed to eat what they want. But they also should be well-informed about prons and cons of eating fast food and healthy food.
20 January 2010 at 19:48
Well, British students are probably used to eating junk from their canteen, so I think it will be very hard to change their habits now. What they can do is help the future generation of teens, if they can convince them that healthy eating is the best thing to do!
20 January 2010 at 20:52
Well, I have lunch at home because in Italy (at least in my region) the school ends at 13.30... so, we can eat with our parents. If you want to buy something to eat before coming back to home, there's a pub near to my school, but the lunch at home is always the best (in my opinion, I mean). As I explained before, my lunch's prepared by my mother and I'm really happy to have lunch with my family due to fact that everyday there's always something new and delicious to eat. Even if I am a bit upset, when I come back, I refind the happiness and I forget everything bad. Finally, I think English pupils shouldn't eat chocolate and anything else sweet because I think school food should be healthy and highly nutritious; I can't know exactly what they spread in a school canteen because I have never eaten in a canteen... so much the better!
21 January 2010 at 14:09
:D:D I love eat :D:D. however when I was young ate at school!!but there wasn't the vegetables, there was only pasta and eggs or meat!!I think that having a good alimentation grows healthy and strong!!
22 January 2010 at 15:05
In my country, Slovenia, there's a law, which says that all high schools must give szudents warm lunch for free. In m,y school is a big cafeteria so we have lunch. But in most Slovenian high school there is no enough place or they don't have kitchen, so they give students sandwiches or something like that. But now they want to cancel free lunch so we'll have to pay for it. But a lot of people don't have enough money so students will eat unhealthy food again.
22 January 2010 at 20:35
I think, there should be "something sweet", however...not too much. If somebody has sweet tooth, he should be able to eat small piece of chocolate - or maybe nutritional bar... with dry fruit? Small step, yes, but it can help to change bad nutritional habits. It is possible to.
23 January 2010 at 20:48
I have heard that lunch in british canteens is not healthy. People think that they eat e.g. normal potatoes, but in true, these potatoes are made with powder... Cooks put it into hot water and after few minutes it turns into potatoes... That sounds unappetizing. I always take packet lunch from home. It is usually a sandwich with cheese and vegetables or fruits. I don't take any sweets because I don't like bars of chocolate and crisps. (I know, I am crazy :D) so my lunch is rather healthy.
23 January 2010 at 20:51
Oh, and I think, that students shouldn't buy sweets and crisps in school. school shops should only sell healthy food like fruits, juice, sandwiches. If students can't buy sweets, they won't have problems with obesity and decay :P
27 January 2010 at 01:12
My lunch always prepares by my mother, so in shool I have always a healthy and nutritious food. Of course usually I buy something to eat in school shop, but I think that it isn't junk food. It is only some sweets to make my time better. In Polish school "The junk food problem" is not common, becouse in our nation mothers are to much tender and have much time to do everything. But in England or in USA that is a real big problem. I can understand, when old people don't have much time to eat something healthy, but i cannot understand that children, who has time to eat slowly lunch, they eat junk food.
27 January 2010 at 12:54
Well, Rafi, what you say can be a solution for the junk food present at school... the mothers prepare the lunch to their children and so, every guy convinces himself what he is eating is healthy because he knows its provenance. Anyway, children have no much time to eat as adults (school, homework, swimming lessons, music lessons and so on), you ought to know that by now, even if they like eating sweet food because they are in a strange age where they are allowed to do all and woe betide who contradicts them!
28 January 2010 at 15:19
I don´t like so much the packed lunches, but some of my friends make it to eat at school. I don´t think that the packed lunch is bad for health, if you are care with the food.
28 January 2010 at 17:14
In my opinion, British Goverment made a good decision. It's nice to have healthier meals except of eating all day long junk food and all that fast food stuff.But on some days the school canteens can have something else. Not only vegetables and fruits. I live in Cyprus and we start school at 7:30 and we finish at 13:35 so i don't know exactly what foods are in a school canteen in other countries but i prefer eating home.LOL
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