Nearly a year ago, a blood test found my daughter had Type 2 diabetes. She had had packed lunches for most of her primary school life but decided 18 months before leaving for secondary school that she wanted to try school dinners.
Naively I assumed they would offer a nutritious and balanced diet. It was not until diabetes was diagnosed that my daughter told me her diet at school had consisted of waffles, chips, pasta, cheese pasties and sausage rolls.
I was horrified. The school in question holds a 'Healthy eating award', and I was angry with myself for trusting it to provide a healthy diet. I spoke to its catering company and was told it planned to introduce a system where monthly plans were sent home and each child's menu was ordered in advance with parental guidance. But the system gave no information about what each meal was, making informed choice difficult. Foods were often unavailable and poor alternatives were offered.
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