We now have standards to ensure that school meals are nutritionally adequate, yet some children prefer the chip shop. The BBC identified one school in Leicester where as many as 40% of children head for their local chip shop rather than have the new school dinners on offer.  

Reasons for the fall in the take-up of school lunches appear to be diverse. Two of the reasons cited were unfamiliarity with the dishes on offer and the cost of a meal compared with the chip shop.

The children in question are teenagers and hence, should know from their school lessons, what constitutes a healthy diet and what the benefits are.  More knowledge of how the meals are prepared and taste-testing may help.

What they eat at home is also important, not only in terms of influencing their nutritional status, but also by helping them get used to good dietary habits at an early age.

When I was at school, admittedly a long time ago, most children either had a school dinner or brought a packed lunch. One was not allowed out of school at midday, except the few who went home for lunch.  It is a mystery why children are allowed out of school at midday for other reasons.

There is little point in having nutritional standards for school meals if the take-up is so low. Perhaps nutritional standards are needed for foods sold at takeaways?  That would help to make all of us eat more healthily.