It's Time to #SpillTheBeans!
Young people spend 190 days of the year in school, and what we eat there is incredibly important. Having healthy food at school significantly improves our chance of performing well in class. School is also the only place where we can make absolutely certain all children, no matter where they live, are getting a decent meal.
Young people like us are the ones who really know what’s going on with school food — we eat it every day! And yet our voices are rarely heard in conversations about it. So, over summer 2021, the Bite Back 2030 Youth Board facilitated conversations with young people aged 13-18 from across England, to hear about what the school food experience can really be like.
What we, the Youth Board, heard was worrying. Take a look at this sneak preview from one of our panels to find out more:
Our conversations suggest that the school food standards are routinely not being upheld, and participants also said that healthier options are typically not available, pushed into the background or if they are available they typically cost more.
We want the government to ensure that every student has access to nutritious, healthy food. The government needs to step in and ensure school food standards are upheld.
Agree? Disagree? Tell us about your experience of school food below, and we’ll share your story in our conversations with government and school leaders.
Are You A Teacher Or A Student Who Wants To Take An Active Role In Improving School Food?
Then join Bite Back School Food Champions! It is a fully funded extracurricular programme for Key Stage 3 (11-14 year olds). Working in teams of 15, supported by a lead teacher, young people lead social action projects to improve the food provision and culture in their schools and their local communities.
