Educo provides services to head teachers, governors and bursars to improve school meals provision in both the state and independent sectors.
Robert Weiner, director at Educo said: “We know that lunchtimes are a key part of the school day. Food should be freshly prepared, nutritious, well sourced and served in an environment that makes dining a positive experience for the whole school.
“The Food for Life programme does a fantastic job doing just that and achieves some amazing results.
“Pupils in Food for Life schools are twice as likely to eat five a day and a third less likely to eat no fruit or vegetables than pupils in comparison schools, with 40% of pupils more likely to report that they 'like' or 'really like' school meals.”
Started in 2003, The Food for Life initiative works with schools, universities, hospitals, workplaces and care settings, aiming to support the provision of nutritious, well-sourced meals.
It has been cited by NHS England and the Department for Education as a way to improve hospital and school meals.
James Cashmore, director at Food for Life, added: “Educo only works with caterers who meet national School Food Standards and hold a Food for Life Served Here Award at bronze or higher, ensuring a healthy balanced meal for pupils that are fresh, tasty and ethically sourced.
“This high quality service sees results. Educo have a track record of increasing meal uptake with more pupils eating nutritious school dinners rather than junk-filled packed lunches.”