New research by the wholesaler found an overwhelming majority of parents (96%) say they would welcome their child’s school offering a menu that provides dishes rich in nutrients to support brain function. This sentiment was shared by 76% of those who work in state secondary schools.
Just 14% of parents say their child always eats well at school. This is resulting in significant missed revenue opportunities for state schools, as nearly three quarters (72%) of parents whose children take a packed lunch say they would encourage their child to buy lunch from school more often if there were more nutritious options on the menu.
Anna Clapson, insights manager at Creed Foodservice, said: “We wanted to understand what those on the frontline – who are with the children every day, whether that’s at home or at school – are seeing. And it’s clear how strongly linked nutrition and learning are; 94% of people who work in a state secondary school agree that pupils who consume nutritious, filling food and drink before and during school learn better.
“If pupils don’t eat something nutritious and filling before or during school, 83% say concentration is affected negatively, followed by mood and energy levels (77%), behaviour (75%) and ability to learn (69%).
“It’s not only classroom-based activity that is affected, 65% said physical health (such as headaches and stomach pain), sport (41%) and interaction with peers (39%), are also impacted negatively. If this is happening consistently, week in and week out, the overall effect on learning outcomes becomes substantial.”
If their child hasn’t eaten nutritious, filling food at school, parents say it affects them when they get home:
- They are hungry and fill up on convenient, easy-to-eat snacks (e.g. crisps, biscuits, sugary drinks) – 44%
- They are ‘hangry’ (angry / grumpy due to hunger) – 42%
- They have little energy – 35%
- They communicate less than usual – 22%
- They don’t concentrate on their homework very well – 21%
- They are not as interested in taking part in their after-school activities and clubs – 12%
Creed’s new Brain Food menu includes breakfast and lunch options, along with a smoothie station. Each recipe is packed full of ingredients that have a part to play in brain function, as well as offering nutrients for all aspects of wellbeing for teenagers, such as providing energy for playing sport and supporting cognitive function for music or drama lessons.
Breakfast dishes include Mexican Omelette Taco with black beans, guacamole and salsa as well as Strawberry Cheesecake Overnight Oats. Lunch dishes include Loaded Sweet Potato Wedges topped with a beef and lentil Chilli Con Carne; Spanish Potatoes with Spinach, Chicken and Chorizo and a Posh Pot Noodle with chicken and vegetables in a miso broth.
Rob Owen, executive business development chef at Creed Foodservice who co-created the menu, added: “It’s not just about the catering teams delivering the menu, it’s also about educating pupils on good food choices. Highlighting ingredients on menus so pupils understand how the food benefits them raises understanding of what nutrients they are putting in their bodies and encourages them to make better and more informed choices.”
The Balcarras Trust, a multi-academy Trust based in Gloucestershire, looks to host a Brain Food menu trial with Creed to their 1,300-strong student cohort this term.
Head of catering Ian Cole commented: “We welcome fresh and new ideas on how to enhance our food offering to pupils. Working with a wholesaler like Creed, who can pool their resources, knowledge and expertise into conducting research, developing new menus and sourcing products that help create compelling menu options for our pupils, is exactly why we choose to partner with them.”