The third installment in this trilogy. [Part one here] [Part two here] (For those lazy arses who can’t be bothered clicking the links – Jamie Oliver got involved in a government initiative to create a healthier menu and items for school lunches.)

Healthier food for school kids meals is a good move in the right direction, but there are still not enough vegetarian options.

Via the Society Guardian website – both the Vegetarian and Vegan Society voice their concerns about the lack of a veggie alternatives:

“New healthy eating guidelines for school dinners neglect the needs of vegetarian and vegan pupils and aren’t necessarily healthy in general, according to vegetarian campaigners.

The guidelines, brought in last month, are to be followed by schools to provide healthier lunches for children.

The guidelines say that schools should provide a vegetarian option every day, but they include no vegetarian or vegan alternatives to some of the major sources of nutrients they recommend.”

The newspaper did some investigating to find out what preparations were being made for veggie and vegan children:

“Posing as the parent of a vegan child, a reporter for SocietyGuardian.co.uk called the (School Food Trust) helpline to ask what the arrangements for vegetarians and vegans were at schools.

Within 24 hours, the trust called back to say the matter was being referred to its nutritionists.

It explained: “There are further discussions going on about this with our nutritionists and the Department for Education and Skills. We’re waiting for further advice.

“We’ve had a few queries like this and we’re still waiting for more information. It’s a bit of a grey area. You should hear something back from us in the next week or so.”

Two weeks later SocietyGuardian.co.uk had still not heard back from the helpline on this matter.”

Full article:
http://society.guardian.co.uk/health/story/0,,1885785,00.html