North Yorkshire launches healthy free school meals campaign

A campaign is underway across North Yorkshire to encourage more families to take up school meals as an affordable and healthy way to feed their children.

As family budgets face ever more pressure from the rising cost of living, school meals offer a hot and nutritious meal every day for children. North Yorkshire County Council’s school meals service provides millions of meals a year to pupils in the county.

But as schools get back into full swing following the pandemic, the county council is boosting a series of initiatives designed to increase take-up. These include breaking down barriers faced by families eligible for free school meals. They also include:

• Giving children the chance to try new foods before they are served
• Street food options to attract older students
• Menus designed with children in mind through feedback and consultation with school cooks
• Promotion days for children (Chinese New Year, Beside the Seaside, Globe Trotters’ Menu, and World Book Day).

The meals service ensures food is as fresh as can be and ensures support for the local economy and contributes to reducing the county’s carbon footprint.

Stuart Carlton, North Yorkshire director of the Children and Young People’s Service, said: “We have a good uptake of free school meals in North Yorkshire among families who are eligible. However, we believe every child should benefit from a healthy meal in school.

“More and more families need this support and we must ensure every child who is eligible for a free school meal gets one.

“We are proud of the healthy, fresh meals we serve up in North Yorkshire’s schools each day and we want more children and young people to enjoy them. With the pressure on family budgets set to increase significantly, we are determined to make sure that everyone entitled to a free school meal is given one.

“We all know that children learn best on a full tummy and that good nutrition is critical for their physical and educational development.”