18th Dec 2023 - 08:52
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Hampshire County Council’s caterer HC3S has been praised for its efforts to get more primary school pupils to eat their vegetables.
The service is the only local authority caterer in England to be awarded a ‘green traffic light’ by the Food Foundation.
Councillor Steve Forster, Hampshire County Council’s executive member for education, said: “Children who develop a taste for vegetables are more likely to eat them as adults, so it’s vital we give our pupils a healthy start in life to set them on a path where making healthy choices is the norm.
“It’s extra impressive that HC3S has earned this award because they are the only local authority caterer to do so, which has been achieved despite the ongoing challenges posed by the pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis.”
HC3S promised to:
- Revitalise the school lunch menu with a wider variety of vegetables and ensure there are two portions of vegetables in every meal
- Promote the fresh, seasonal vegetables in school meals to pupils, families and schools to make them aware of the quality of ingredients and produce that their children can eat at school, and the health benefits that nutritious vegetables can bring
- Encourage healthy eating at home by making it easy for parents and guardians to find easy-to-cook, affordable veg-based recipes on the HC3S recipe bank online
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