The research, which studied responses from over 2500 school students across five state schools and four independent schools, was completed in conjunction with Leeds University Business School (LUBS).
Independent school students rate the availability of healthy food options as significantly more important to them than their state school counterparts, the research found.
Socio-economic backgrounds are likely to affect the evaluation of both satisfaction and importance and both female and male students in years 7-9 (ages 11-14) across both state and independent schools attach decreasing importance on healthy options.
Thereafter, females place increasing importance to it and males attach much less importance to it than females after a peak at age 15-16, in year 11.
Family diet and eating traditions may impact significantly on pupils but at independent schools, pupils may also be strongly influenced by peers because of eating traditions at those schools.
Nigel Forbes, Managing Partner from the Litmus Partnership, suggests there are a number of actions that schools could take to encourage greater levels of healthy eating amongst pupils and challenge the findings, “The research showed that there is a gap between the importance of availability of healthy food choices and pupil satisfaction with these choices and it’s worrying that pupils are registering discontent with the healthy eating options available to them at school.
“Both State and Independent schools could personalise the service of healthy options or involve students more in decision making to educate and excite in nutrition. Where schools have included nutrition in their curriculums or engaged the students with activities like interactive tasting sessions with professional chefs, or even run cooking classes to prepare healthy meals, interest in healthy food has increased. That’s good news for pupil health and future society.”
The Litmus Partnership is an independent catering and facilities management consultancy, established in 1993.