Economic Viability Blights School Food Initiative

I listened with interest to a report on BBC Breakfast this morning warning that new strict targets for nutrition in secondary schools will lead to a crisis for school caterers.

Apparently meals on offer over any three week period will have to provide a "grab bag" of 14 "essential" nutrients. It is feared that the new system will be too complicated to implement in a cost-effective manner ... and that children old enough to be permitted to leave school premises will exercise that option and head to the nearest local chippie.

This of course will defeat the purpose of the whole exercise.

I have mixed feelings on this. First, I come back to what I spoke about in my last post, which is that human nature is such that you can't impose other peoples' standards on anyone without resistance. These are teenagers we're talking about!

Second, we are again reinforcing a message of deprivation associated with healthy eating. Isn't this the reason why millions of people globally struggle with dieting and the psychology that surrounds it?

Third, fat is once again the bad guy. I see no meaningful distinction being made between the artificial fats in crisps and baked goods ... and fats that are healthy for you. I'm not a nutritionist, but I defy any quailified expert to justify with anything more than just regurgitated bluster, exactly why skim milk is any better for all kids than whole milk.

Cutting calories in isolation still appears to be an over-ridng focus. And we surely must have figured out by now that there is more to the obesity equation than the first law of thermodynamics.

For example, what ever happened to reinforcing the value of organic whole foods derived from plants grown in healthy soils, or meats from healthy animals? All produced by knowledgeable, local farmers? This of course would be totally impractical and non-viable. Or would it? Long term?

I think it's safe to say that if existing catering structures can't make a profit without selling add-ons like crisps, sweets and fizzy frinks ... then what chance will our kids ever have of learning the full truth about healthy eating.

Mind you, what chance do they have now, when experts working for the powers that be conveniently choose to ignore proven nutritional fundamentals like biochemical individuality in spite of mounting evidence that current initiatives just aren't getting results.

But then again, what do I know?