Nursery World - Parents would choose school lunches if they were cheaper, research finds

Almost six out of ten parents whose children take packed lunches to school would switch to school meals if they were offered at a reduced price, according to a new survey.

The School Food Trust poll of 1,000 parents of school-age children reveals that 58 per cent of parents are more likely to pay for their children to have school meals if schools run price promotions on their menus.

Nearly half of parents believe that school meals should be free for all pupils and only 8 per cent said they would be prepared to pay £2.50 or more for a healthy two-course meal.

Key reasons parents give for providing their child with a packed lunch rather than a school meal are because they say that they know that their child will eat what is provided, and because they are cheaper.

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